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COVER STORYSchmersal’s main aim islocalized R&D in IndiaA leading player in machine safety, Schmersal India recently celebrated a decade of its existencein India. The company is extremely bullish on the Indian market and is concentrating on morelocalized R&D, developing new products for the local market. In an exclusive interviewSagar Bhosale, MD, Schmersal India talks at length about the company’s future vision andplans to Ms.Shweta Nanda -Asst.Editor, MACHINE TOOLS WORLD . He updates us about keytechnology trends, such as automation and IIoT and prime challenges for safety technology withthe rapid adoption of these trends. Excerpts:Q. What are the market requirementsthat are driving the usage of automation & robotic technology? Pleaseshed light on how machine safetybecomes critical as automation trendcontinues to become mainstream.Automation is the future of manufacturing. There are no two ways about it. Asautomation continues to gain steam, safetyaspect needs to be taken care of. Today,robotics are taking over the manufacturing floor. There is little doubt that roboticsbring several advantages and is slatedto witness further uptake in the days tocome. That said, it is of utmost importanceto address security issues with robots. Forinstance, we need to make sure that robotsand humans are working together withoutendangering the human life and the process. With automation becoming widelyprevalent, safety basics need to changecompletely. Direct Safety should be employed in the basic stage when the systemsare being designed. We at Schmersal aresensing tremendous opportunity in theautomation segment and are committed toaddressing the safety aspect.32MACHINE TOOLS WORLD OCTOBER 2017Q. In your view, are factories in Indiashowing readiness to adopt advancedtechnologies? Which key technologies are being evaluated currently?Yes, the factories in India are slowlyand surely showing readiness to adoptadvanced technologies.Technology wise, there is a variedrange of products for automation & safetysectors, from simple electro-mechanicaldevices to non-contact type of sensors tohigh-end products with RFID. The MSMEshave started incorporating simple electromechanical devices, non-contact type ofsensors and simple safety relays in theirplants, whereas the large scale industriesintegrate high-end RFID products alongwith Safety PLCs making the most use ofthe technological advancement.Q. IIoT or Industry 4.0 is beingtermed as next big game changerfor manufacturing. How will therequirements of your customers andtheir design departments changewith the adoption of IIoT?Industry 4.0 / IIoT is an evolutionaryprocess, so we are wary of assuming wehave finished off-the-peg solutions ready– it is much more a question of permanentfurther development. The prevailingissues of Industry 4.0 are communicationand data exchange, intelligent networkingand flexibility. In this respect, our safetycontroller PSC1 is Industry 4.0 compliantas it enables the construction of modularsafety architectures. Our new safetyinstallation systems also represent aflexible Plug-and Play solution which candeliver comprehensive diagnostic data.We have also developed a range of safetysolutions, including our established safetycontroller for human robot collaboration tomeet the increasing demand for robot use.During the design process, machineconstructors will increasingly be relyingon simulations using 3D models. Thisrequires a faster exchange of process information among the suppliers and all thecompanies involved in the production process. In order to achieve the best possiblesafety solution from an economic perspective, machine safety specialists should beinvolved as early as the design phase. This
COVER STORYwww.mtwmag.comMr. Sagar Bhosale,Managing Director,Schmersal IndiaOCTOBER 2017MACHINE TOOLS WORLD33
COVER STORYis where knowledge transfer and engineering support become increasingly important. We have taken this development intoconsideration with the foundation of ourservice division tec.nicum.The challenges include questions ofdata security – the key is: security, thestandardization and also the furtherdevelopment and adaptation of thestandards to accommodate the newrequirements of Industry 4.0. Anotherchallenge lies in working with ourcustomers to find out what developments,product applications and businessmodules are actually relevant to their owncompanies in line with Industry 4.0. Afterall, Industry 4.0 is no end in itself, it is afactor in business success.for complex applications. Our rangealso includes, high-quality switchgears,customer specific products, Tailor-madesystems and industry solutions for theprotection of machines and plants inindustrial automation and lift industry.With Schmersal’ s extensive range ofservices – comprising training courses,consultation on risk assessment,engineering and implementation – ourservice division tec.nicum contributesdecisively towards our range ofsolutions. The chief aim of tec.nicum is todevelop optimum approaches based onmanufacturer-independent knowledgetransfer