High-tech machine tools to improve domestic manufacturing capacity

By OEM Update Editorial January 3, 2022 5:18 pm

With a belief in continuous innovation, we are aiming to harness IMTEX to provide visitors hands-on experience with our laser technology.

Your expectations from IMTEX 2022 

IMTEX is considered to be one of the most eminent exhibitions in the metal forming industry. It extends opportunities in abundance, as it captures huge attention in the machine tools and the technology community. So what we are looking forward to is sheer success in terms of attaining an identity in the mind of our potential client. Beyond the conversions, it means a crucial goal for any of the exhibitors; we are aiming to harness this very platform to provide our visitors with first-hand experience from our laser systems. We believe that it’s the experience that creates an image; hence it will be desired to have sufficient assistance from IMTEX while the exhibition is going on. 

IMTEX as a show has got good coverage from all across the globe and many industries. The show is a perfect ecosystem for buyers and sellers to get benefits and gain healthy exposure. For us, making a big announcement here helps us to boost the reach. Being a very popular show, visitors from across the globe comes up with genuine queries to resort them with advanced solutions to be ahead of the industry. After having hands-on experience and over the years of participation at IMTEX, we can say the show is a good platform to network and conduct business with delegates from industries across the nations. 

When we talk about the visitors, it spans great diversity; they are from many states of India as well as from overseas, thus IMTEX enable us to manifest our best inline laser machines to the relevant and meaningful mass. This way we can pass on our image which eventually turns out to be vital while equating potential partnerships. 

latest advancements and machines are expected to be unveiled? 

The IMTEX has always been an incredible platform for us to showcase our innovative laser solutions to the public. We tend to unveil new laser machines each year at the IMTEX exhibition and the momentum is going to remain intact this very year as well. As of this year, we are launching a few of the latest advancements for sheet metal cutting and dedicated tube cutting systems. Being a prominent player in the market, we receive good eyeballs and business opportunities at the expo. Accordingly, we aim to present our portfolio of Laser Systems showcasing multiple capabilities like Cutting, Marking, Welding, Tube Cutting and more. 

This year we are making big announcements at IMTEX 2022, we would be adding a surprise element here that would be disclosed on-site. At SLTL Group we have always been innovating to help industry and fabricators achieve the highest standards of applications. We listened to our customers and innovated Laser Systems that address the need. One of them was enhancing our baseline Laser Cutting System: Prime and Vector with modern technology to provide excellent throughput. Also, at the same time, we emphasized on making it affordable. 

Another launch at the show is an enhanced model of a dedicated Laser Tube Cutting System, T-6300. The system is a unique combination of SLTL Group’s proprietary Laser Technology and a robust mechanical structure designed by the in-house R&D team. We re-imagined the whole conventional tube cutting process and developed T6000 Series, providing a complete solution to the complex industrial needs. This dedicated Laser Tube Cutting System is to provide extreme precision, productivity, and quality. 

We’d also be demonstrating the solutions for the latest market of EVs and systems that would help to take the automotive industry to newer heights. Along with these systems, we also have Hertz – a Laser Welding System that combines the fundamental qualities of an ultra-portable device with an uncompromising performance at our booth. These systems are uniquely developed to address the challenges of the market. 

For this time, we have emphasized on segment oriented enhancement and try to deliver integration with cutting edge system and latest features at each level. To be specific, material handling and storage solutions are being added keeping sheet metal industry in account. To enhance the productivity and reducing human efforts are some elements we have focused more on latest laser systems. Our aim is to extend our offering, to get into various categories which can be suitable to larger clientele base. On the other hand, high caliber machines are made even flexible to operate in any sort of set-up. 

State your views about the manufacturing outlook for 2022 in the country? 

With technological advancements and futuristic solutions, everyone in the industry is moving towards digitization. Everyone these days are emphasizing manless systems and providing the solutions with the highest output. The main element in transforming the industry with smart facilities is the adaptation of technology and advanced solutions that are making the manufacturing process more efficient and customer friendly. 

The covid-19 outbreak has resulted in industries going online. With an emphasis on less human interaction, everyone is trying and moving towards digital platforms be it in terms of display of their products or any meetings with the customers. Today online platforms are becoming the most preferred mediums for meetings and business discussion which in a way is a good aspect where you could get plenty of information staying at your native. 

What are the upcoming technology trends in metal forming/ metal cutting? 

We can clearly see that the metal forming industry has hiked lately and currently serving in all the other industries. Today, even the small fabricators are switching to laser technology as it is the latest trend in the metal forming businesses along with being the most viable solution in the industry. Laser technology has increased the production speed and at the same time provided an enormous reduction in the manufacturing cost. 

