Page 4 - Sands of Time Special Issue on Tata Motors Diamond Jubilee

4 VOL. XVII, ISSUE 2, 2020 VOL. XVII, ISSUE 2, 2020 5

n TELCO EXCAVATORS n EXpAnSiOn : ThE yEars frOm ThE 60’s TO ThE 80’s

with the slow phasing out of apart from the earth-moving on the course of expansion with the
the Locomotive Project, it was machinery and industrial shunters, setting up of a second unit in Pune.
decided that the spare capacity in the manufacture of Paper and Pulp To this end, the Company acquired
the General Engineering Division machinery (digesters, chippers the Investa Machine Tool Co. Ltd. in
could be fruitfully utilised for and other standard items) was Pune. In 1965, construction on the
manufacture of mechanical cranes undertaken in collaboration with plant began in the Pimpri Chinchwad
and excavators. A decision was Karlstad Mekaniska Werkstad of industrial area, located about 20 kms
taken in 1961 to collaborate with Sweden under the trademark Tata- north of Pune. The plant at Pimpri
Harnischfeger Corporation, USA. KMW. However, the Paper and Pulp extended over 376 acres of land
It was for the first time in India Project was terminated owing to while the Chinchwad plant, located 3
that earth-moving machinery was recession in paper industry. kms from the Pimpri unit, measured w The Industrial Tractor pulling the
being made on a regular basis. The 126 acres. The Machine Tool Division i ndian air Force fighter “gnat”
machines went with the brand name Another new product line which was of the fledgling plant signed an during the republic Day
Tata P & H. The first model taken up established in 1967 was the 5 tonne agreement with Rheinsthal Henschel celebrations at Delhi in 1971.
for manufacture was 955 A, 2 1/2 capacity Tata forklift, wholly designed AG of West Germany to produce
cu. yd. capacity, powered by a 220 and developed within TELCO. Fitted special machine tools for use in the along with this, more
HP engine, weighing 70 tonnes and w the First tata hitachi excavator, 1984. with an OM 312 automobile engine, Auto Division at Jamshedpur. significant advances were made
costing Rs.17 lakhs. hydraulic lifting and tilting steering in the Jamshedpur Works. On
the UH series, replacing them were The following years saw a further gear, the forklift family grew to 190 a special request from the
The sales and service of the Tata the even more efficient diversification of the excavator range strong before this line of production Government, the Steel Foundry
P&H Excavators were handled by EX series. Along with this was with the introduction of the KH 500 was discontinued. commenced the manufacture of
Voltas up to 1976. The collaboration released the totally in-house crane and the EX series of hydraulic track links for tanks being made
with Harnischfeger ended in designed and developed Tata Front machines, both in collaboration Foreseeing a boom in the automobile by the Defence Department at
1977 during which 940 machines end Wheel Loader (TWL 3036). with Hitachi. In addition, the Tata industry in an industrially awakened Avadi near Madras - over 2000
FROM THE
were produced, these machines Articulated Crane TAC-20 was also nation and with the blessings of w the first commercial vehicle from such track links per month were
were thereafter called the Tata In 1991, the Excavator Division introduced into the market. J.R.D. Tata, Chairman, TELCO was the pune plant, 1977. manufactured. The Excavator
excavators/cranes. came out with three new products. Division produced the third new
First came the totally in-house
excavator model, the versatile
designed and developed pick and
Though the mechanical excavators COLLECTION In 1994, the Excavator Division was had concentrated its efforts on giving 315/320 HD.
bifurcated into the Construction
were extremely popular, and sales carry articulated crane (TAG 20) Equipment Business Unit, with the the market only heavy-duty vehicles,
OF THE
were very brisk, TELCO decided to with capability of handling 20 tonne objective to better reflect its main moved into the medium heavy-duty The Pune plant, the same year,
go in for the latest technology in metre movement which was higher business areas and to provide the range with the introduction of the turned out an Industrial Tractor
excavators, with the introduction of than any other articulated crane necessary operating autonomy for 607, which in 1983 was re-designated with enough muscle to haul 100
TATA CENTRAL ARCHIVES
hydraulic machines. The company being produced in India. It also the units to operate efficiently. as 807. tonnes. Essentially a towing
entered into a technical collaboration rolled out the EX 200 excavator, vehicle, it found great favour
with Hitachi of Japan in 1984. Soon followed by the EX 100 which gave In the late 80’s, the Indian automobile with the Indian Air Force to pull
the first hydraulic excavator, the advantages of higher productivity scene was witnessing radical change. their aircraft out of the hangars.
Tata-Hitachi UH 083 rolled out of the and lower fuel consumption. Approximately, 32 applications for
TELCO Works. This heralded a new LCV production had been approved
era in the Excavator Division as more w Group photograph at the launch of by the Government of India and most
models of hydraulic excavators were t ata 407 in 1986. Seen in the centre with foreign collaboration. To this turn
put into the market. from l to r: nani palkhivala, of events, TELCO’s R&D wing had a
Sumant Moolgaokar, J.E. Talaulicar,
a run Maira and V.M. raval. savy market answer - the 407 series
Hitherto, the excavators made in of vehicles - which hit the market on
collaboration with Hitachi were of TELCO spread its wings and in a February 21, 1986. Designed in-house
Joint Venture with TAB Industries of and created for Indian conditions
Malaysia (TATAB) set up an assembly the vehicle, besides being 100%
plant for progressive manufacture of indigenous also satisfied international
Tata vehicles at Pekan, Malaysia in parameters of performance.
1977. w Semi-conductor tool being examined
Following the 407 in quick succession by J.r.D. tata at the tata precision
w The First Tata Excavator 955 A model in 1961.
In 1982, the Company, which hitherto came the 707, 909 and 1510 vehicles. i ndustries in Singapore. also seen in
the picture is Syamal Gupta.
Meanwhile, the demand for vehicles was growing so By this time the TELCO name had
rapidly that the management took a decision to go in spread far and wide for the quality of
for a third plant, at Lucknow on March 12, 1986. It was its products, but 1973 brought with
established to assemble Medium Commercial Vehicles it a different type of recognition, its
(MCVs) to meet the demand in the North Indian market. technical and managerial expertise
While production was proceeding apace at Pune and was sought by the Singapore
w Third plant at Lucknow. Jamshedpur, in distant U.P., the Lucknow plant cut its Government to assist in the setting
teeth when their first vehicle rolled out on October 20, 1992. In 1995, the unit up of Precision Industries, a
started manufacturing bus chassis of Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) and Tata responsibility TELCO discharged with
Sumos. The unit was also equipped with facilities to manufacture spare parts. credit.

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