The manufacturing sector is ready for a mighty leap in the coming years

By OEM Update Editorial January 2, 2023 12:38 pm IST

We are investing 30 percent of our turnover in our R&D activities in preparing the next generation of products.

Sounding optimistic about the manufacturing industry, during an interaction, Anil Anand, Director, Kistler Instruments Pvt. Ltd., shared details about company activities, solutions and forthcoming IMTEX event.

Kistler Instruments is a 60 year old Swiss company started by the pioneers of pressure sensor technology and diesel-electric technology. And so, they started manufacturing pressure sensors. And from that point till now, it has diversified into different kinds of products for force, pressure, and torque measurements. And that goes for the cementation part of the journey. And then, about 15 years ago, the company ventured into the more industrial side of manufacturing and marketing. And today, we have a comprehensive range of instruments for measurements, testing and measurement, which are the industry products used on the manufacturing side. It is a global company manufacturing mainly in Switzerland and Europe. And we have marketing operations worldwide, all the major industrial countries covering America, Europe and Asia.

In India, we started the company and started direct operations in 2010. We have offices in the north, west, and south in Pune and Chennai. It has a team of trained marketing and after-sales service specialists, and all are engineers. They support various industries we are catering to, such as the automotive, defence, educational, and sports industries. So, we have a variety of products for multiple industries that we sell in India, and it’s been a satisfying and significant journey in the last 11 years in India, and we are poised for higher growth in the coming years.

Measurement technologies and solutions for the automotive testing
We have a whole range of products for measuring force, pressure, and torque. So we have sensors, the electronics, and the software that goes with the sensors for a complete measurement solution for the industry with a calibration lab.

On the automotive side, we have products for engine R&D and the development of new engines. We have pressure sensors and combustion analysers with some of the software that goes along with that to provide a complete end-to-end solution. All the major automotive industries worldwide, and also in India, are using our solutions to develop new engines on the test beds, one part and another on the vehicle testing side. We have solutions for complete noise and vibration analysis that reinforces measurement and the entire another testing of the vehicle. We provide a wide range of vehicle testing solutions and engineering solutions.

Automation in respect of the implementation of industry 4.0
Now it is mainly a move – a step higher from 4.0 to 5.0. They are the concept of cost optimisation and greener solutions in industry 4.0, which is now covered under industry 5.0. And, Kistler being a Swiss company, it is matching pace with global advancements, and I spoke about servo spindles for assembly lines. For example, you know, energy optimisation and the greener solutions that are coming. People are using the older hydronic spindles, which contain a lot of oil and electricity, which are connected to electromechanical solutions in terms of servo spindles, which have no pollution in oil usage, and that is a crucial optimisation. And so, we are moving with this kind of solution to be Greener. As a significant factor for industry 4.0 and cost optimisation, there may be an initial investment which may be a little higher. Still, over some time, over the lifetime of the product, there is up to 40 to 50 percent saving that is incurred. That implies Industry 5.0 will improve the production processes and the cost saving in the long run.

Manufacturing outlook for the next year
The nearest thing of concern is that we are coming out of Corona. For the last two years, businesses have been hampered by Corona, and hopefully, the third wave should not come. And that’s what we wish for. That is the first thing to be said on priority. But apart from that, with the last two years of backlog, the economy and the manufacturing sector are poised for heavy growth in the coming years, and that is what we all expect. And on another global stage, with major countries’ abridging and snapping business activities with China, India should become an alternate manufacturing hub for opening more manufacturing industries in India. That is the thing that is happening on the global stage. So, keeping that in mind, it should be an exciting next year.

Products and solutions displayed at the IMTEX
We are now a Multi-product company catering to multiple industries. So, our mission is specifically focused on the industrial side. We will be focusing on that which would include our solutions for assembly lines. We have service spindles that go for primary assembly line operations; then, we have controlling units on assembly lines to check the parts, which supports inline operations. And we have exceptional sensors for controlling the injection moulding, and for the casting industry, we have another set of solutions that go with partner industry.

Expectations from the IMTEX 2023
IMTEX is one of the major shows that happens for industries in India. So, with all the participants, there is an expectation that new business opportunities will be created along with that. There is a scope for further learning, products, and technologies, which is why the visitors and the participants come to this show. And the most important thing is new networking that is created. That is one of the main pieces of any display. A face-to-face interaction happens between the buyer and seller or with a prospect in the field. So, these are the expectations from IMTEX. Further, taking into account the corona situation, it is imminent that adequate care would be the primary concern.

Plans for the next three years

We moved from a component manufacturing initiative to a company of solution providers, and now multiple solution providers for various industries are more on a digital foray and consulting businesses. We are adding this to our product portfolio, the digital and consultancy business, apart from our regular product line. We are investing 30 percent of our turnover in our R&D activities in preparing for the next generation of products. So, our next generation of products for all the existing product lines will be expected in a phased manner every year. I can imagine this for the medium term in the next two to three years.

Looking at the current situation, the last few years have severely damaged the manufacturing industry. We are hopeful that things will become normal. And then we are on top of steady growth after that. That is there about anything that is occupying our minds and our thoughts right now.