Ashok KC, Chief Executive Officer, Suhner India Private Limited, dwells on what to expect at IMTEX 2017.

What are the products you are bringing at IMTEX 2017?

IMTEX is a key platform for Suhner India and we are showcasing products and solutions from our Automation and Abrasive divisions. A demonstration station from our Abrasive Expert division will offer visitors an opportunity to see solutions for metal finishing problems. This ‘live’ demo station is equipped with the entire series of our electrical, pneumatic, flexible shaft and battery operated hand tools along with a wide range of specialty abrasives.

Our Automation division is showcasing a concept special purpose machine (SPM) that uses the entire range of machining units. Deburring using robots is a need that is resonating across the manufacturing industries. We are showcasing specially developed Suhner Tools that can be used on robots for various applications. For the first time, we are also showcasing our Su-Matic range of products – very high precision angle heads and inside drilling heads.

We believe that our booth this year will definitely spur the imagination of our customers.

The global machine tool industry is now adopting the concepts of Industry 4.0. Is the Indian industry ready for this? Indian industry today is much more connected to the global industry. The time lag between the developments in the global manufacturing powerhouses, particularly Germany and India has considerably narrowed. The awareness of Industry 4.0 in India is quite high and there are several manufacturing industries in India, which are truly world class. It is only a matter of time before we have Industry 4.0 concepts adopted widely in India.

In the meanwhile, our engineers in Switzerland and Germany at are working on upgrading our products to be in line with Industry 4.0 concepts.

What is the demand status at the moment? India is also a large importer of machine tools.

In our Automation division, i.e., in the metal cutting space, we do not see a significant change in the demand of conventional spindles. However, we are seeing significant interest being shown in the robot based applications, primarily involving grinding, polishing and machining processes. To paraphrase it differently, the growth rate that we have observed in the last year is remaining similar.

In our abrasive division, we are seeing a demand increase for the high quality tools and abrasives. To us it appears that the industry is slowly recognising that use of abrasives is indeed a technical matter. Further there appears to be recognition that the cost of using inferior quality abrasives and tools can be quite high in the long run.

Has the government initiative of Make in India resulted in any increase in demand?

The automobile sector, which has the largest share in the manufacturing industry, has been growing at a healthy CAGR, touching double digits. The absolute numbers of units made also has been increasing. There has been capacity addition by many players, which has resulted in an increase in demand. The Make in India initiative has been focused on creating a conducive eco system for manufacturing in India to flourish and grow. The initiatives in terms of ease of doing business, simplifying the business process interface with government bodies are yet to reach the intended levels. Once those initiatives fully kick in, the demand could rise several notches higher.

What are the problems machine tool manufacturers have to face?

In my mind, the single biggest challenge before the machine tool manufacturers is to change and adapt to an environment that is changing at pace that is faster than ever. The days of launching a product and expecting it to last for several years is passé. Industry 4.0 is redefining the way that machine tool industry was looked at with cyber-physical production systems, virtual factory and remote factory becoming a reality sooner than later. 

What are the expectations from the government?

The GST implementation at the earliest will help the industry at large to a great extent. We expect the tax compliance to become a very smooth process, with minimum interference from the statutory bodies, as well as reducing the number of bodies that one has to interface with. If implemented well, along with the stated intent of government to enhance the ease of doing business, and the easy availability of credit, the industry can grow at a faster pace.