BANGALORE: Hind High Vacuum Company Pvt. Ltd (HHV) was set up in 1965 as a small scale enterprise in Bangalore to take up the challenge of indigenous development of high vacuum equipment. HHV has branched out over the years into related areas like thin films and solar photovoltaics. Nagarjun Sakhamuri, managing director, HHV, spoke to City Express on the rapid growth of the company since its beginnings five decades ago.Tell us about vacuum technology and how HHV has emerged as a known name in this field?Can we do without vacuum? It is not a question, but a mere statement of fact. Because today vacuum has encompassed almost all areas of development. During the early 60’s, applications of vacuum was confined to four walls of research institutions. S V Narasaiah, a journalist-turned-technocrat had established HHV with clear perspective to harness vacuum technology with processes know-how to cater to the growing needs of various R&D and industrial applications.Can you tell us about your initiatives in the area of space and defence?HHV has played a key role in introducing vacuum technology in the key areas of defence, aerospace, space, and modern industries. We have revolutionised aerospace and defence sector by supplying vacuum furnaces for heat treatment and brazing applications, CVD/ CVI furnaces to processes carbon-fibre-carbon products, shock tunnel, wind tunnel for high altitude testing, and thermo vacuum chambers for testing satellite packages under stimulated conditions. We are currently building a large rotary vacuum brazing furnace for Rotary brazing of nozzle cones used in launch rockets.HHV is on the verge of completing another prestigious project for HAL wherein engine casings are welded in a completely inert environment by robots.From then to now, HHV with its pragmatic expertise of 46 years, and its contributions to aerospace and defence, has been acknowledged as the basic backbone in developing indigenous and world class vacuum equipment by all major industries and research laboratories.Can you tell us about your expansion and foray into thin films and solar photovoltaic?Based on the knowledge and experience accumulated in vacuum technology, HHV branched out over the years into related areas like thin films and solar photovoltaics. From its first vacuum-based thin film deposition system developed in 1977, HHV has not looked back. After establishing its own applications laboratory for thin films in 1991, it is now India’s leading supplier of thin film coatings as well as deposition equipment for scientific and commercial purposes in the infra-red, optical and ultra-violet ranges.Venturing into Solar Photovoltaics (SPV) was a natural progression from thin films, with India’s abundant solar energy potential providing the pull. But HHV was not content with just making SPV panels. Its aim was much higher - to develop its own world class technology and equipment to make the panels. What are your expansion plans?Keeping the global set up in mind, would you also like your other peers in the industry, is keen with the idea of expansion and if yes when?HHV has expanded manifold since its beginnings five decades ago. Besides its original unit in the Peenya industrial area, with a covered area of 150,000 square feet, it now has a second manufacturing unit in a 6.5 acre campus at Dobbspet, some 60 kms from Bangalore. Its manufacturing facilities are certified for ISO9001 - 2008 quality control system, ISO 14001: 2004 and BS OSHAS 18001 : 2007. The group also has manufacturing interests in collaboration with local companies in the US (Georgia), Canada(Ontario), UK (Crawley) and Australia (Perth). HHV is still a very technology driven group and over one-third of its 600 strong employee strength comprises scientists and engineers. The group maintains close collaborative links with India’s premier research institutions as well as its customers, most of whom belong to the high tech fraternity such as Aerospace, Atomic Energy, Defence, Electronics, Medicine and Solar Energy. Going forward, HHV intends to attain a business of `1000 crores per annum in the next five years. Hopefully we will make it like always.
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