We will be demonstrating certain upcoming features of the Mastercam 2024 version

By OEM Update Editorial January 2, 2023 1:51 pm IST

The manufacturing outlook in the country should continue the growth momentum, considering that many domestic and FDI projects have been announced in recent times.

IMTEX 2023 (metal cutting) is scheduled to be held four years after the previous edition in 2019. Therefore, the forthcoming edition has a lot of anticipation and expectations. It will be a great meeting with old and new contacts and discussing the latest in technology. I am hopeful that there will be a good turnout and that we will have a show similar to pre-covid times. That being said, the industry will continue to invest and expand its manufacturing businesses in the coming year.

New products and manufacturing technologies expected
We will be showcasing the Mastercam 2023 version – which has by far the highest number of improvements and new features in any of our releases. We will also demonstrate certain upcoming features in version 2024, which will likely be released mid of 2023.

Several advanced manufacturing technologies, such as Multiaxis and Multitasking machining, Robotic machining and Additive manufacturing, will be driven by Mastercam through our technology & machine tool partners during the show. In addition to newer technology and innovations in Mastercam, we will also discuss with interested large educational institutions the necessity of setting up Centres of Excellence in Manufacturing to cater to the projected skill demands in the manufacturing domain in the next ten years.

Innovations in business
The Mastercam Manufacturing Lab at the US HQ is an important testing ground for most of our innovations – independent and with partners. Working cohesively with cutting tool technology, innovation such as Dynamic Turning, PrimeTurning (with Sandvik Coromant), Automated programming for circle segment tooling, driving industrial robots and 3D printers using Mastercam, and Industry 4.0 technology are some of the recent work that has been undertaken at our lab. Combining subtractive and additive manufacturing to get the best of both worlds is a contemporary work that we have undertaken due to Mastercam’s API’s flexibility.

Manufacturing outlook for 2023 in the country
The manufacturing outlook in the country should continue the growth momentum, considering that many domestic and FDI projects have been announced in recent times. Chip manufacturing has caught the attention of many prominent players in the market, and work is progressing rapidly in this domain. The pent-up and increased demand for passenger vehicles in the country is also expected to carry forward into 2023, gathering manufacturing momentum for newer variants. Several newer airline companies starting operations in India will mean continued MRO and unique aircraft in play. On the Defence, Infrastructure and Transportation end, there is an all-time high of investments in new projects too. I would take a bullish approach to 2023, despite negative sentiments rumoured for the global economy in 2023.

Make-in-India push for manufacturing growth in India
The Make-in-India movement has already demonstrated the initiative’s intent, capability and action. We are witnessing the growth story of India’s Manufacturing Expertise growing alongside the existing ITES sector. What I like about the Make-in-India initiative is that a number of parallel initiatives are contributing to and benefiting from it. Whether it is the refocus on tier 2 and tier 3 cities for infrastructure development (read SMART Cities), setting up of industry clusters across the nation, upgrading skills, technology and infrastructure in academia, creating SPVs for providing impetus in financing and technology transfers as well as reducing the paperwork burden for setting up new factories and workshops – all of these are clear and present examples of cohesive growth, attributed to the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0
IMTEX is a hub not just for technology display but also for technology discussion, dissemination and application. The ecosystem at this show usually works with each other on current and focused initiatives to better manufacturing for all stakeholders. Industry 4.0 and 5.0 are similar, save that Industry 5.0 seeks to enable a higher potential with the help of the human mind, cognitive computing and machines. Since Industry 4.0 is still not very mature even in the industrialised western world, IMTEX will be an ideal platform to bring academia and industry together to chalk out a better adoption plan for these technologies.