Spraymet Surface Technologies helps in conservation of resources

What does it take a metallurgist to become an entrepreneur? Besides a good academic background and industry exposure, you also need self-confidence and courage to leave a cushy job and enter business. That’s precisely what Bindagi did.

A scholastic career
P.T. Bindagi, the Technical Director of Spraymet Surface Technologies P. Ltd., headquartered in Bengaluru. Bindagi took his degree in metallurgical engineering from the Bellary Govt. College. He was state first. After this scholastic career, he took up a job with Precision Fasteners as a metallurgist in their R&D lab. After a short tenure of two years, He joined Ador (erstwhile Advani-Oerlikon) in 1984 and took the onus of product marketing in the newly set up Powder Division. At Ador, he stayed for long 10 years. He had his career progression and soon became the Divisional Manager of Metco Thermal Hard facing Div. In 1987. Bindagi received special training in tribology at Metco, Australia as well as Sulzer Metco, USA. Back home he presented several papers on the nuances of ‘thermal spraying’ in conferences organised by IIW, BARC, VSSC and other organisations.

The turning point
The year 1994 was a turning point for Bindagi. That was the year when he bid adieu to service and decided to be on his own, doing the same thing closer to his heart : propagating the art and science of tribology, harnessing the proven technologies of thermal spray, plasma spray and HVOF. Subsequently, It took hardly a few months for him to give shape to his passion: establishing his own company in the name and style of Spraymet Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Today Spraymet is engaged in thermal spray, ENP plating and weld surfacing. While the main plant is in Bangalore, Bindagi set up the second plant in Pune to stay closer to its customers especially from the automobile sector which is demanding technical excellence, proximity and service all at the same time. Spraymet has the distinction of having pioneered the carbide coatings in the steel mills and galvanizing line roll coating.

Proprietary coatings
The company owns a few proprietary coatings like moly blend (Spraymet MoB) for metal to metal wear and Ductile matrix carbide (Spraymet DMC) for plastic processing feed screws. Bindagi is keenly interested and is working towards expanding applications in turbine industry, medical implants and other new frontiers. In his quest, to spread knowledge, Bindagi also picks up students from universities for project work related to tribology and wear metallurgy. “Today when I look back, I have the satisfaction of having chosen a business line which is not only winning bread for me but also butter for the industry at large,” states Bindagi. There is substance in what he says. He has helped the industry save a lot of money and helped conserve its scarce resources.
May his tribe increase!

-PK Balasubramanian