My vocational visits (the serious stuff!)

A vitally important component of the GSE programme is for each team member to study their vocation in the host country. Owing to my educational background in design & manufacturing engineering and my employment in Bombardier Transportation, I requested vocational visits associated with this field.

The vocational visits I have undertook have far exceeded my expectations. So far I have enjoyed visits to the following organisations, which are summarised briefly below:

• Integral Coach Factory (ICF) – Government owned rail coach manufacturer. Permission for this visit had to be sought from New Delhi and I only received clearance the night before my scheduled visit! Thank you to all Rotarians involved for your hard work in getting me this permission. This vocational visit was directly related to my current role as an engineer in a rolling stock company. Here I saw carbody manufacture and assembly and saw the fully assembled vehicles.
• India Pistons – a large manufacturing company, which is part of the huge ‘Amalgamations Limited’ Group. Here I saw the factory set-up for the production of pistons and piston rings.
• Ashok Leyland – a very large manufacturer of trucks, buses and light military vehicles. This impressive site manufactures some key components such as gearboxes and then assembles the platform vehicle. The customer then ordinarily fits out the vehicle with its own steel shell and ancillary components as per their requirements. This usually involves a third party, but I have since learned that a sister company of Ashok Leyland is also in the business of taking the vehicle platform and equipping it to the customers requirements.
• Ford – This impressive facility produces three platform vehicles primarily for the Indian market but is also looking to export these to 38 countries.
• Autotech – a relatively small supplier manufacturing engine components for the big names in diesel engines (for heavy goods vehicles etc.).
• Wavecurrent precision parts – a small supplier producing high-precision engine components
• New Dawn Water Engineering (water treatment consultancy) – consults, designs and implements solutions to handling and treating waste water on site (e.g. manufacturing sites, universities etc.). The use of the treated water for the production process and toilet flushing etc. is then facilitated as per the requirements of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board

I have learned a great deal about the industrial supply chain in India, the manufacturing processes employed and the set up of such companies. I have also learned about  the sustainability issues surrounding the manufacturing industry in the region and the legislation to which the respective companies must comply.

I have many pages of notes which I’m typing up so that I can best learn from these vocational visits.