Industry awareness about digitisation and Industry 4.0 is growing steadily

April 2, 2020 11:02 am

Kishlay Dubey, National Sales Manager, Vacuum Automation, Schmalz India Pvt. Ltd., talks about the new technologies that are helping OEMs to grow and take their business forward. He also talks about the new products launched by the company and how they are meeting consumer requirements.

What kind of technology is being developed for processes of clamping of metal tools with efficiency?

As a long-term partner of well-known machine manufacturers, Schmalz offers considerable experience and expertise in vacuum clamping technology. Whether initial equipment, retrofit solutions or spare parts, Schmalz offers a large selection of high-quality clamping equipment for your application.

Schmalz clamping solutions provide increased flexibility and reduce set-up work for metal and plastic processing. Their low-vibration processing allows for efficient and gentle machining of thin, flat work-pieces. Even small quantities can be produced economically and with repeatable quantity.

For vacuum metal clamping solution, we have:

• Clamping Systems Matrix Plate: The Schmalz Matrix Plate guarantees minimal set-up times when clamping flat workpieces with flat undersides on CNC machining centres. Using the vacuum clamping system, even components that are difficult to clamp mechanically can be secured precisely, quickly and without distortion.
• Innospann Systems for metal and plastic processing: In combination with the Innospann Steel Plate, flexibility can be further increased. Productivity and make-ready times can be further optimised, especially with frequent workpiece changes.
• Clamping Solution Schmalz FlexMat: The Schmalz FlexMat enables maximum flexibility in the clamping process. Even if it is not completely occupied by the workpiece, a vacuum sufficient for machining can be created. This makes it ideal for workpieces with apertures or filigree shapes, and it can be easily replaced as a wear part in the event of damage.

Similarly, we are also market leaders in vacuum clamping solution for wood working and glass processing.

What kind of services do you provide to your consumers?

Consistent customer orientation and groundbreaking innovations, excellent quality and comprehensive consulting competence make us the market leader in vacuum automation and ergonomic handling solutions. We offer extraordinary solutions along with innovative products, award-winning working conditions, sustainable use of resources. Schmalz is the world’s leading supplier for vacuum technology. At the company headquarters in Germany and in 19 further subsidiaries worldwide, we have about 1,500 employees sell vacuum components and gripping systems for automation, vacuum lifting devices and crane systems for manual work processes, and vacuum clamping technology for processing wood, glass, and metal.

The broad range of potential applications for Schmalz products and services requires comprehensive expertise and maximum flexibility are two of our company’s core strengths. Schmalz offers its customers highly efficient solutions that are precisely customised for their specific applications. Customers worldwide value the vacuum specialist’s expert consultations and consistent focus on customer requirements. A highly competent and consistent customer orientation is distinguished from Schmalz.

Schmalz India, is a 20-year-old old company, and with our expertise in customer-centric approach, we today stand as one of the trusted and preferred brands in vacuum automation; which is why we still enjoy maximum share of business in India, as well as globally.

With technology like AI and robotics taking over manufacturing and engineering, what kind of challenges are faced by companies?

Automation is a very dynamic field and to maintain the same, the market is constantly being upgraded with newer technologies. This is the era of digitisation and Industry 4.0, and Industry 4.0 thrives on intelligent devices that communicate with each other in a digital factory. In the Schmalz Connect product range, Schmalz bundles a whole range of such smart field devices. The state-of-the-art vacuum components are quickly integrated into the application environment via interfaces such as IO-Link, Ethernet or NFC. They continually gather and interpret energy and condition data from the process and make it available at the control panel, on the operator’s smartphone and in the cloud. Thus, a seamless monitoring of the entire process becomes possible, enabling predictive maintenance to prevent downtime and optimise energy consumption.

What kind of products have you recently added to your profile?

Our product categories are quite vast, of which there are few products that are recently launched. Our products can be categorised into two verticals: Vacuum Automation Solutions and Ergonomic Handling Solutions.

Coming to the Vacuum Automation vertical, we have the widest range of all suction cups, out of which a majority are manufactured here in India. If we talk about the suction cups/pads, around 90 percent of suction cups are being manufactured in India and supplied worldwide. For the vacuum generation part, we have a huge range of vacuum generators, vacuum pumps and vacuum blowers that are both pneumatically as well as electrically driven.

Recently, at IMTEX 2020, we introduced our new product for Cobot pick and place application, like Schmalz’s Cobot Gripper FXCB & Cobot Pump ECBPi, which are installed at one of UR5 Cobot for carton pick and place application. Also, we have displayed our Schmalz Select range of products in IMTEX 2020.

With our preferred product range Schmalz Select, we support our customers in selecting the right solutions. Our experts have selected the components that suit about 80 percent of all standard applications.

What are your expectations from the market?

Schmalz India is a 20-year old organisation and we have been receiving huge responses from our customers across the vacuum applications. Today, we can proudly say that Schmalz has a complete range of vacuum products for any pick and place applications. Since we innovate and introduce new products every year, various exhibitions platforms like IMTEX help us showcase our innovations and strengths to the industry and to our customers. Talking about the market expectations, we want to be the most trusted and preferred brand in vacuum automation for all our customers.

We are constantly inventing new products with the help of robotics, automation and Industry 4.0.