We aim at generating opportunities for making in India

By OEM Update Editorial April 2, 2021 9:04 am

Manoj K S, Head – Business Development –IQS Portfolio, Zeiss Industrial Metrology, in an interview with OEM Update Magazine, takes us through the industrial measurement requirements. He further emphasise on having skilled manpower and engineers to deliver consistent results.

Kindly walk us through your company’s profile.

Zeiss is a 175-year-old organisation, and we have been the enablers to its customers by creating core value for them. Zeiss has been involved into providing various applications. It was one of the Zeiss founders who invented microscopes; this gave us an opportunity to enter the health sector, along with the electrical sector by creating semi-conductor devices among the others. I am proud to say that more than 80 percent of the semi-conductor devices’ chips are embedded with Zeiss technology. Of the other various vertical, I am embodied into the industrial quality and research section; so talking about the industrial devices, we have been involved in making CMM devices, optical measure systems, computer tomography and software related to research microscopic solutions which are majorly being utilised for industrial requirements. We are much more into sales than into manufacturing. Our presence in India has been right from the 1975’s, through Empire Machine Tools and we have been operating as a direct entity for the last 20 years.

How far the products and solutions for measurement and metrological services are imported? Do you see an increase in localising availability of these technologies?

A majority of the measurement instruments are imported into India starting with basic hand-held devices up to the sophisticated ones. The situation has been same for a long time and we wish it changes for the better. I do not see this happening as the world is a global village and industry will choose the right technological partner or product based on many other parameters and not only of local origin.  Nevertheless, optical measurements with hardware development in the Plug and play regime and more, emphasis on software has ushered in a growth of local companies involved in measurements.

What kind of products and technologies are required to boost the operational efficiency in defence equipment?

Answering it from a measurement technology perspective there is a lot of demand for Reverse engineering, Semi-precision Dimensional measurements, Inline quality control and study of composite materials. Measurement data collection of the processes for manufacturing and measurement coupled with analysis of information flow and traceability chain delving up to the supplier, machine and operator level details is important. Standardisation of procedures and measurement technologies will play a large part in boosting the operating efficiency and interchangeability of parts.

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Zeiss is expertise in providing measuring solutions, of which, microscopy – one of our oldest product business; we also provide products and solutions for optical inspection, failure and service analysis into technical completeness. These products among the others, helps us to measure even from a few nanometers and analyse the microstructure, the material composition and tell us whether the product I good, or bad. It also allows us to measure the non-contact surface finish.

Another vital thing to note is, today, technical cleanliness has been gaining traction in the market and Zeiss has an array of products in this area which are suitable for the industrial requirements. I would like to give you an example on how our products are being used; Zeiss Axio Imager, is a microscope which can go through the surface coating inspections and can tell you whether the surface coating is good enough after a certain usage of the air for him, this imager also tell us if the surface coating has gone away.

How do you see the availability of skilled manpower today?

Skill development is one of the key aspects in industrial growth. We must understand that creating world class products in India can definitely let us lead the global markets. And to develop global products, an engineer or a product designer has to have an entire knowhow about the product and the technology being implemented in the product. We should also understand the drawing; we should have operators and other support staff and manpower to work till the last mile delivery. We, at ZEISS, provide all sort of skill training to our workforce and our manpower to attain quality and rich end product.

Zeiss has also been catering to the defence sector. What kind of opportunities do you foresee to increase the share of defence manufacturing in India?

Looking at today’s manufacturing trends, I can see an influx of FDA in the defence sector, also privatisation is coming in, government is making efforts to promote MSME into defence sector. Let’s not forget the increasing demand for additive manufacturing; this is another trend which can be seen in the MROs and defence units. With so many efforts and initiatives being taken by the government and the industries, I think an ecosystem being creates in the Indian manufacturing sector, and ZEISS has always believed in creating local opportunities. Being an international company in India, we make products in India, for both Indian and global requirement. As a measurement expert company, we understand the entire knowhow of machines, manufacturing speed, accuracy, time to deliver, time to market etc. So, we make in India for Indian requirements but with German standards.

ZEISS believe in creating local opportunities and hence, we make our products in India, to meet the requirements of both Indian and global market.