Today, every discussion related to manufacturing advancement and revolution is centered around the concept of Industry 4.0, and rightly so. Based on the idea of new ways of human machine-interaction, advanced robotics, increased connectivity and huge sets of data, Industry 4.0 has the potential to fundamentally reconfigure the industry. In this new world of Industry 4.0, everything will connected to internet and cloud enabling the concept of smart factories. In these factories, all the component will function as a system rather than individual parts.
As Industry 4.0 continues to take the whole manufacturing world by storm, machine tools are also becoming a part of the smart system. In India too, the concept, though in nascent stages, is slowly gaining steam, especially among large machine tool players who are innovating in this direction. Primarily, machine tools industry is looking at Industry 4.0 to meet increasing customer requirement for improved productivity, reduced cycle time and greater quality. Thus, adopting Industry 4.0 concept is at the crux of achieving the ambitious target of making India a global hub for manufacturing, design and innovation, and augmenting the share of manufacturing in the GDP from the current 17% to 25% by 2022.
One key advantage of Industry 4.0 is data collection. This data can offer actionable information to make better decisions about manufacturing processes, such as optimizing machine uptime, scheduling maintenance, etc. All of this put together results in improved productivity.
Machine tools will have sensors that will enable collection of different kind of data, including how much the machine has operated, the condition of components, etc. This data also provides predictive capabilities about life of certain components, which in turn helps in running machines more efficiently and prevents downtime. For instance, the system would alert users to replace a component that has experienced a heavier load and more frequent use. One can exactly pin-point finger on the faulty component and take corrective measures.
Another big advantage is that the sensors embedded in machines can arm users with predictive capabilities about life of certain components and machine maintenance. This helps them in taking corrective steps in time.
Further, Industry 4.0 can ensure that a particular machine is being used properly. For instance, a machine can be set to conditions (such as force or temperature), it can withstand. In case it detects conditions outside the defined limits, it could send out an alert. This can significantly bring down downtime caused by human errors.
Industry 4.0 also has the ability to improve utilization of machine tools in manufacturing operations by cutting idle time. Industry research has indicated that machine tools are typically actively cutting metal as less than 40% of the time, which sometimes go to as low as 25% of the time. Analyzing data related to tool changes, program stops, etc., helps organizations determine the cause of idle time and addressing it. This results in a more efficient use of machine tools.
Embracing Industry 4.0 also helps organizations bring down energy consumption and even monitor CO2 emission level per part. Connected devices can collect data on electricity demand to increase production when the energy demand is low, resulting in low cost of energy. Smart connected devices also have the ability to shut down or reduce the power when not in use.
Quality is another key area wherein Industry 4.0 can make a significant difference. Earlier, manufacturers typically used to come to know about the product quality only when the product was finished. This would mean complete rework in case there was any fault in the finished product. Today, with the help of connected and smart systems, manufacturers have complete visibility into the entire manufacturing process right from the concept to finished stage. They can ensure quality at each and every step, with full visibility into the quality of finished product. This not only increases productivity but also helps manufacturers save time and resources.
Clearly, given its advantages, the time is ripe for organizations to take the leap for Industry 4.0. That said, getting started with Industry 4.0 technologies can seem intimidating to many. The key for the success of Industry 4.0 lies in having a dedicated digital strategy.
As Machine Tools World celebrates its fourth anniversary, we spoke to prominent players to know more about how the rising trend of Industry 4.0 is bringing a shift in the industry, how their products are in line with the trend and their vision for 2020. Excerpts follow:
Erwin Junker Maschinenfabrik: Helping Indian Companies on their Industry 4.0 Journey Mr. Sunil Badave, Director Sales & Services, Erwin Junker Maschinenfabrik Indian Machine Tools Industry is in the midst of interesting times and is strengthening its position in the global market. Many tier-1 and tier-2 manufacturers are looking for better and sturdier/ reliable machines. Today, demand is high for proven equipment, which can produce quality parts rapidly. The long-standing notion of cost per piece calculation as the deciding factor for the cost of machine is fast disappearing. Read More >>
Mr. Sunil Badave, Director Sales & Services, Erwin Junker Maschinenfabrik Indian Machine Tools Industry is in the midst of interesting times and is strengthening its position in the global market. Many tier-1 and tier-2 manufacturers are looking for better and sturdier/ reliable machines. Today, demand is high for proven equipment, which can produce quality parts rapidly. The long-standing notion of cost per piece calculation as the deciding factor for the cost of machine is fast disappearing. Read More >>
UCAM: Committed to Continuous Improvement and Innovation Mr. Vijay Zaritaklikar, National Sales Manager, UCAM Pvt. Ltd. Technology is getting advanced day by day. Getting equipped with modern advancements, machine tool manufacturers were able to improve their productivity, efficiency and quality of the components. The Indian Machine Tool industry has grown and is well positioned in the global market. The Make in India Campaign has helped many small and mid-cap industries to grow. Many aerospace companies are planning for projects in India. Read More >>
Mr. Vijay Zaritaklikar, National Sales Manager, UCAM Pvt. Ltd. Technology is getting advanced day by day. Getting equipped with modern advancements, machine tool manufacturers were able to improve their productivity, efficiency and quality of the components. The Indian Machine Tool industry has grown and is well positioned in the global market.
