It is nearly next to impossible to find out a single person who hasn’t ever seen a Tata manufactured truck on the road. Such is the presence and such is the way Tata is dominating the domestic market of heavy and medium commercial vehicles.
But did you know that Tata rolled out the 2 Millionth truck just a couple of days back? Did you know that Tata Motors can roll out a truck every 5 minutes?
Surprised, eh? Well, today we’re going to talk about Tata’s decades old Jamshedpur Plant which was set up in 1945 and used to produce Locomotive Steam Engines back then. No, don’t go by the words. The plant might be decades old but it has been through enormous modernization and today it’s a state-of-the art production plant that houses many dedicated facilities.
Today Tata Trucks come with world-class features like ABS (Anti-Lock Breaking system), Automatic Transmission, enhanced HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems, telematics for fleet tracking, power steering, motorized headlamps, adjustable telescopic steering systems, cold start, on-board diagnosis, pneumatically suspended seats, keyless entry, light intensity control (for Prima cabin only), music system, clutch pedal assist, electronic instrument cluster and other ergo pack features .. and all these are fitted into the trucks in this factory line.
Now we’ll try to give you an idea of what this plant is capable of.
This plant has a Design and Engineering Centre which eases the complex design (including electrical systems and all its features) procedure through 3D visualization. It is also responsible for bench-marking prototype planning, vehicle assembly, chassis fabrication and a customization unit. The testing unit also includes engine performance testing, indoor and outdoor vehicle testing, NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) testing, durability testing and other performance related developments.
- The Engine plant manufactures Tata 697/497 naturally aspirated and turbo charged engines, and is capable of rolling out 200 engines every day.
- There are 2 assembly lines, one for all commercial purpose trucks and the other is dedicated to special purpose vehicles including the defence vehicles.
- The Foundry deals with high-grade SG Iron Castings and is marked as one of the highly automated foundries in the world, with a production capacity of 90 moulds per hour.
- The forging unit forges crucial parts like crankshafts, front axle beams and steering parts. It takes precisely 90 seconds to produce a front axle beam and just 120 seconds for a crankshaft.
- The Cab and Cowl factory sports an automated and centralized paint shop with provision of Metallic Paints.
Centralized Trim Lines ensures improved logistics flow and a Shower testing facility in the vehicle dispatch area. There’s a Clean Room for CRDI engines,which ensures a dust-free environment for fitment of critical parts. A Training Division and Driver Training Centre with the latest technologies are also there.
Wait, the story doesn’t end here. There’s some more:
This plant produces trucks of over 200 different types for various applications like multi-axle trucks, tractor-trailers, tippers, mixers and special application vehicles. This world-class facility at Jamshedpur incorporates a flexible approach to manufacturing, such that it is always ready to respond rapidly to changing customer needs.
Commenting on this breathtaking achievement, Mr. Karl Slym, Managing Director, Tata Motors, said: “We are proud that the mother plant of the company, from where our operations started, has today released its 2 millionth truck. We have modernised the plant through the years, which today produces our most technologically rich and high performing civilian and defence products, catering to customers across the world.”
