Industrial Automation Magazine India

Smart manufacturing through robotics has driven the demand for robotics

Published on : Tuesday 05-04-2022

Sunil Raibagi, Managing Director – Asia, and Vice President Strategy and Business development, Zimmer GmbH.

We have been hearing about robots in the Indian Industry. What is the extent of penetration today? Which industry segments are the major users? 
I work in the industrial robotics and automation area. The industrial robotics market in India has grown as a result of industrial expansion, digital revolution, and adoption of automation at a large scale. According to VDMA, in terms of annual installation, the industrial robotics market in India is around 5,000 units in 2020 and is estimated to reach around 12,000 units by 2025. In India, the automotive, plastic, electronics, logistics and consumer goods industry is using robots for several applications. Recently an upward trend is also seen in the medical, pharma and military and defence sector. Zimmer-Group has been providing very innovative solutions in the handling technology which has enabled customers to think of using robots in newer areas which has furthermore increased the penetration of robots in the Indian industry.

What lessons are learnt out of the pandemic situation for the deployment of robots? What case-study/examples of industries weathering the storm because of having deployed robots? Do you foresee a rush to deploy robots post-Covid? 
Robotics offers an array of advantages such as cost-efficiency, enhanced quality, and flexibility in production, as well as improved safety and solution for the labour shortage, which has stimulated the adoption of robotics. Smart manufacturing through robotics has driven the demand for robotics in various sub-sectors of the manufacturing industry including electronics, pharmaceutical, food and beverage equipment and metal.  

Due to Covid and its effects, many of the manufacturers are planning to use more automation especially to reduce dependability over labour availability. At the moment the industry is investing with caution due to the volatile situation but definitely instead of the fully automated factory ‘robot-based autonomous function cells’ will be a reality in the various production processes in the Indian industry. We at Zimmer believe that the manufacturing sector is moving more towards automation and the usage of robots will see an upward trend in the post-Covid era.  
 
Do recent policy initiatives like the PLI scheme for the electronics industry, Semiconductor manufacturing, large 2-wheeler EV plants, etc., augur well for robotic automation? 
The policy initiative will bring investments and hence manufacturing infrastructure will see a growth. In the EV and electronics sector robot technology is a must. Robots will be pivotal in helping the industry incorporate the flexibility and agility into production routines necessary for future success.  

In today’s environment, car companies will need to be on top of market trends and proactively analyse consumer preferences like they never have before. The new capacity of robots to collaborate with other robots – tech talking to tech – tears down walls between departments and improves throughput. The latest robots can be pieced together with plug-and-play modules that can be reconfigured as needed for added agility and flexibility. This kind of ability to shift production and redeploy assets becomes increasingly essential as plants move away from a single-model focus or even a single-technology focus, with EVs beginning to be built on the same assembly lines as internal combustion cars.  
 
Are the capabilities of system integrators to design and deploy robots strong enough? What initiatives from industry bodies and government are needed? 
The use of robots is growing due to technological advances that support an increase in the number of applications. There are now robots for most applications from material handling to assembly. In addition, there has been an improvement in sensors, such as tactile and vision systems which increases the set of applications for robots and makes them simpler to implement. There has also been an increase in computing power, giving robots AI capabilities. Against this backdrop and at this stage of development, OEMs and system integrators should investigate how they can facilitate more adoption, more value, and further growth by bringing additional simplicity. In this regard, Zimmer has built up a very strong portfolio of servo-electric grippers which have ensured that the robots can do much more complex jobs and still have flexibility at the same time. System Integrators and Designers are set to gain due to availability of these kinds of solutions which will help them in faster realisations of projects.  

Simpler to apply potential end users will be increasingly likely to envision use cases for robots. Furthermore, as the choice of robots and the talent with the requisite skill sets to bring the robots online becomes more available. Simulation software can further close the gap between conceivability and installation by helping end-users prove their design before committing to the final investment.  

Simpler to connect readily available industrial connections, simpler integration of Industry-standard end effector, systems I/O, and communication can make robotics easier to implement within existing structures.  

Simpler to run interactive or interconnected interfaces put even complex programming tasks in the hands of frontline operations, making factories less dependent on expert suppliers and engineering departments 

The government also should help in creating policy towards data security; safeguarding intellectual property and right laws for AI usage and overall safety norms.  
 
Globally, the use of robotics in non-traditional sectors – food & beverages, hospitals & hospitality, sewage & waste segregation – is rising. What is the Indian scenario? 
India has embraced robotics at a slower pace as compared to countries like the US, China, South Korea and Japan. The high cost of ownership owing to the exorbitant cost of hardware components, maintenance, support, and research and development is a major roadblock. Furthermore, India lacks in terms of trained resources for the implementation, integration and maintenance of industrial robots. Moreover, the lack of a standard programming platform and user interface poses substantial challenges. Automotive players invest for production flexibility; Electronics players invest in quality; Pharma players invest in robotics capabilities means there are different needs for different applications. Food and beverage need wash-down robots and the hospital has different needs. There are some introductions in the non-traditional sector but will take some time to get there. But being a populous country and the pace of technology advancement that we will be soon seeing, more robots could be working in the non-traditional sectors in India as well.
 
Is the Logistics & Warehousing industry spurring the demand for robots in this segment? Are there Indian players who are focusing on this segment? 
Considering the fact that India is one of the fastest emerging markets for E-Commerce, the warehousing industry is undergoing a significant shift and is keeping pace with the manufacturing sector and the vast logistics industry. Several big robotic players are working in the end of line automation solutions which comprises mostly palletizing, boxing, and truck loading applications done by robotic function packages. Global players like Kuka, Fanuc, ABB, Delta and Fuji have special robots which cater to this industry. In the last few years Zimmer has indigenously developed tailor-made gripping solutions for handling of bags, pails, boxes, and crates which have been widely used by all the top FMCG customers. This segment will see a rapid deployment of robots and various automation solutions in the near future.
 
(The views expressed in interviews are personal, not necessarily of the organisations represented)
 
Sunil Raibagi is a strategic leader with over 30 years of experience in manufacturing and automation industry. Built various brands and established distribution alliances in the Indian market for European and Japanese companies. Excellence in elevating business development activities for CNC controls and Automation & Robotics in multifarious customer segments in public as well as private sector.
 
Skilled in maintaining cordial relations with customers from bottom to top level and ensuring quality and service norms for attaining customer satisfaction & business retention. Travelled all over the world extensively and has great connections with the players in the industry on executive levels.
 
At the moment Sunil is working as Managing Director of Asia & Vice President Strategy and Business Development, Zimmer-Group.