Founded in 1992, Magal Engineering Co India Pvt Ltd has become a world-class company for superior sheet metal forming machines and hi-end solutions through a wide range of CNC driven engineering machines across the manufacturing spectrum – from sheet metal working, to metal forming, to metal finishing machinery. In this interview, Narasing Rao, Managing Director, Magal Engineering Co India Pvt Ltd, highlights on the solutions offered by the company and emerging trends in the industry.

Could you please brief us about your company?
With over 25 years in the market, Magal Engineering Co India Pvt Ltd has gained significant standing and immense goodwill of hundreds of customers across India, with its premium quality solutions through a wide range of CNC driven engineering machines. Our focus is highly professional and we are an enterprise offering a repertoire of CNC enabled machines. With Magal you have a partner that respects your knowledge and is dedicated to helping you succeed.

Magal’s primary strength is the technical expertise and insight that has resulted in building a strong rapport with the principals and customers in various manufacturing categories. The expertise has equipped Magal to fulfil needs of customers across the manufacturing spectrum – from sheet metal working, to metal forming, to metal finishing machinery. Magal envisages adding more state-of-the-art technology-driven machinery that will enable it to provide more comprehensive solutions to meet the ever-growing product and process demands of customers.

Serving our customers is at the core of who we are. Magal representatives are experts who know from experience what happens on the shop floor and provide timely and effective on-field support. They speak customers’ language, are fully capable of helping the customer improve processes and solve problems. Magal customer service is ready to assist with fast quotes, guiding your order on to our top-notch machinists and shipping pros.

Which end-user industries are you serving? Over the last two and a half decades, we have offered our expertise and sold machine tools to companies across industries, from automotive, to earthmoving machinery, consumer durables, textiles, food processing, machine tools and material handling, and more. Our machines can also be used in shipbuilding, petrochemical, electric power machinery, electronics, telecommunication, enclosures, appliances, packaging, and filters and other industries.

How do you view the performance of the sheet metal industry?
Performance is good. Industry is growing at 20% per year. However, demand for refurbishment is not so good because products from China are available at lower prices.

What are the key challenges for the Indian sheet metal fabrication industry?
Procuring appropriate technology at appropriate prices seems to be the biggest challenge.

Do you have any strategies in place to overcome this challenge?
We are trying to do sub-assemblies in India. We get the heart of the machine from our partner companies outside. This reduces equipment cost without compromising or affecting the technology of the machine in any way. We have increased the skill levels of our people through intensive training. We now commission, install and provide training for all European and other machines. This further reduces the cost to the end customer.

As a partner to global customers what does your company do?
All of the above that is included in our company strategy. In addition, we do complete application engineering here. This is completely outsourced, so people have to travel less.

Is preventive maintenance important?
Yes, people want preventive maintenance but are unwilling to pay for it. Indian customers don't seem to respect or value our knowledge or expertise in maintaining high value machines. Very few people understand that preventive maintenance increases uptime and therefore productivity.

What are the key lessons to be learnt from Covid 19?
Firstly, the industry has to respect the vendors and suppliers who in turn must provide professional service and maintain ethical practices. Secondly, people need to have a proper business plan and conduct business ethically. Lastly, one must invest in technology without making price the prime factor.

Is demand for automation increasing due to Covid pandemic?
There is a lot of talk about automation and interest but action is yet to follow.

Could you please tell us about the emerging trends in sheet metal processing?
Fiber laser technology is maturing. More and more people are opting for automated bending lines. Quality and productivity are gaining importance and that surface treatment technology has progressed leaps and bounds.

How do you connect sustainability and Industry 4.0?
There is a lot of talk about Industry 4.0. But investing in such technology has yet to catch up. This requires time and money. Our industry is yet to see the value in this.

What kinds of opportunities are you looking to tap?
Fiber laser consumables market in a big way. Protective lenses and other lenses in the fiber laser are in our near scope. European partners are discussing with us to out-source application engineering and after-sales service in India, South East and Middle East regions.

In particular, what would be the focus of Magal Engineering at IMTEX?
We would be focusing on laser consumables, nitrogen generators and panel benders.

What message would you give visitors at IMTEX?
All I can say is that they must value, and invest in, technology.