and consultation. Our definition ofsystems is the sophisticated selection andcombination of in-house and third partycomponents to achieve the best possible,safe and compliant design of the machinesand systems of our customers which, atthe same time, boosts productivity.Q. Please tell us about Schmersal’sproducts and services for the factoriesof the future?Q. What would you describe asSchmersal’s value differentiator? Howdo you stand out from competition?Schmersal develops and produces anextraordinary wide range of more than25,000 products, from basic door andlimit switches, simple product like Twohand control for press safety applicationsmanufactured in India, to advancednon-contact type safety sensors and RFIDsafety solenoid interlocks like AZM400Schmersal is the only company to havea safety product manufacturing plant inIndia. The idea is to provide our customerswith newest technology features andcost effective solutions in the competitiveIndian market. Also, Schmersal providesservices as well as solutions. For instance,we provide services in risk assessmenton machines and identify the possibleQ. According to you, what will bethe prime challenges for safetytechnology in Industry 4.0 era?34MACHINE TOOLS WORLD OCTOBER 2017hazards. As a solution to this, we eithersuggest the client or ourselves design andsupport the client to implement safetymeasures such as fencing or guarding.This job is carried out by our FunctionalSafety Engineers who are specialists inthe field of safety technology. They planand implement complex safety solutions worldwide and in close collaboration withclients.Our tec.nicum service portfolio incorporates four segments: Sharing of knowledge - tec.nicumacademy Consultancy services - tec.nicumconsulting Technical planning - tec.nicum engineering Implementation - tec.nicum integrationSince Schmersal provides Safety servicesright from Risk analysis to Implementation to a final Validation, it is a ONE stopsolution for all our customers who wish toupgrade their safety to the latest International Norms.Q. Please update us about Schmersal’sfuture vision and growth plans?With the changing scenarios and marketrequirements, our main aim is localization.As a support to this, our R&D & ProductManagement team is working diligentlyto come up with new products for thelocal market. We are concentrating moreon localized R&D in India, while focusing,validating and refining innovation to meetcustomer requirements and expectations.We are also working upon re-exportingcertain products to Germany, as someof the manufacturing lines are shifted toIndia. Further, we have started to exportto the neighbouring SAARC and Gulfcountries.Other major efforts lies in increasing thesafety awareness by doing more safetyworkshops, arranging safety trainings& building a range of simple to highend products & services which will bebeneficial to the customers from cost,technology and application point of view.So in short, we wish to have a product andsolution for every kind of requirement.
Inside StoryMr.SagarBhosaleManaging Director,Schmersal IndiaMy Life’s GoalsAim & Ambition:Enjoy every day as it brings along a new set of challenges. MaintainPositivity in outlook towards life and events. Balancing all aspects - beit personal family life or at work to feel content at the end of the day.Vision:Keep unlearning and then relearning new skills. Consciously keepdoing things you wanted and planned so that there are minimumitems on the “Bucket’s List”.Social Goal:Devote time for the underprivileged children in the society &contribute to make the community better with small actions andinitiatives.Business Goal:Develop HAPPY leadership in the organisation. If the team issuccessful, but not Happy then they have missed the bus. Thiseventually translates into a Win all situation - for Employees,Shareholders, Customers and the Company as a whole.My Leisure ChoicesFavourite Tourist Spot: Always love to be amongst Nature. Snow coveredKashmir and the wild Sahyadri Mountains are preferred destinations.Abroad, Main region in the Northern part of US is my favourite. Nothinglike relaxing in serene surroundings with a nice book to read.Music I Like: Music I like depends on the mood. Songs with catchyrhymes always preferred. Rafi, Kishore and Lata songs are all timefavorites.Sports I Love: All outdoor sports, but nothing can beat Cricket. Kite Flyingalso, I enjoy a lot.Ask my Taste BudsFavorite food: Non Vegetarian Biryani and Sweets at any time. Due toextensive travel get a chance to enjoy local foods at authentic local joints,which I relish.Favourite Drink: Local Sujata’s “Mastani “ (a variety of Mango milk shake)Cold Coffee.In Awe ofI Admire: My Mother who is my teacher, guide and mentor.112MACHINE TOOLS WORLD OCTOBER 2017
The challenges include questions of data security – the key is: security, the standardization and also the further development and adaptation of the standards to accommodate the new requirements of Industry 4.0. Another challenge lies in working with our customers to find out what developments, product applications and business
