Working towards the futuristic sensors and modules to connect with human beings

By OEM Update Editorial June 12, 2021 4:44 pm IST

Automation and technologies are the enabler for every industry and it is helping us to come out with new and innovative products at a faster pace.

In a wide ranging interview, Prabhakaran V, Head – Product Management, Fluke India, talks about the importance of embracing Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 and how Fluke has the largest basket of test and measurements products to cater the Industry 4.0 needs.

Kindly walk us through your company’s key product profile.
Fluke Corporation is the world leader in manufacturing, distribution and services of electronic test tools and software. Since its incorporation in 1948, Fluke has contributed to growth of unique technology market by providing testing and troubleshooting capabilities that have grown to mission-critical status in manufacturing and service industries. Every new manufacturing plant, office, hospital, or facility built today represents another potential customer for Fluke. From industrial electronic installation, maintenance, to precision measurement and quality control, Fluke tools keep business and industry around the globe up and running.

Our industrial product range includes state-of-the-art predictive maintenance tools like Power Quality Analyzers, Thermal Imagers, Vibration analyzers and meters, Earth Testers and Insulation Testers. Our general-purpose tools include digital multimeters and clamps meters. Our recent launches comprise of products that support complicated measurement requirements of Solar, EV and Power electronics segments. These include irradiance meters and precision portable power analyzers. Another latest innovation from Fluke is Sonic imagers. These are revolutionising the way industries identify air and gas leaks and in partial discharge detection.

Indian industries have embraced Industry 4.0 and its technologies to carve a bright future of Indian industries. With this level of acceptance, how ready are we to accept Industry 5.0 in your sector? Indian industries embraced the Industry 4.0 rather late and we are in the middle of it and still a long way to go for many sectors to yield full potential of the Industry 4.0. Industry 5.0 is aiming to have more co[1]operation and collaborative efforts between man and machine towards delivering customized solutions. Fifth revolution is going to put human intelligence drive the artificial intelligence to deliver mass customization and personalization.

Fluke Corporation was one of the early adopters of Industry 4.0 way back in 2013. And today, it has the largest basket of test and measurements products to cater the Industry 4.0 needs. Fluke connect is enabling the users to collect error free data directly from machines and collaborate with people to take quick actions. Fluke is striving to bring new sensing technologies and advanced computation solution through cloud-based services to meet the future requirements of the Industry. Test & Measurement instruments are key to any sector’s success in achieving quality, safety and productivity targets. So, now Indian industries are more open to accept the new technology connected devices than before. This shift in mind set and the emerging startup companies which work on technology and solutions for future will make the journey from Industry 4.0 to 5.0 smoother and faster in India.

Which latest automated technologies have you been implementing in your product and services to attain maximum efficiency?
Fluke, as an innovative company, is working towards the futuristic sensors and modules which can connect with human beings and give solutions to the users faster than before. We have also introduced a couple of products with contactless voltage and current sensors in our range to ensure the efficiency and safety of the industrial engineers and technicians. All our products launched in the last decade is an evidence for our direction towards more solution[1]based products with cognitive computing abilities.

Our vibration testers, motor efficiency analyzer or the recently launched sonic imagers comes with quick problem-solving capabilities without compromising safety or productivity of engineers and technicians. Our cloud based software platforms help them store these data for future use, analysis or to collaborate easily with cross functional teams and external experts. Fluke believes in enabling the doers with the right solutions to meet their requirements efficiently and safely.

How is automation and other technologies allowing you to maintain consistency in smooth functioning of your products?
Automation and technologies are the enabler for every industry and it is helping us to come out with new and innovative products at a faster pace. Technologies like IIOT, AI and ML is helping us to come out with solutions for our customers problems. Advancements in such technology and automation is helping industries for error free data collection, analysis, and modelling. This helps us to get better insights for our future products.

What are the challenges in your sector in adopting automation and digitization for efficient measurement?
Large industries and facilities are adapting to the new technologies rather quickly and are investing in it to get the benefits. India has many small and micro industries, and it will be a challenge for them to adopt such technologies faster. This can be a kind of temporary challenge for innovations to reach the masses and touch the break even.

However, we expect this phase to get shorten by larger companies looking at the benefits and pushing their ancillaries and vendors to go for such technologies.

With the advent of AI and automation, what kind of business opportunities do you foresee in India? Customers are now aware of the advantages and benefits they get from such advanced technologies. So, they are already looking for more advanced and future ready devices in T&M than just any cheaper product. Fluke is already providing devices which are Fluke connect enabled and help them in maintaining Industry 4.0 revolution. We are sure that the potential for companies continuously innovating and driving the changes in the industry is quite significant. We see a surge in such devices and technology in coming years.