Carving a technology-driven engineering outlook for India

By OEM Update Editorial March 2, 2020 11:35 am IST

Discussing the role of technology in carving a positive industrial outlook, Anil Kumar, Director, Angel India Cad Cam Pvt. Ltd., says that with customers accepting the technical evolution, it’s evident that newer technologies will soon take over the conventional methods to uplift the industry’s aspirations.

How was IMTEX 2020 for you?

The first day was a little slow, but the second day was good. Whenever any company displays their machines and products, their expectations will be quite high. We too expected that we will get the best response from the market, and we found that IMTEX 2020 was a good place where we could display our products. People appreciated our products and discovered that our product quality is excellent and that we are reasonably priced. So, overall it was a good platform and a good show for us.

Which products have you launched recently?

We recently launched a tube-cutting machine, which the market does not have yet. It has no comparison with other products as it is unique. The industry needs both 2D cutting and tube cutting, but we are finding that people are more moving more towards tube cutting, so we are catering to this demand accordingly by delivering the best-suited products to our customers.

What is the market potential for laser technology?

Laser technology will be the game changer in future. Since the last 3–4 years, people have been using press brakes and other such products and instruments. Today, people prefer automated devices, products and technologies. Moreover, fibre laser has transformed the overall future outlook, and it will evolve more in the near future. Looking at the pace at which the industry is becoming more tech-savvy, I feel that the conventional technologies will be taken over by laser technologies and other emerging, trending innovations.

What kind of challenges is being faced by the companies in the application of new technologies?

Though there is a lot of awareness among consumers, perception still remains to be a major issue as they are more concerned about the price. They are still not open to the new advancements and technologies out there; they don’t want change. But it is just a matter of time before they begin to understand the advantages of the new technologies and start using them. Once they understand that their requirement cannot be fulfilled by the poor quality products, they will choose the better, advanced technologies that are coming up.

What is the future of metal forming in India?

Metal forming is in the process of getting flourished across the country. The Indian market is vast, so there is great potential for the sector as consumption will only increase. It is set to flourish in the next 10 years or so.

What kind of investments or policies need to be introduced by the government?

As the market is set to flourish, we need more investments in this segment. If we don’t have that kind of investment in place, we cannot progress. So this is an important aspect of market demand.

What is the overall response from the market for technologies such as tube cutting and laser in the welding and smart tooling sectors?

I feel that the market is expanding at a good level and it has to grow further. Talking about the market, steel is still the game changer, and today, with the availability of advanced technologies for the industry, we cannot use alternate products as they are not good for the environment. The steel industry has to flourish, and it isn’t a maintenance-free product. With welding, you can mould the metal and bend it but with limitations. Hence, steel is the game changer for the whole industry.