Industrial Automation Magazine India

Fluid power actuation is the first choice of machine manufacturers

Published on : Wednesday 03-03-2021

Tansen Chaudhari, Chief Operating Officer, Fluid Controls Pvt Ltd.

Traditionally fluid power played an important role in automation. Has electrical actuation now taken over? 
Fundamentally, fluid power actuation always can be backed up by electrical actuation in cases wherever fail-safe mode is more prominent. Otherwise, actuation achieved by fluid power is always a first choice of machine/equipment manufacturers as the existing system mechanism can be leveraged and even maintenance, reliability and availability can be much assured. 
 
What are the advantages fluid power still offers vis-à-vis electromechanical drives? 
Definitely, fluid power is safer in hazardous environments. Indeed, fluid power automation if one compares weight over high horse-power is more beneficial. High torque at low speeds can be easily achieved by fluid power. In fact, force or torque can be held constant for a long time. Indeed, long distance pressurised fluid power transmissions through complicated systems is quite possible with a minimal pressure loss. Reversing motion in fluid power is possible instantaneously. In fluid power transmission, elimination of complicated mechanical trains of gears, etc., is possible.  
 
Large vehicles and the automotive industry have accounted for much interest in hydraulics. Will the upsurge of electrical vehicles sound a death knell for hydraulics? 
No way, hydraulics is going to have the last ringing bell in electrical vehicles. Other way, hydraulics being used as one of the hybrid technologies. Rather in these vehicles hydrostatic transmissions and hydraulic accumulators are coupled to an internal combustion engine for achieving the same functionalities else could have been by the electric corresponding designed-parts.  
 
What are the new trends that hold promise for hydraulics and pneumatics in the digital era?  
The latest industrial revolution, i.e., Industry 4.0, focuses on making the machines working smoothly and seemingly fine by communicating with other machines and giving signals to humans. The same data can be leveraged and analysed globally using IoT, i.e., Internet of Things. Undoubtedly this would reduce the efforts spent on gathering, filtering and improving the efficiencies across the industry. Added to it Big-data analysis could be clubbed in the same revolution. The PLC, i.e., programmable logic controllers, can be used to increase the system level performance of hydraulics and pneumatics systems. With these combinations of systems with hydraulics and pneumatics systems, the products would pass on the health/performance data using the IoT which can predict the system reliability, safety, and maintenance. 
 
How relevant is fluid power in process industries today? 
Artificial intelligence (AI) combined with fluid power can be used to remotely move/monitor the processes and parameters wherein human intervention is impossible. AI with fluid power can drive process industry parameters such as cycle time, maintaining auto delivery and schedule of parameters, etc. Exploring further fluid power is going to aid the process industry. 
 
Are hydraulic and pneumatic devices compatible and in step with digital technologies and integrate with IIoT seamlessly?
Indeed, hydraulic and pneumatic devices have been in place for a long time; seamless integration with IoT, AI and other digital technologies has already begun. For any business segment, return-on-investment for this combination would be greatly achieved.
 
Aviation, Oil & Gas, Nuclear Power, Health-care, entertainment, logistics, etc., are few among many industries where blessings of the combined technologies have already begun with full throttle. Low aim would be a crime here in extracting the benefits!   
 
A PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the premier engineering institute of India, IIT-Bombay, Tansen Chaudhari has extensive experience in general management including business development, R&D, project execution, business transformation, manufacturing and supply chain operations, corporate social responsibility and compliance. Tansen started his professional career as Research Engineer at GE’s John F Welch Technology Centre, Bangalore and has been trained in US, Europe for developing next generation technology platforms at GE. He has gained in-depth experience in nano foam modelling and processing, material mechanics, composites, and impact mechanics. He has 5 US patents and several publications to his credit, which have been commercialised internationally.  
 
After 5 years of research exposure, he moved to GE Consumer & Industrial business ($100mm) and drove profitable growth in the India region through operational excellence and enterprise sales initiatives. He led ACFC (at customer, for customer) and Net Promoter Score (NPS) which resulted in indirect business development to the tune of $4mn. His significant contributions resulted in operational savings of $ 4mn and top line growth of $ 10 mn in span of 2 years. With an innovative mind and analytical approach, Tansen successfully led the company’s newly created business segment focusing on solution selling.  
 
To strengthen his corporate expertise, he attended GE’s famed Crotonvillie’s leadership training in the area of General Management and Leadership, Innovation & Growth (LIG). He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, DFSS Black Belt & Project Management Professional at GE. He is often invited to speak on various topics in national and international symposia and conferences. He is a visiting faculty at SCMHRD, SIBM, many Engineering colleges and also an external advisor to Masters and Doctorate students both in Technology and Management.   
He is also the recipient of the prestigious Gerald L. Phillippe Award for leading GE’s corporate social responsibility mission in India and served as a chairperson. He also served on integrity and compliance board as ombudsperson in adhering to business ethics and practices.  
 
Tansen moved to Xchanging PLC as a Vice President role towards setting up a Process Xcellence function across Asia Pacific region based on ROI model. He has delivered more than 4 times the investment, amounting more than $600K in just 6 months.  
 
Lately, Tansen moved to Pune for family reasons and joined Intelux Electronics Pvt Ltd, as Chief Executive Officer to run the profit and loss of the Electrical and Electronics industry. His key responsibility was on People-Process-Profitability across a $50mn and 500 employees’ organization. He established sales-supply chain-HR processes and expanded product portfolios by establishing distribution networks.   
 
In 2011, Tansen joined Fluid Controls Pvt Ltd as a Chief Operating Officer to run the profit and loss of 45-year old valves and fittings, Mechanical engineering, manufacturing business. Here, Tansen has driven the top line and profitability in 9 years to 10 times, and has set the tone of the business for the long run in terms of strategic product planning! Currently Tansen is one of share-holder in the company. In 2018, partnered with GTF for designing and manufacturing Fluid Controls Products in Dammam, Saudi Arabia
.  
Tansen resides in Pune with his wife, Pallavi and their children Heramb (15 years) and Janaki (11 years).