Lumax Cornaglia Auto Technologies (LCAT), a 50:50 joint venture company of Lumax Auto Technologies and Cornaglia s.p.a, Italy, has expanded its operations by opening a new manufacturing facility near Pune. The plant will produce and supply plastic fuel tanks for commercial vehicles.
LCAT provides emission products such as air filters, fuel tanks for four-wheelers. The new facility makes blow-moulded products like urea tanks and degassing tanks.
The company has also entered the roto-moulding segment for manufacturing plastic fuel tanks, fenders, roofs and mudguards, along with design and development facilities.
Besides sales, product management, research and development, laboratory machining and assembly, the new factory also houses a warehouse.
Plastic fuel tanks are fast becoming the preferred choice for automobiles, especially for commercial vehicles, due to their non-corrosive nature compared to metal fuel tanks. They are also 20% lighter and cheaper.
While Maruti Suzuki, the car market leader, has been using plastic fuel tanks for the last few years, the trend is yet to catch on in the passenger vehicle space.
Tata Motors, Skoda Auto, Volkswagen India, Toyota India, Mahindra & Mahindra, Stellantis, MG Motors and others are among the customers of the LCAT.
