Tata AutoComp inaugurates India’s first Laser Scouring Facility

Tata AutoComp Systems Limited, one of India’s leading automotive components manufacturers inaugurated its state-of-the art ‘Laser Scouring Facility’ today at the Tata AutoComp (Interiors and Plastic Division) plant at Chinchwad, Pune.

The ‘Laser Scouring Facility’ is first of its kind in India and the technology will considerably simplify the construction of airbag flaps, thereby reducing the cost of production significantly. Laser Scouring is a process in which laser creates integrated pre-weakened lines for air bags on the backside of the car instrument panels. A sensor system has been specially designed to prevent the laser from penetrating the material completely. It creates tapped blind holes in a defined row, which weakens the part and breaks open when the air bag is triggered thus ensuring better safety for the passengers.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr R S Thakur, Executive Director & COO, Tata AutoComp Systems Ltd said, “At Tata AutoComp our consistent effort is to provide wide range of high quality products and introduce the best and latest technology from across the globe. With the awareness of passenger safety increasing, we are seeing an increase in the number of vehicles that would offer airbags as a standard fitment. Laser scouring for airbag deployment is one of our initiatives to offer Indian OE’s state of the art technology. With availability of Laser Scouring in India, the OE’s get the benefit of offering better design and finish.”

The scouring process is sensor-controlled, thus the heterogeneity and variations in the thickness of the material can be compensated for. While the depth of the perforated holes is precisely defined even in multilayer composites. Thus the opening force and behavior of integrated airbag flaps can be adapted flexibly. Manual finishing is not necessary, thereby enabling 100% traceability of production processes which is of the utmost relevance where safety-related components are concerned. It allows 100% production control, which for safety-related components is of immense significance. The specific production parameters are recorded on-line.