Multivent Engineers, belonging to the Iceberg group, is one of the most prominent manufacturers of industrial fans, rotary valves, husk conveying, bucket elevators and cyclones. Its product range covers dampers, desing and analysis,dust collection systems, heavy fabrication, husk conveying system, mobile conveyors, pneumatic conveying and rotary air locks, process fans and blowers. In a conversation with Shashank Chaurey, on S P Dhiman, Chairman, Multivent Engineers, provided his take on the current status of pollution control equipment industry.

 

Established in 1978, what made the company to setup business in fan engineering domain? 

In 1970’s  there were very few good quality fan - induced draft fan (ID fan), forced draft fan (FD fan), primary air fan (PA fan), secondary air fan (SA fan) - manufacturers  for boiler application, so Iceberg  decided  to set  up fan manufacturing  facility  to cater to industry  users having low – medium – high capacity boilers and to boiler manufacturers who were OEM ‘s for projects with boiler and fans in their scope of supplies and execution. Fan design – engineering and manufacturing facility evolved from boiler application to dust handling application to complete pneumatic conveyor system and thereafter manufacturing of accessories like rotary air lock valves, dampers, cyclones, bagfilters was added to the product range.

 

What are the applications in which the company specialises?

Multivent Engineer manufactures flue gas, dust, fume extracting centrifugal fans and accessories (ID fans, cyclone, bagfilters, dampers, rotary air lock valves in process industries where high quantity of air pollutants are emitted  from process equipments like boilers, metal melting furnaces, clinker furnaces, etc). We also make fresh air application centrifugal fans (FD fan, PA fan, SA fan, cooling  blowers where ambient or hot air is required to be applied to process equipments like boilers, metal rolling mill line, baking ovens, etc). These centrifugal fans find application in cement plant, steel plant, copper plant, zinc plant, lead plant, lead battery mfg plant, thermal power plant, pneumatic conveying system, rice mill, dal mill, etc.

 

Besides, we provide manufacturing of pneumatic handling system where rice husk, ash or any other material with specific density can be transported from generation point to discharge point via closed pipe system with centrifugal fan, bagfilters, rotary airlock valves, etc. Pneumatic handling systems find applications in rice mill, sugar mill, food processing Inds, mini thermal power plants, chemical industries, etc.

 

In addition, we produce cold air and fresh air application axial fans where cold air is applied to cold storage  chambers and ambient temperature fresh air is supplied to factories and commercial, residential complexes.  These axial fans find application in cold storages, multiplexes, commercial complex, high rise residential complex, HVAC systems, mine ventillation systems, specialised paint shops.

 

Having engaged in offering air pollution control systems/products, how do you see the scope for pollution control equipments in India?

Air pollution control in industries is getting stricter and improved year after year. As most of the state  PCBs and CPCB has laid out maximum quantum (parts per million) of permissible air pollutants (like fly ash, SO2, flourine, smoke, NH3, cyanide, NOX, SOX, etc) that can be released into atmosphere at a particular height from process industries, so application of air pollution control equipments in process industries will become mandatory. The prospects of air pollution equipment will keep growing year on year.  

 

What are the key user segments of pollution control equipment and which are the ones holding promise in future?

Key users of pollution control equipment are sugar plants, fertilizer plants, steel plants with melting furnaces, paper plants, chemical plants, lead plants, lead acid battery manufacturing units, coal based thermal power plants, aluminium plants with smelters, copper plants with smelters, food processing industries, cement plant, dye plant, caustic soda plant, oil refineries, textiles, pesticide plant, tanneries, nuclear power plant etc. All these key users hold excellent future promising prospects for fan (centrifugal and axial) and pollution control equipment.

 

What are the challenges involved with the manufacturing of these equipment in India? Has Make in India made a difference?

Principal challenge involved is both design and manufacturing of custom built equipments for users, as size, capacity and required output varies from project to project. Multivent Engineers have acquired requisite skills and competence in design, manufacturing, quality testing of these equipments and systems. Since many years Indian companies are able to fulfill project requirements through indigenous designs and manufacturing setup owned by them, so it can be said such pollution control equipments and components meeting Indian standards are manufactured in India since long.    

 

What are the technologies, lately being used, in these pollution control equipment?

Air pollution control technological equipment currently used in India are cyclone type filtration system, multicyclone type filtration system, bag type filtration system, wet scrubber type filtration system, dry type filtration system and electrostatic precipitaion type filtration system. 

 

With an experience of over 4 decades, what are the most important factors required to sustain in the market?

Most important aspect to sustain in market is consistent good quality and good performance parameters of every equipment or system designed, manufactured and installed.

 

Global demand for air pollution control equipment is projected to reach $21 billion by 2021. How much do you think would be India's contribution and what are your future plans to avail this opportunity?

Indian air pollution control equipment market will also cross $ 3 billion from present $ 1.5 billion at  present and to tap the opportunity we are on expansion mode and building our capacities.