Renault-Nissan alliance Produces 100,000 engines in 15 months at Chennai |
Written by Krishna Kumar
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Saturday, 27 August 2011 |
Chennai: Renault Nissan Alliance India Pvt Ltd (RNAIPL) has crossed yet another milestone by producing the 100,000 1.2-litre and 1.5-litre HR12DE petrol engines in a record period of 15 months. Earlier, the alliance plant had achieved a milestone by producing 100,000 Micra cars in a record period of 13 months.
The RNAIPL plant, located at Orgadam, currently manufactures the Nissan Micra and Renault Fluence. Production of Nissan Sunny and Renault Koleos will commence shortly. Renault is learnt to have concluded trial production of the new Koleos at the Chennai plant.
"The plant has set milestones that are creditable on a global level. It makes me feel proud of the local skill-set that are driving it to such high levels. I dedicate this achievement to the people of Tamil Nadu for their endearing spirit and zeal to achieve such high levels of commitment in their work and passion for the company," said Kou Kimura, CEO and MD, RNAIPL.
The Engine.
The plant started manufacturing the petrol engine in May 2010 and has crossed the 100,000 mark by last month. Besides the 1.2 litre petrol engine, the plant has also started manufacturing the 1.5 litre petrol engine for the new mid-size Sedan SUNNY.
The petrol engine range is part of the project called ‘Nissan Green Project 2010,’ which is an initiative taken by the Company to reduce the carbon footprint of its cars. The company has been working relentlessly to make its engines more efficient and is committed to global leadership in zero emission mobility.
The Nissan Micra is the first car to have a HR12DE engine that was developed in pursuit of lighter weight and a smaller size than previous engines in the compact car class. It requires fewer moving parts compared to the more commonly used 4-cylinder engines.
By applying bore circularity machining to the cylinder block, friction is reduced by 20 per cent compared to the conventional 4-cylinder engines. Moreover, improved noise vibration performance at a level equivalent to that of a 4-cylinder engine has been achieved by adjusting the weight balance of the engine’s rotary shaft. This helps to increase the power output, higher fuel efficiency and the life of the engine.
India is one of Nissan's key opportunities for growth and export.
In 2011, about 70 percent of Nissan's production capacity in India is used for exports. Nissan Motor India sold 12,302 Micras in the domestic market and exported 55,321 units, last fiscal.
Andy Palmer, Nissan Motor Company's executive vice president, said that India will produce about four percent of Nissan's total volume in 2011 and that this may rise to about 10 percent if the company's plans are executed successfully. |