India has gradually begun to embrace smart factories

July 4, 2022 10:24 am

Many manufacturing professionals are now considering upgrading to Industry 4.0 and smart factories, says J. Mohankumar, Regional Sales Manager- South India, Schmalz, while interacting with OEM Update during the IMTEX event. 

Schmalz solutions Schmalz manufactures vacuum metal handling systems. And we have two divisions: management and automation. So, for those who prefer manual handling as an economic planning solution, we offer a backup system for handling bottom boxes, various types of sheet models, and different applications. The other division is the automation division, which includes robotic applications. We can now provide a complete automation solution, a complete SPM automation robotic application, and all vacuum product applications.

What’s new from Schmalz 

We displayed a jumbo flex picker and debuted some new products at IMTEX. It is designed specifically for the warehouse system. They want to keep making different applications and dealing with other areas. So, because this system is movable, our customers who need to transport material from one location to another can easily use it as a travel system. Furthermore, we have shown robot applications for the automation industry. This Robot application overlays all of the cobots devourings by many industries. 

R&D investments and initiatives

 Schmalz, Germany is constantly investing in R&D. We are increasing our R&D investments. Aside from that, we are developing new products based on customer feedback. We customise according to what the customer requires and their application problems. For example, we recently developed a product for the electronic industry that handles PCBs. Typically, Vacuum Gripping is not possible. We created a particular line of PCB products. Schmalz’s service provides the best solution for customers at all times.

Semiconductor supply-chain challenge 

In the manufacturing industry, we are also dealing with numerous semiconductor issues. We cannot supply the material on time due to a shortage of raw materials. Usually, we can provide material delivery in three to four weeks; however, due to raw material shortages, this can now take up to 12 weeks. However, we are improving to manage the delivery time.

The future of smart factories 

The industry is looking for complete automation and intelligent factory solutions like our products. Industry 4.0 technology is now operational in many facilities. Germany and other European countries have begun to implement Industry 4.0. However, India is still a long way from reaching Industry 4.0 status. People are now thinking about Industry 4.0 and smart factories so that the system can be perfectly organised and preventive action can be monitored. As a result, this will be a meagre cost globally, especially in India. India has gradually begun to develop smart factories