The Make in India Campaign has helped many small and mid-cap industries to grow. Many aerospace companies are planning for projects in India. Read More >>
Mastercam: Powering Manufacturing with Innovative Technologies Mr. Vineet Seth, Director, Mastercam India Pvt Ltd The Indian Machine Tools Industry is estimated to have an annual turnover of a little over INR 7000 crores, according to IMTMA’s recent annual report, with a growth of around 26% over last year. These numbers are very encouraging and I’m positive that we are yet to go higher to hit the peak. Domestic consumption is at least twice as much, and we can gauge that imports account for at least 50% or more – considering that we also export machine tools from India. Read More >>
Mr. Vineet Seth, Director, Mastercam India Pvt Ltd The Indian Machine Tools Industry is estimated to have an annual turnover of a little over INR 7000 crores, according to IMTMA’s recent annual report, with a growth of around 26% over last year. These numbers are very encouraging and I’m positive that we are yet to go higher to hit the peak. Domestic consumption is at least twice as much, and we can gauge that imports account for at least 50% or more – considering that we also export machine tools from India. Read More >>
Imaginarium: Showcasing Value in Industry 4.0 Mr. Guruprasad Rao, Director & Mentor, Imaginarium India Current Indian Machine Tool Industry is at cross roads. Machine tools had their share of computerization to become NC, CNC and Machining centers. Unlike Indian IT which grew into world’s mighty force, Machine tools somewhere lost the race initially to the innovative West and Japan. The economy was controlled by OEMs with their know-how monopoly. Making machine tool indigenously needed import of expensive hardware. This expensive development discouraged investments. After IP expiry, the scale up game was lost to the state sponsored china Industry. Read More>>
Mr. Guruprasad Rao, Director & Mentor, Imaginarium India Current Indian Machine Tool Industry is at cross roads. Machine tools had their share of computerization to become NC, CNC and Machining centers. Unlike Indian IT which grew into world’s mighty force, Machine tools somewhere lost the race initially to the innovative West and Japan. The economy was controlled by OEMs with their know-how monopoly. Making machine tool indigenously needed import of expensive hardware. This expensive development discouraged investments. After IP expiry, the scale up game was lost to the state sponsored china Industry. Read More>>
DesignTech Systems: Helping in Harnessing the Power of IoT in Manufacturing Mr. Vikas Khanvelkar, Managing Director, DesignTech Systems The Indian machine tool industry is growing at a steady pace and with the continuous support of the government aims to grow even further ahead. Government of India is putting dedicated efforts to expand Aerospace engineering, Manufacturing and ME&S market in India. To further this objective, they are establishing Aerospace dedicated SEZs and manufacturing parks in south India. Make-in-India initiative will further provide the thrust to overall engineering and manufacturing industry in India including Industrial Machinery and Consumer Goods. Read More>>
Mr. Vikas Khanvelkar, Managing Director, DesignTech Systems The Indian machine tool industry is growing at a steady pace and with the continuous support of the government aims to grow even further ahead. Government of India is putting dedicated efforts to expand Aerospace engineering, Manufacturing and ME&S market in India. To further this objective, they are establishing Aerospace dedicated SEZs and manufacturing parks in south India. Make-in-India initiative will further provide the thrust to overall engineering and manufacturing industry in India including Industrial Machinery and Consumer Goods. Read More>>
LMT Tools: Leveraging Latest Technology to Spur Innovation in Metal Cutting Mr. Ramakant Reddy, Managing Director, LMT Tools India Pvt Ltd India stands 12th in production and 8th in consumption of machine tools in the world as per the survey. The India machine tool industry is projected to grow roughly by 6% annually through 2019. With presence of several small, medium and large industries, including international and regional players, the companies engaged in machine tools manufacture compete in product differentiation, service and pricing. Industry 4.0 is gaining its importance in India Machine Tool Industry, additive manufacturing, process automation are the core trends. Read More >>
Mr. Ramakant Reddy, Managing Director, LMT Tools India Pvt Ltd India stands 12th in production and 8th in consumption of machine tools in the world as per the survey. The India machine tool industry is projected to grow roughly by 6% annually through 2019. With presence of several small, medium and large industries, including international and regional players, the companies engaged in machine tools manufacture compete in product differentiation, service and pricing. Industry 4.0 is gaining its importance in India Machine Tool Industry, additive manufacturing, process automation are the core trends. Read More >>
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