With hi-tech technology and rapid upgrades, the industry is focused on achieving new heights. To keep up with the pace of advancements, we have an in-house R&D team working on bringing newer technologies and focusing on newer advancements. It’s the team and their efforts that kept us updated with the latest market trends. The DSIR certified R&D team is our backbone and they have framed a criterion to Furthermore, following the Covid-19 outbreak, the industry had certain challenges in adapting to the adjustments. Based on it, we may predict that the industry’s future trends will be toward technology adoption. Since industry 5.0 is also coming, we can say that now the outspread of man-less machines and automations will be adapted in larger units. 

What are the latest offerings in the market with respect to standard format laser machines? 

Over time, there has been an increase in demand for high-tech machine tools. Many foreign companies, on the other hand, are establishing enterprises in India through joint ventures and introducing cutting-edge technology to the country’s shores. Access to such technology is likely to improve domestic manufacturers’ manufacturing capacity and promote domestic production. 

With an introduction of Laser technology as well as CAD/CAM technological advancements have not only helped the industry giants but also, it is impacting the small business owners drastically. Because of its cutting edge technology and accurate finish, even the sheet metal forming industry is now switching their equipment with the laser to get high precision results at affordable prices. Laser cutting is now expanding its applications in Industries like the Handicraft industry for cutting intricate shapes and designs, for making machining tool the laser technology help in getting smooth edges and best quality output in minimal time. 

Industry 4.0 and IoT in the industrial sector are growing, and corporations are implementing the technologies to eliminate human error and accomplish outcomes in a fraction of a second. These technical developments allow for speedy and efficient operations with less waste and loss. Machine makers have long favoured high-tech solutions, and to stay current, systems are increasingly embracing AI as their core to assure exposure to the highest quality of the processing. 

What new automation trends make the machine tools industry more user friendly, for a sustainable future? 

As a consequence of current initiatives such as ‘Make in India’ and greater international trade contacts, Indian firms are growing in their various industries. Other industries, such as the metal forming sector, are also looking to develop and make the country proud. Everyone is now focused on lowering carbon emissions and transitioning to greener technology. Laser cleaning technologies are replacing traditional cleaning procedures such as chemical etching. Furthermore, the machines we create are low in energy consumption, and all of the systems can process respective materials with unrivalled speed and finest accuracy sheet metal processing using laser technology. Materials, processes, tooling, and equipment are getting more specialised, which reduces the time required to create standard sheet metal parts and speeds up the design process. 

Not just that, digitization is the latest trend enabling remote operations and applications with the exact same or even better output. The online portal had made the applications feasible and more user friendly. Integration with IoT and industry 4.0 is one of the best concepts these days which are mainly focusing on making the processes streamlined and making the machines with minimal human interaction required. 

What role will robotic automation play improve efficiency in creating futuristic machine tools? 

Robotic automation is the industry’s future because of its flexibility to do 3D applications, with its quick mobility and high-quality output. Robots can readily process the work in no time furthermore, by working freely on the programme. We have created and developed robotic systems for a variety of applications such as cutting, welding, and many others, with a primary focus on lowering application time and achieving higher quality output with less gas consumption. Since everyone is heading toward digitalization, automation systems will be quite beneficial. These intelligent systems are created with high contrast outcomes in mind, as well as a reduction in manpower participation, to ensure error-free operations. Endorsing innovations and building machines that are technologically advanced is what has propelled the sector to new heights and, as a result, revolutionised factories with high-tech systems. 

Propagation to Industry 5.0 becoming a valuable platform for optimizing processes to improve production? Your views. 

In my opinion, the concentration on expanding Industry 4.0 should be given more weightage right now. To date, the manufacturing industry has not yet fitted all of its systems with industry 4.0, and if we promote industry 5.0, the industries will have a difficult time adapting to the shift. There are several reasons why the 4.0 implementation has not yet been completed, to name a few; high-cost investment and monetary involvement are two major reasons, and the availability of technology to everyone is not the same, as people from underserved sections of society face significant challenges in this regard. 

However, there are a few players in the industry that are moving towards automation and embracing technologies such as IoT, Industry 4.0 to provide futuristic solutions. We are also moving in this direction, but we believe that the people in India are not yet ready to move there, spend a significant amount of money, and adopt the technology. The traditional techniques are still favoured by a bigger portion of the public due to the low cost of engagement. 

We believe that it will take some time for people to realise the value of technology and its attendant benefits before we can move forward. So, as long as more than half of the population does not recognise the technology, it is meaningless since just a few significant players will gain out of it. Instead, for now, greater emphasis should be placed on implementing and informing the general public about the availability of technology and its advantages to them.