OREANDA-NEWS. July 23, 2012. Larsen & Toubro  inaugurated its manufacturing facility for switchgear products at Vadodara, on an 18-acre plot adjacent to L&T Knowledge City. This is a capacity expansion initiative for the business of L&T's Electrical & Automation (E&A), leaders in low voltage switchgear in India. E&A will manufacture Air Circuit Breakers (ACBs) and Moulded Case Circuit Breakers (MCCBs) at this facility.

In an area of close to 27,000 sq metres under a single roof, the facility houses modules for the assembly lines for circuit breakers - ACBs and MCCBs - along with the shops for press working, moulding and tooling. A development centre to provide research, development and engineering for circuit breakers will also be located here.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. A. M. Naik, Chairman & Managing Director, L&T said: "The new Vadodara switchgear facility is an investment for the future. It forms part of the wide ranging initiatives we are taking forward in the run-up to our Platinum Jubilee. The facility at Vadodara will enable us to elevate switchgear manufacturing technology to the next level, and advance further in our goal to upgrade India's manufacturing capabilities."

A smart mix of labour and automation has been deployed that would enhance productivity by 2.5 times. All critical-to-quality steps have error-free assembly. The lines are equipped to produce circuit breakers of different frames and several ratings from 16A to 6300A.

Speaking at the inauguration, Senior Vice President & Head of Electrical & Automation, Mr. S. C. Bhargava, said: "This facility is an expansion of capacity that will augment E&A's competitive strengths. We intend to extend our manufacturing expertise to suppliers and support the development of a high quality manufacturing environment in and around Vadodara."

The manufacturing facility has applied for 'Green Factory' certification in line with the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) norms and audited for the ISO 9001 certification. All material used in the construction are green-certified and eco-friendly. Environment management measures include tree plantation, rain water harvesting and zero discharge of water. The new facility makes optimum utilization of natural resources of energy with sun light being effectively used to avoid any electric lighting on the shop floor during the day. Wet FDVS system has been installed to maintain a friendly temperature inside the factory.