The company transforms its low-voltage switchgear factory, Kalwa, into a digitalised factory – a perfect example for SMEs.

The Munich-based conglomerate Siemens AG has opened its digital factory in India at Kalwa (Thane, Maharashtra). The globally-benchmarked digitalised low-voltage switchgear factory, opened on July 5, 2017, is capable of producing more than 180 variants at the rate of one product every nine seconds. The plant can manufacture over five million devices annually.

Products at the plant communicate with machines and all processes are optimised for IT control, resulting in a minimal failure rate. The production methods deployed at the plant are expected to be a standard for small and medium-sized manufacturing units in India, achieving a visionary model for the future of manufacturing: end-to-end digitalisation where the real and virtual worlds merge in ‘Digital Factory’.

Karlheinz Kaul, CEO – Control Products, Digital Factory, Siemens AG, said, “With the launch of the showcase digitalised factory in India, we further deepen our ties with a country in which we have a very strong presence. The SIRIUS range of switchgear products that will be manufactured here requires a very high degree of precision and quality at global standards that can be achieved only through digitalization. The technical and engineering effort required to transform this 40-year-old manufacturing facility is a true showcase for Indian enterprises who wish to follow the path towards digitalisation!”

Features of Siemens’ digitalised factory:

# Produces more than 180 variants at the rate of one product every nine seconds
# Manufactures over five million devices annually
# Products at the plant communicate with machines
# All processes are optimised for IT control, resulting in a minimal failure rate

Ashish Bhat, Executive Vice President and Head, Digital Factory, Siemens Limited, added, “The need for localising global products and adapting them to the local conditions has been the priority at Siemens in India. Digitalisation will help us engage with our customers and industry suppliers across the complete value chain. A key element in this evolution is an improved technological prowess and a world-class product manufacturing plant.”

The digitalised factory is proof of how adopting digitalisation will help Indian industry, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), achieve manufacturing excellence. SMEs can utilise digitalisation to address growing demands such as mastering increasing product and process complexity, reducing time to market, adapting to changing market requirements, deliver individualised products and secure continuous product improvement.

The low-voltage switchgear factory at Kalwa Works has achieved end-to-end digitalisation across its value chain through Product Lifecycle Management software such as NX and Teamcenter, Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) portal and manufacturing execution system. These solutions enable design of products, tools and equipment, master data management, automation, process simulation and product traceability.