With marketplace getting highly competitive, INTEC 2019 helped participants to gauge global technological trends and prepare for the future with new products and business strategy, says Rakesh Rao in this report. 

 

With 575 exhibitors from different parts of India and 12 other countries, INTEC 2019 brought innovative products and technologies at the doorsteps of Coimbatore – one of the most industrially developed and commercially vibrant districts of Tamil Nadu.

 

Inaugurating INTEC 2019, Sriram Viji, Deputy Managing Director of Brakes India Pvt Ltd, said, “India saw steady growth and low inflation during the last few years. There has been significant investment in infrastructure and reforms such as GST. However, there are signs of a slowing global economy. While the long-term sentiment is good among industries, there are short-term issues. Micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) continue to play a vital role in the economy.”

 

According to him, the global and industrial trends are changing and the MSMEs should cope with the change. The industries need to innovate and upgrade technology constantly, he added.With the new Government at the Centre, experts expect several reforms to benefit the MSMEs. “In the last seven years, the MSME sector is on a digital mode as several schemes have gone online. Three major challenges for the MSMEs are: marketing, skill, and credit access. The Government is aware of these issues. I foresee a lot of reforms on the credit front,” stated P Udayakumar, Director (Planning and Marketing) of National Small Industries Corporation.

 

Karin Christina Maria Stoll, Consul General of Germany, Chennai, said, “The potential for Indo-German businesses are high and Coimbatore has many Indo-German businesses. India and Germany share a common perspective on several issues. About 1,700 German firms are operating in India and 120 of these started operations in the last three years.”  

 

INTEC 2019, an industrial fair organised by the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association, was held from June 6-10, 2019. The trade fair proved to be beneficial to SMEs as they could witness number of latest technologies and understand how they can help them in propelling their business to next level. 

 

UCAM boosting productivity of SMEsIndustries in Coimbatore comprise large number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) having few machines and limited resources. UCAM, the leader in India for CNC rotary tables, is aiming to help these SMEs to raise productivity with 

its solutions. 

 

“At INTEC, we are showcasing our multiple axis machining capabilities. Automotive has been major end-users of our products. We are now looking at job floor engineering industry and this is the reason why we are here at INTEC. Majority of the companies in Coimbatore are job shops, ie small and medium scale companies. Our accessories help SMEs to maximise the performance of their machines. With our rotary tables, they can cater to difference industries. By using our equipment, they can have multiple machining opportunities and raise the capacity with limited investment. The biggest advantage of our product is that it reduces the set up time, thus bringing down the cycle time and manufacturing cost,” stated Priyadarshi K G, Advisor – Business Development, UCAM Pvt Ltd. 

 

OEMs are focusing on their core business and they source parts from other tier 2 & 3 suppliers who are mostly SMEs. At present, 50 per cent of UCAM business comes from SMEs.Speaking about Industry 4.0 in machine tools industry, Priyadarshi said, “We are going to launch a new product that will limit operator intervention (ie automation) and monitor the performance of rotary table. We are also working towards Industry 4.0 and are looking to connect the performance of rotary table to control system.” 

 

For Sphoorti, exports is the future

India accounts for miniscule share of the global machine tool accessories market, and the Bangalore based Sphoorti Machine Tools Pvt Ltd aims to change that with a focus on overseas business by providing quality tool holders. 

 

“We supply accessories for CNC lathe machines and 42 per cent of our turnover comes from exports. In the last few months, while the demand from local market was sluggish, exports were doing well. At present, we are not even supplying 1 per cent of total tool holder consumption in Europe. Hence, exports offer huge potential market for us. We are also eyeing to target Chinese market with our cost effective products,” said R K Purohit, Managing Director, Sphoorti Machine Tools Pvt Ltd.

 

Turret head is an important part of mechanical tools. BMT (Base Mounted Turret) and VDI are the two most commonly used tool holders in a mill-turning machine. Sphoorti supplies both types of toolholders in India. VDI tool holder has been manufactured using high-grade raw materials which are resistance to corrosion and has high impact resistance features. The company’s VDI tool holders are formed with reference to the DIN 69880, with the new unique technology. 

 

“While VDI tool holder has been in the market for long, BMT holder belongs to new generation. BMT tool holders, which are gaining traction particularly in non-European countries, are more rigid, but offer high accuracy. More machines are coming with BMT holders now,” informed Purohit.

 

Speaking about INTEC 2019, he said, “We offer cost-effect products with same accuracy. Through INTEC, we intend to tap OE suppliers and also the end-user. Coimbatore is the hub for auto component manufacturing and we can supply variety of tool holders, as these can be fitted to any types of machines.”

 

Conveying systems for non-stop movement 

The Ghaziabad-based Age Group, started in 1988, is a leading solution provider for conveyor systems and mechanical power transmission. It has modern infrastructure with all the latest state-of-the-art machines for custom designed conveyor belt fabrication, including belt slitting, splicing, finger punching, cleat welding, side walls sealing, guide rope sealing, etc.

