Hyderabad is home to two tobacco equipment owned by two brothers that between them provide complete solutions for cigarette making and packaging. This fact has not gone unnoticed by many cigarette manufacturers, including transnational giants, across the region and beyond who have turned to Budhan Engineerings Pvt. Ltd. and Dynamic Tools Pvt. Ltd. to supply their equipment needs.
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Budhan Engineerings founder and managing director G. R. Venugopal has a long and storied career in the tobacco manufacturing sector, having spent 18 years at VST Industries, a leading Indian cigarette manufacturer.
In 1982, Venugopal branched out and formed his own company, Budhan Engineerings, focusing on the design and manufacture of innovative wrapping technologies for the cigarette industry. From the very outset, Venugopal adopted the hand-on approach that he continues to employ today.
"I must have drawn over 50,000 plans by hand," he told Tobacco Asia recently. "Nowadays I have a computer CAD department handling all of that, but I enjoy getting involved at every level of the business."
His machines are favored by many manufacturers around Asia and Europe.
"Every cigarette made in Bangladesh is wrapped using our machines," said Venugopal proudly. And its true: every factory in Bangladesh does indeed use his packaging machinery, equipment that has been designed, refined and manufactured in-house at Budhan's spotlessly clean factory. "We manufacture to the highest quality standards, designing and fabricating every part of the machine except for the electrical components in-house."
A tour around Budhan's facility reveals a variety of machines being assembled at any one time. There is an atmosphere of calm assurance as skilled workers use sophisticated equipment to create the high quality parts that will be fitted into the finished Budhan equipment.
From spares to exports
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Budhan Engineerings started life making spare parts before progressing to sub-assembly of equipment and then finally designing and fabricating complete machines in 1994 under the brand name Wrapex. The first batch of 14 machines built was bought by VST Industries. By 1996, the company had entered the export market: the first machine exported went to Bangladesh, and then the Middle East, Holland, Indonesia, Malaysia, Canada and other countries followed.
Budhan has the capacity to design and manufacture specific solutions for wrapping and parcelling applications in the cigarette industry, and has earned an enviable reputation as a top-fight supplier to numerous manufacturers around the world. Budhan has also done a lot of work with Filtrona Indonesia in Surabaya, FilThai in Thailand and Filtrona Filters in the UK and Filtrona Richmond USA, supplying equipment to their specifications.
Whatever a customer requires by way of modifications, enhancements and compatibility can be designed into the delivered machine. Budhan machines can be adapted to fit into standard and non-standard production lines.
"I am only interested in supplying machinery of the highest possible standard," Venugopal says. "Nothing leaves this factory that is not perfect. Our customer's satisfaction is the best advertisement we can get, and as an engineer I am committed to supplying only the best possible solutions to my customers. Doing so provides me with great satisfaction and is the motivation that keeps my son and I working hard to continually improve our service and develop the best possible solutions for our customers."
Budhan's continuing past and present success is being carried into the future in the capable hands of R. V. Vinaygopal, Vinugopal's son, who is now a director of the company and is continuing the tradition initiated by his father. He is an active, enthusiastic ambassador and a hands-on entrepreneur, following in the footsteps of his dad.
"Our goal is 'quality in quantity and perfection in performance'," confirmed Vinaygopal. "The customer should get more worth than the value paid, and we provide it."
Dynamic developments
Keeping it in the family, Venugopal encouraged his younger brother, R. J. Surya Raj, to capitalize on his own experience in the industry to form his own company. Accordingly, Dynamic Engineerings started in 1991 manufacturing the most critical spare parts for the cigarette industry. In 1996 the company name was change to Dynamic Tools Pvt. Ltd. and it started manufacturing complete cigarette making lines which it has continued to do ever-more successfully to the present day.
All Dynamic machines are made to meet or exceed international standards and the highest quality of workmanship and materials used throughout. All machines are cast by associate specialist companies using top-quality materials supplied by Dynamic following its designs and specifications. The cast metal "skeletons" are then fabricated and assembled by a team of highly qualified engineers and machinists in spotlessly clean machine assembly shops on two floors of the custom-design four-story factory in Hyderabad. The completed equipment runs at speeds of 2,500 cpm for both kretek and cigarettes.
"Our equipment is very appropriate for small and medium-scale cigarette manufacturers looking for reliability and consistency at an affordable price," Surya Raj stated. "These high profile machines are in a league of their own and have no competition in respect to price, quality and performance in Asia or other markets. Our equipment is affordable, effective and reliable, and it provides a consistent solution for small- to medium-scale cigarette and kretek manufactures."
A slight modification in the standard design accommodates all kretek cigarettes, and Dynamic's machines are widely used throughout Indonesia. A consignment of a complete kretek manufacturing line was being packed and shipped to Indonesia as Tobacco Asia toured the factory.
Dynamic cigarette makers can manufacture any cigarette length up to 97mm and from a minimum diameter of super slim (6.3mm) up to 8.3mm.
"Change parts kits are available, takes 4-6 weeks to fabricate, said Surya Raj. "Technicians install and train operators how to make the change over. It takes around 3-4 days to change the parts in the line."
Packaging and parts
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Shell and slide type of packing machines are also manufactured (duplex packers), which can pack 300 packs of tens per minute, and 200 or more packs of twenties, but any packing machine can be linked up with the cigarette maker if required.
Manufacturing lead time from order to delivery is within ten weeks.
"Our machines are compatible with all standard and non-standard cigarette making lines," Surya Raj pointed out. "This equipment can be incorporated with minimum problems into existing factory lines. Installation and commissioning is accomplished by our technicians and usually takes around one week."
Dyanamic cigarette makers and packaging machines are simple to maintain. Using daily, weekly and quarterly maintenance programs as per the manufacturers guidelines will ensure many years of fault-free, consistent operation.
"Cigarette factories will reduce wastage to 1% to 1.5% if the machine is operated and maintained to the manufacturer's specifications," according to Surya Raj.
Dynamic maintains a full inventory of spare parts in the respective countries its equipment is sold. In the unlikely event a problem is critical and cannot be solved in-house, then factory technicians are available to visit the plant and rectify the situation at short notice.
Regional marketing is handled by dealers in the UK and Indonesia.
Surya Raj recognises that, alongside excellence in design, manufacturing and customer service, taking care of one's staff is an essential part of any business' success. Accordingly, the company goes the extra mile to ensure its employees are fully engaged.
"We supply free meals to all of our 160 employees in the staff canteen," he said. "Our staff are highly qualified, and to help them keep their edge, they undergo advanced training on the shop floor to constantly upgrade their skills and advance in the company. We also provide training to our customer's engineers to ensure fault-free operation and maintenance of the equipment."
Between them Budhan and Dynamic represent the very best of Indian skill, innovation, production and manufacturing expertise as the growing popularity of their equipment among global manufacturers looking for good value, reliability and engineering excellence continues to attest. Enditem
