According to Mr Bheru Shankar Meghwal, Inside sales & Product Development Specialist (see photo), Sandvik hit a significant milestone early this year when Sandvik Materials Technology India Private Limited (SMT-IPL) was awarded the approved supplier for SABIC under the Heat Exchanger tubing category (Vendor ID: 11051029). “It’s been a long time coming, and really rewarding as our colleagues in the region worked hard for the Sandvik Mehsana production unit which is located in Gujarat, India, obtain approvals that meet the standard outlined by SABIC,” stated Mr Meghwal.
Giving an impression of the review process, he continued: “during the process, we were required to submit several mandatory pre-qualification documents through a portal. In addition to the submission, representatives from SABIC would also typically visit the mill to inspect and assess its state. However, that time, the inspection and assessment process were waived off. Then we again initiated the process and after two years of efforts, we finally got the approval from the Department of Heat Exchanger and EMS Rotating & Static Equipment of SABIC.”
The grades supplied for the Heat Exchanger tubing category include austenitic grades, duplex grades and high nickel alloys, namely Hastealloy (UNS N10276), Alloy 625, Alloy 825, Alloy 600, and more. Notably, the Mehsana production unit can manufacture all the grades in straight and U-bent in Heat Exchanger tubing category.
Indicating what this means for Sandvik, Mr Meghwal stated: “the partnership will allow for more flexibility and increase in regional production. This would also enhance visibility of our Mehsana production unit and further strengthen our position among customers – not only in Middle East and APAC, but also in other key markets.”
Concluding, Mr Meghwal noted that this journey would not have been possible without the dedicated team from Sandvik MENA and PU Mehsana. “I would like to thank my team James Doughty, Regional Sales Director at Sandvik MENA and Khaled El Kayar, Product Manager at Sandvik MENA, as well as my colleagues from Sandvik Materials Technology India Private Limited, Nimit Dabhi- General Manager (Supply Chain Management & IT) and Monika Lodha, Senior Manager.”