Established more than four decades ago, Fainger Engineering today has emerged as a major player in the field of instrumentation and control of basic parameters namely pressure, level and flow. The brand Fainger is synonymous with safety and its products are used in a wide range of industries. In this interview, Sidharth Shenoy, COO, Fainger Engineering, and VP, Bombay Industries Association, explains the importance of safety and how the company’s products make industries safer.

 

How has been the progress of Fainger Engineering since its inception in 1975?

Fainger Engineering has grown multiple folds since its inception and on many levels. The brand Fainger is synonymous with safety and our 20 year collaboration with a German company in India is a proof of it. In 2008, we moved to a much larger facility in Dombivli (a suburb near Mumbai) and since then the company has managed to grow due to the sincere efforts of its team.

 

In 2014, we re-introduced the safety valve in our scope of supply and with the support of our esteemed customers have been able to gather a very strong installation base all over India. Since then we have also developed a strong manufacturing infrastructure with dynamic work 

flow matrix to ensure swift delivery in spite of stringent in-house quality control processes.

 

How is the market for vapour control? Why these systems are critical for industries?

Our focus is on the combination of vapour control and safety. It is our responsibilty to protect our customer’s capital investment and also reduce loss of valuable product. Safety provided in any form has an ever growing demand and the boundaries for increasing the same are always being pushed especially where the most important asset of any company is concerned, ie human capital. 

 

Which end-user industries are driving the demand?

Our products are largely application based and are custom made for our users. Our end-users are from all industries. The applications in different industries could vary, but safety remains the primary focus. We cater mainly to pharmaceuticals, oil & gas, distillery, chemicals, food & paper industries. Our products are also used in a few specialised applications in the OEM space.

 

How is the market for industrial valves in India?

Needless to say, that like all other industries, the Indian valve industry has come long way in this century. Today, there are many examples of extremely innovative manufacturers who are specialised in their respective valve design and the demand is ever increasing. More competiton is a catalyst for innovation and should always be welcomed. India’s dependency on other countries to supply specialised valves is reducing due to better quality systems and design of valves. 

 

What are the key parameters to be considered for selecting a valve?

Selecting the right valve for a certain application/system is rarely an easy task. Understanding the factors you need to consider when selecting the valve is the best way to make sure you don’t have problems once it’s installed. Some of the parameters should be know & understand the application, know the process conditions, pressure and flow values, and flow media & temperature values to select appropriate materials.

 

What are emerging trends in valves?

Manufacturers are adopting various trends depending on the type of valves they make. To highlight a few, the increased use of simulation software to check valve performance and capacity is one of them. Smart valves which use intelligent control systems are also being developed for certain critical applications.

 

How is Fainger Engineering leveraging on its R&D center?

With a constant focus on design and with the help of state of the art softwares, Fainger Engineering has created an internal information centre which helps to create customised solutions for various applications with respect to plant safety. For some of our products like the excess flow check valve, we have gone as far as to create a laboratory grade test bench with capacity of as high as 2500 LPM which is way above required standards. More developments with respect to validation processes are in play and will be realised in the near future.

 

Is Fainger Engineering developing any smart valves?

Although the valves manufactured are purely mechanical in nature, Fainger with the support of its customers and their respective feedback is developing valves with sensors to help our users by relaying information to their control room upon operation at site. These valves are currently being tested at various user sites and the feedback received is very positive.

 

What are the factors driving the demands for your products?

All our customers are very aware of our commitment towards safety and we are constantly engaged with them sharing information and also getting their feedback. As mentioned earlier, safety is the driving force and any user who is keen to protect and care about their human assets is a customer for us.  

 

Any plans for capacity expansion...

Fainger has slowly but steadily expanded its capacity year on year. Every year, we invest in equipment and technology which helps us to improve our work flow matrix. We still have room for further expansion and are going about our continual growth with an eye on the market demand as well.

 

What are your short and long-term growth plans?

Most of our long term goals are broken down into short term goals. Our most imporatant asset is our personnel and we internally engage with determined and sincere indivduals. Our goal is to empower each individual to grow within the organisation through learning which in turn is realised through the growth of Fainger Engineering. A transarent working environment where a team member can align their individual goals with that of Faingers is sure to help behave as a catalyst. To provide a solution with safety at the helm of our thoughts and actions is our ultimate goal. In the last 40 years, Fainger Engineering is proud to state that it holds a stellar reputation in India because of the commitment and focus of its team members.