Our core competencies offspring from innovation and superior engineering
The growing global competition and increasing FDI resulting in the increased land cost and power shortage, throws open oppor?tunities for technology, which can mitigate some or a major portion of these challenges. The savings in the energy bill is an option which can be exercised easily, says Piush Goyal, Managing Director, Kelley Material Handling Equipment India. In a detailed interview with Equipment India, Goyal elaborates on the energy saving products from Kelley India. Excerpts from the interview.

What are the major challenges in the current shift towards energy-efficient machines?
The increasing demand on the energy grids and the recent power outages combined with industrial growth, indicate a need of products that give what businesses desire while putting less of a strain on the power grid.

How do you assess the shift towards more energy- efficient machines in India?
In response to the challenges, the industrial and warehousing customer in India understands the need of the technology which is energy-efficient and more productive, too. The hot Indian weather and increased sizes of the manufacturing/warehousing facilities now add to the challenges and puts the pressure back on energy requirements.

The HVLS fans and air-powered dock levelers have been very popular in US and Europe over last two decades. This gives a key opportunity for MHE manufacturers to educate and demonstrate to users the benefits of these technologically advanced products.

What is the contribution of Kelley as a global corporate toward this shift?
As the creator of the first dock leveler in the 1950s, Kelley has spent last 60 years pioneering much in the material handling industry and providing companies, with a variety of products to meet individual facility needs. Kelley is a brand owned by 4Front Engineered Solutions headquartered at Dallas, Texas, USA and offers a wide range of loading dock equipment and warehouse products to companies worldwide. Kelley has the broadest line of pit style and specialty dock levelers as well as dock seals and shelters to fit all size door openings and applications. Kelley's core competencies and strengths (product innovation, superior manufacturing and customer service after the sale) are born out of a rich history of innovation, quality and superior engineering and a number of industry firsts. All these years, Kelley has strived to manufacture dock equipment that makes the workplace safer, more productive and more energy-efficient. Today, Kelley's product offering extends beyond loading dock equipment, including energy savings big HVLS Fans (High Volume and Low Speed Fans) for warehousing and manufacturing facilities.

Tell us about the inbuilt features that ramp up energy efficiency in your range of products.
Kelley HVLS fans are available in the size range of 8' to 24' diameter fitted with up to 2hp motor and fan mounted VFD (Variable Frequency Drive), which allow them to operate at one of the lowest noise levels and energy consumption. The single Kelley HVLS big fan can cover a facility area of up to 15,000 sq. ft.

Energy Guard is an innovative design that closes off the gaps between the dock leveler and concrete pit walls at the in-bound / out-bound logistics on the loading docks. Energy Guard prevents the mass flow of air, minimising the transfer of heat and energy into and out of the facility. Energy Guard can be factory installed on new Kelley levelers or outfitted on most existing pit-style dock levelers.

Kelley's dock shelters and seals provide complete protection from dust, insects and energy wastage. The fully impactable TKO dock doors mount the seals to the door panels rather than on the door jamb, keeping it safe from damage during loading and ensuring a consistent, compression seal around the door.

What value proposition can Kelley India provide to the Indian market?
In addition to the hydraulic dock levelers, Kelley's low pressure, air bag dock leveler is one of the most popular dock levelers in the world with over 135,000 units installed. Kelley's aFX (air bag) dock leveler provides customers with the benefits comparable to hydraulic dock levelers but eliminates the need for hydraulic components and fluid. Also, Kelley's line-up of HVLS Fans will help improve warehouse / factory environment, worker safety and comfort, while consuming a minimal amount of power to operate. This will in turn, save a huge amount of money, resulting in quick returns on investment.

How do you plan to educate Indian companies on expanding their knowledge on the subject?
Kelley India has established three offices in India with a technical team trained at our US HQ. They are meeting with the end- users as well as the design and construction firms to understand their applications and demonstrate the Kelley Advantage. We encourage our potential customers to keep themselves updated with the Kelley's latest innovations and installations in India / overseas on the social media sites like FaceBook and LinkedIn. We are also working with multinational companies who already use Kelley products worldwide and intend to or already have extended operations in India.

To what extent are the end-user segments focused on energy- efficient features while buying new equipment?
The growing global competition and increasing FDI resulting in the increased land cost and power shortage, throws open an opportunity of looking for technology which can mitigate some or a major portion of these challenges. The saving in the energy bill is the option which can be exercised with some determination.

Hundreds of Kelley equipment is successfully in operation in Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and other parts of India, which in itself is proof that customers in India are becoming more technology oriented and conscious about energy saving products.

For more information on Kelley India and its products, contact:
For New Delhi: John.Walia@kelleyindia.com / +91 9717211122,
Pune: Abhijeet.Sonawane@kelleyindia.com / +91 9890072923.