 

“Usage of belts depends on the industry and application. Now-a-days demand is increasing for modular-based conveyor system. However, the demand is also driven by regulatory requirement of the industry. For example, confectioneries sector opts for PU belts as they can use only food-grade material. Also, for products like chewing gums, silicone belts are required and Age Group is the only company in India to make these belts. Because of the quality and the range of our products, we have been able to establish our name in India. We are exporting to neighboring countries,” said Y V Rama Subbaiah, Regional Sales Manager (South), Age Group.

 

Subbaiah added, “Coimbatore is a manufacturing hub for engineering companies (big and small) and also huge growth potential for us. Though the competition is growing, we are growing at a brisk pace because we offer a range of quality products.”

 

Instamod Air Pipe taking the lead

Coimbatore houses a large number of small, medium and large textile mills, and offers huge growth opportunity for companies. “Any industries that need compressors use our compressed air piping system, which is made of aluminium alloy. Textile industry, for which Coimbatore is known for, is one of the leading users of compressor and, thus, offers big market for us. INTEC will help us explore this market and showcase our proven piping system to our customers,” says Santosh Kumar, Managing Director, Instamod Air Pipe Pvt Ltd - a subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based Eco Pipe Company Ltd, which has been engaged in the air compressor industry and air transmission industry and makes compressed air pipe line under AirPipe brand. 

 

Compressed air user have been conventionally using GI/MS pipe for their piping need. However, industries are now turning towards aluminium pipe as it offers numerous benefits. “Aluminium alloy pipe offers advantages such as no pressure drop, corrosion less and ensures smooth flow of air. Because of these advantages, this pipe ensures laminar flow of the air. We are seeing conventional pipes being replaced by aluminium pipes,” says Santosh Kumar.

 

Speaking the company’s growth plan, he said, “We are one of the leading players in the compressed air piping system in India and aim to grow at 25-30 per cent this year.

 

The launch-pad

The Engineering Division of Forbes & Company Ltd, which manufactures Totem (high performance cutting tools) and Bradma (marking machines), used INTEC platform to introduce its new brand Kendo to Coimbatore market. “Forbes & Company has 30 per cent market share in the cutting tools industry. In January 2019, we launched a new product line for hand tools and power tools under the brand Kendo. At INTEC, our focus is to promote Kendo as it is relatively new brand in South India,” said Sujit Arvind Margaj, Sr Executive – Marketing, Forbes & Company Ltd (a part of Shapoorji Pallonji group).

 

Similarly, Elgi Equipments, one of the world’s leading air-compressor manufacturers with over 2 million installations across 100 countries, showcased an upgraded range of encapsulated (ENCAP/EN) screw air compressors with variable frequency drives (VFD) and heat recovery systems at INTEC 2019. Elgi also displayed its range of EG Series screw air compressors and direct drive piston compressors. 

 

Speaking at the product launch, Dr Jairam Varadaraj, Managing Director, Elgi Equipments, said, “Improved energy efficiency begins with understanding the customer. At Elgi we’re committed to ensuring we right-size every customer for their compressed air requirements. Our sales teams the world over study customer applications and recommend the right size of compressor for maximum energy efficiency.” 

The new range of encapsulated (ENCAP/EN) screw air compressors address a customer’s varying air flow demands with high energy efficiency. The EN VFD optimises air flow by varying the motor speed of the compressor according to air demand, thus saving energy costs unlike that of fixed speed compressors. The EN series models also come equipped with smart controllers that monitor, control and protect the compressor from failures by shutting down the compressor whenever necessary. The Elgi heat recovery system (HRS) helps companies recover approximately 96 per cent of heat generated during the compression process which can then be utilised for heating air (space) or water. This in turn eliminates additional equipment requirements to heat water or air, thereby becoming an energy saving device and contributing to a reduction in CO2 emissions. 

 

Eyeing for sky with wire cut EDMs

Concord United Products, started in 2000 to bring in affordable machine tools to the Indian manufacturing industry, today is the leading player in reusable molybdenum wire cut EDM machines in the country. “Earlier brass wire machines were used in India, but they were very expensive. Many tool manufacturers could not afford to buy. After introduction of reusable molybdenum wire cut EDM machines we have been able to cater to these needs of tool makers. Compared to brass wire, molybdenum wire cut EDM is economical to run. These machines are used for press tool making, mould making, etc,” said Rajendra C Meti, GM, Concord United Products Pvt Ltd.

 

Concord United Products has tie up with the China-based Suzhou Baoma Group who is among the top five manufacturers of CNC Wire EDM. Since its inception, the company has experienced exponential growth in all parts of India and has recently entered the export market with installations in Turkey and Dubai. Besides, the company is eyeing new growth opportunities in sectors such 

as aerospace.  

 

As the market gets highly competitive, exhibitions such as INTEC help companies to keep track of technological advancements in the manufacturing industry and prepare themselves for the global trend.