Pankaj Karmakar, Chairman of Kolkata-based Icon Engineers Pvt Ltd talks to Industrial Products Finder about the products and services. Excerpts…

What are the products manufactured by Icon Engineers?

At Icon Engineers, we manufacture a range of products for voltage regulation. These include dry type transformers, transformers with built-in HT AVR (automatic voltage regulator), HT AVR, LT AVR, boost and regulator core coil assembly, etc.

What is the range of transformers and their applications?

The transformers are manufactured in a wide capacity range, from 15000 MVA and up to 33000 kV rating.

What are the different automatic voltage regulators on offer? What is the product range? What are the specialised applications?

As mentioned above, there are different types like the transformers with built-in HT automatic voltage regulators, HT automatic voltage regulators and LT automatic voltage regulators for on load rolling contact type voltage regulation system. The products range in capacity up to 10000 kVA and voltage class up to 33000 V.

These products are extensively used in factories, industries, hotels, hospitals, R&D centres, large offices and residential units, etc., for automatic boosting in case of low voltage or automatic bucking in case of high voltage, thus giving a constant voltage with variation of ±1%. Voltage fluctuation affects the normal functioning of electrical equipment and sometime damages the equipment, which leads to production loss. So it is important to have some regulation device.

Are all your products totally indigenous? Or do you have technical collaboration?

All our products are developed indigenously based on in-house R&D and made at our own manufacturing facility. Initially there were some imported components which were gradually replaced with substitutes developed locally based on 45 years of manufacturing experience and application knowledge in voltage regulation for power distribution system. The company has in-house testing facilities with all the equipment as per IS guidelines.

Power quality problems occur regardless of power shortages. How effective are these products vis-à-vis other solutions for power quality management?

Our voltage regulators are ‘stepless’ without any steps. In all other voltage control systems like OLTC, transformers, etc., there are steps which create surges/transience in the power system. Our voltage regulators are heavy 'infinite' taps and as a result there is no possibility of failure due to severe wear and tear of a particular tap as in OLTC regulators.

There is a huge unorganised segment in AVRs and transformers, besides the reputed global solution providers. Where does the company figure in this ranking?

The market has all types of players, organised and unorganised with various types of products at different price points. But the customer today is also well aware of the quality factor and the value proposition. As a company with 45 years of experience in this line of voltage regulators, we have gone through various innovations have developed the capability of facing the market challenges both from inside the country and outside too.

How strong/effective is the after sales service?

We have a team of service engineers who take care of any service call within 48 hours.

Any breakthrough product launch that made a difference?

We are continuously developing our products and we have made it a practice to resolve any challenging technical specifications as we are the manufacturer of ‘tailor made products’ rather than a standard range.