GKN Driveline today opened a new precision forging facility at Oragadam near Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
Located 50 kilometers from Chennai, the 5,000-square-metre facility will supply precision forgings to GKN Driveline’s Oragadam CVJ Systems manufacturing plant which annually produces 1.2 million sideshafts for automotive manufacturers in South India. The CVJ Systems plant was opened in 2008 to meet the rapidly growing automotive market in India.
GKN Driveline has invested nearly 48 crores INR (£6.6m UK) in the new forging facility which will ensure that its CVJ Systems benefit from GKN Driveline’s proprietary forging technologies and quality. It will initially employ 60 people.
“This state-of-the-art forging facility is our first wholly-owned forging facility in the Asia Pacific region and reinforces our commitment to our India-based customers,” said Marc Vuarchex, managing director, GKN Driveline Asia Pacific. “Since the early 1980s, we have viewed India as an extremely important market for us. We now employ over 800 people in the country.”
Ravindra Ojha, managing director of GKN Driveline in India noted, “Our business in India continues to grow at an annual rate of 15 percent, and this investment helps ensure that we will continue to meet our customers growth throughout the region.”
GKN Driveline’s product segments include:
CVJ Systems
• GKN Driveline’s constant velocity joint systems provide space, weight and fuel savings with greater all round efficiency.
• GKN Driveline supplies the most extensive range of CVJ systems – used in the smallest ultra-low cost car through to the most sophisticated premium vehicle.
AWD Systems
• GKN Driveline has full all-wheel drive systems capability
• GKN Driveline’s all-wheel drive couplings improve vehicle handling, stability and traction by intelligently distributing power and disconnecting technology can reduce drag and inertia for ultimate efficiency.
Trans Axle Solutions
• GKN Driveline produces highly durable open differentials and has the most extensive range of limited slip differentials, from the smallest super LSD to the largest electronically controlled axle locker
• For the ultimate capability, GKN Driveline’s torque vectoring solutions provide the answer
eDrive Systems
• GKN Driveline’s pioneering electric drive technology is used in 250,000 vehicles today
• GKN Driveline’s eDrives are designed for the new generation of fuel efficient, low emission electric and hybrid vehicles
About GKN Driveline in India
GKN Driveline’s roots in the Indian automotive market go back to the 1980s, forging strong partnerships based on supply reliability, product integrity and quality consistency. Today, GKN Driveline shares its unique application capability with customers to develop dedicated driveline solutions that meet the challenge of improved environmental performance, greater efficiency, lighter weight and enhanced reliability.
About GKN Driveline
GKN Driveline is the world’s leading supplier of automotive driveline systems and solutions. As a global business serving the leading vehicle manufacturers, GKN Driveline develops, builds and supplies an extensive range of automotive driveline systems – for use in the smallest ultra low-cost car to the most sophisticated premium vehicle demanding the most complex driving dynamics.
GKN Driveline is a leading global producer of CVJ systems, AWD systems, Trans Axle solutions and eDrive systems.
About GKN Group
GKN plc is a global engineering business serving mainly the automotive, aerospace and land systems markets. It has operations in more than 30 countries, around 40,000 employees in subsidiaries and joint ventures and had sales of INR 39,700 (£5.4 bn) in the year to 31 December 2010. GKN plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: GKN).
www.gkn.com
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