B&R India, an automation solution provider, recently organised sixth ‘Innovation Day’ event themed at ‘Partnering for smart factory’ in Pune. The event addressed on how B&R is continuously adding value to Indian manufacturing. Innovation Day 2020 witnessed informative workshops, presentations, panel discussions and demonstrations.

Indian manufacturing is undergoing a major makeover with smart manufacturing and digital transformations. With technology trends such as flexible manufacturing, adaptive machines, predictive maintenance, machine vision, machine-centric robotics and more, B&R is reinforcing its commitments to OEMs and factories in their endeavor to ‘Make in India’.

B&R's focus on offering customer centric, technologically advanced solutions is in step with the needs of Indian industry's needs for smart machines and factories. During his keynote address, Jhankar Dutta, Managing Director, B&R India spoke about evolving era of Industry 4.0. "New technologies are continuously changing the manufacturing landscape, and B&R takes pride in being a preferred automation partner for OEMs and factories. Our integrated, future-ready automation solutions enable machine builders and factories to become globally competent, highly productive, efficient and profitable," he elucidated.

David Hemetsberger, Strategy Manager, B&R India, highlighted significance of business values and provided a road map for Indian machine builders to move forward in the fast paced environment. "Globally, machine builders face similar challenges. It is important for manufacturers to take that first step towards implementing the latest technology. Innovators and early adopters are more likely to experience better business outcomes, lead the technology race and become trend setters – ultimately improving their revenue and market position," he informed.

Nikhil Baste, Director, Technoshell Automations, said, "We have been working with B&R for over 15 years, and they have always helped us achieve higher machine performance and flexibility, manage SKU proliferation and deliver higher OEE and reliability. B&R has helped us maintain our leading position in the printing and packaging industry and deliver best-in-class machines to our global customers.”

Samir Limaye, Business Head, Wimco and Committee Member of The Institute of Packaging Machinery Manufacturers of India (IPMMI) spoke on the topic of ‘Economy Industry & IPMMI Association’. Limaye explained the important role industry associations can play in helping OEMs adopt the latest technology. Another interesting highlight of this year's event was a success story presented by Mayuresh Pimpalkar, CEO, Kokban Automation. He spoke briefly on the Industrial IoT and how an edge controller can be deployed in infrastructure automation projects to acquire, evaluate and process data for unprecedented levels of efficiency and productivity.

A panel of industry experts discussed the topic ‘Making flexible manufacturing a reality’, moderated by Pooja Patil, Corporate Communications, B&R India. The prominent panelists included Atul Patwardhan, Functional Head - Corporate Engineering, PARI; Mayur Raut, Production Manager, L'Oréal India; Ramesh Chauhan, VP, Sandhar Technologies; Subrata Karmakar, President, ABB Robotics; Tanay Sil, Business Development – Industry, B&R India.

The discussion initiated with importance of batch size one and mass customisation in manufacturing, from consumer goods to F&B to automotive ancillary. It has been observed that consumers prefer individualised products and are willing to pay a premium for them. This has placed a demand on factories to be able to manufacture variants based on consumer needs and requests. This has provided a paradigm shift in manufacturing lines in order to optimise production as well as be competitive in the market.

The panelists highlighted today's connected users and their rapidly changing demands. Meeting them requires a flexible, scalable production line able to accommodate small batches of different products, which at times could be down to batches of one. Flexible manufacturing lines enable factories to produce smaller batches economically. In such next-generation factories, machines, devices and systems can be reconfigured quickly and inexpensively to changeover without hampering the production process. This allows mass customization and enables quick responses to market changes.

The panelists presented case studies illustrating how flexible manufacturing enables manufacturing companies to meet market demands for increased efficiency, throughput, availability and product quality.

Innovation Day 2020 offered thought-provoking discussions, presentations, and interactive sessions with B&R industry experts as well as live demos and hands-on technical workshops. The audience got a clear picture of how B&R adds value to machines and factories and empowers their global competitiveness.