Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd has planned to outsource the activity of manufacturing drawings of some power transformer designs. The Jhansi unit of BHEL in Uttar Pradesh that manufacturers power transformers and locomotives has invited expressions from interest from interested parties and expects to select drawing contractors in the coming months.

According to information available with Electrical Monitor, interested parties are required to have domain knowledge of drafting of up to 220kV power transformers. BHEL will not consider applications from manufacturers of transformers in the 132kV and 220kV class. As per the terms of the contract, the selected firms will have to prepare BHEL drawings as per reference drawings given by BHEL's engineering division in line the ISO norms and the standard practice of the PSU engineering company. The drawings completed in all respects as per BHEL norms, including detailing and bill of material, is expected from the party as output. Parties may carry out work within or outside BHEL premises, it is learnt.

The expressions of interest have been invited by the Transformer Engineering Department, BHEL, Jhansi. The move comes in the wake of a large order inflow that the Jhansi unit expects in the coming years. The Jhansi division makes transformers for several industries and locomotives (WAG7) for Indian Railways. BHEL is soon entering the 400kV power transformer class, and perhaps wants to outsource some activity in the lower (132/220kV) class, an industry expert observed. The Jhansi facility is amongst BHEL's 14 manufacturing facilities and its transformer range includes power transformers, rectifier transformers, furnace transformers, earthing transformers, singlephase railway transformers, etc. BHEL has recently also done enhancements like eye bolt CT, aluminium foil cast resin dry-type transformers, 400kV CT design, etc, in its existing products. For 2010-11, the transformer division alone is expected to clock a turnover of Rs.700 crore.