With its expertise in material handling solutions using vacuum technology, Schmalz India inaugurated its new production building in Pune on January 24, 2017. An interview with the company’s managing director, Philip James Mani.

Could you provide an overview of the company’s operations in India?

Schmalz India is a 100% subsidiary of J Schmalz GmbH, Germany. It started its operation in late 1999 in Hyderabad to import and sell material handling solutions using vacuum technology. Later, in 2003, we shifted to Pune, which is an automotive hub and started our manufacturing activity from here. A certain range of products are produced in India and exported to J Schmalz GmbH from our EOU unit. Apart from the manufacturing activity, we also import products of J Schmalz GmbH and sell to our customers in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. Schmalz offers solutions in automation using vacuum technology, vacuum clamping, vacuum gripping and ergonomic manual handling solutions.

What are the products manufactured for the Indian market using vacuum technology?

Schmalz vacuum technology is utilised in production processes that require work pieces to be moved, ergonomically transported, or secured. We have a hugely diverse product portfolio that can be precisely tailored to a variety of requirements, as for example:

Vacuum components: These help a wide variety of users and industries to perform automation and handling tasks. The range of products includes vacuum suction pads, vacuum generators, mounting elements and system monitors.

Vacuum gripping systems: Schmalz designs ready-to-connect vacuum gripping systems that are adapted to customer-specific requirements. The systems range from universal grippers to layer gripping systems and vacuum spiders. The grippers are used in all areas of automation.

Vacuum handling systems: Ergonomic vacuum lifters facilitate manual work piece handling. Also, the vacuum lifters can be adjusted to meet a firm’s specific requirements. Combined with crane systems, Schmalz offers ergonomic, ready-to-connect handling devices.

Vacuum clamping systems: Vacuum clamping technology is used with CNC machine tools in order to increase productivity and economic efficiency. Work pieces can be fixed in the machine. Schmalz offers vacuum clamping solutions for CNC machines used in wood, metal and glass industries.

Which are the new technologies of the future that the company is developing now, as for example, for automation, cranes, etc?

In the field of automation, we have developed process data readouts on a smartphone that provides safety through transparency. When it comes to automation technology, visualisation of the relevant process data is becoming increasingly important. Users require reliable information about the safety of facilities and individual components. This is necessary for resolving faults and carrying out precautionary maintenance. Now our company is taking the next step. Near-field communication (NFC) protocols allow data from intelligent vacuum components to be read directly from the processor of a device to a mobile end device, opening up totally new opportunities for optimising production processes.

The future envisioned in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 has already arrived for the automation segment, where increasing flexibility and network integration is the order of the day. Our intelligent devices, termed smart field devices, have been capable of making available important process data. The company equips devices such as the SCPSi compact ejector and the SNGi-AE needle gripper with I/O links necessary for transmitting the data acquired at the field level up to the control, process, management and company.

Further, for quite some time now, the market for cranes has been dominated by the established manufacturers of steel crane systems for transporting heavy loads ranging up to several tons. Over the last few years, however, the sector for smaller load capacities of below 1,000 kg has been experiencing some extremely dynamic development. What this sector requires are manually controlled systems that are responsive and ergonomic.

Schmalz was one of the first manufacturers to launch a fully developed system of lightweight aluminium crane systems. Aluminium cranes offered by us are easy to operate but still robust and easy to handle. The effort required to move the load using aluminium cranes is only around half as much as with comparable steel systems. We achieve this responsiveness by finding the optimum mass-load ratio. The risk of wear to the musculoskeletal system and injuries due to overloading is significantly reduced. The ergonomic operation also prevents quick fatigue. Employees are capable of much more work, thereby increasing productivity.

What will the new production plant cater to? Is it specifically for the launch of new products or is it to enhance production capacity? Can you provide production numbers?

The new production facilities will double the production capacity. Also, we plan to produce some import substitutes for our handling systems like fabrication and assembly of cranes and main frame for the wind energy handling devices which will be CE-certified.

What is the current status of the Indian vacuum products?

Vacuum technology is in demand in a variety of industry sectors and is utilised in many ways ranging from individual components to complete solutions. Schmalz is one of the world’s leading providers, combining decades of experience and comprehensive expertise with the ambition to create custom solutions for our customers from industry and trade. We help companies in automation technology, handling technology, and clamping technology sectors to design their production processes more efficiently and strike new paths with the help of vacuum technology.

What are the factors that may trigger growth in this industry?

Automaton and the use of robots is the main factor which will trigger growth in this industry. India is an upcoming potential market for the industrial robotics industry with a worldwide market share of approximately 15%. Robotics and automation has the potential to revolutionize the industrial scenario. It promises to bring the same result as computer systems have brought in services and other sectors. In industries, most of the tasks are being considered as dull, dirty and dangerous for human beings and as such utilising robotics and automation in these sectors would improve productivity, safety as well as the quality of the end product. Robots are required everywhere to improve productivity. The automation industry is a big consumer of robotic technology.

Using such technology, the quality of products and processes improves considerably. Industries across a range of sectors such as automotive, atomic energy, defense, space, metals, textiles and manufacturing use robotic technologies very extensively. A feature of all vacuum components and systems is the use of vacuum as a holding force. Vacuum technology is employed in a variety of industries – Schmalz aids and assists companies from a multitude of sectors, including the automotive industry, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, the glass and woodworking sector, logistics, packaging and wind energy. We place special emphasis on meeting the specific requirements of different industry sectors and creating individual solutions with vacuum technology.

How is the company geared to meet future growth curves and challenges?

The company is fully geared to meet the future growth needs by investing in research and development. Nearly 8.5% of the revenue is invested in innovating the existing products and creating new products which the customers are looking for. We are focused more on providing solutions to customer needs rather than selling our standard products. We customize the product based on individual customer needs and our product range is flexible enough to do so. We work closely with the customer requirements and their feedback is essential for improvement of the products.

Are there any emerging sectors that the company is hoping to tap with customized products and technologies?

Industry 4.0 is the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. It includes cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things and cloud computing. Industry 4.0 creates what has been called a ‘smart factory’. Within the modular structured smart factories, cyber-physical systems monitor physical processes, create a virtual copy of the physical world and make decentralised decisions. Over the Internet of Things, cyber-physical systems communicate and cooperate with each other and with humans in real time, and via the Internet of Services, both internal and cross-organisational services are offered and used.

The basic principle of Industry 4.0 is that by connecting machines, work pieces and systems, businesses are creating intelligent networks along the entire value chain that can control each other autonomously. Networks and processes have so far been limited to one factory. But in an Industry 4.0 scenario, these boundaries of individual factories will most likely no longer exist. Instead, they will be lifted in order to interconnect multiple factories or even geographical regions. Schmalz has already started to align its products to suit the requirements posed by Industry 4.0. The SCPSi compact ejectors and SNGi-AE type needle grippers are already equipped with IO link and NFC technology which make them suitable for Industry 4.0, thus facilitating the way to communicate and cooperate in real time. We will now roll out more products using this technology, which is going to rule the future.

– HUNED CONTRACTOR