IMTEX FORMING 2018 returns to Bengaluru in January, holding much promise for the Indian machine tools industry.
Come January, the Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA) is all set to host IMTEX FORMING 2018 & Tooltech 2018, a B2B exhibition of metal forming technologies at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru. The Indian machine tool industry is looking forward to the six-day (January 25-30, 2018) exhibition, which will help showcase the latest trends in technological refinements as demonstrated and planned by both Indian and global players of this industry. The mega event will have around 500 exhibitors, belonging to 23 countries, including India. There will also be group participation from three countries. Also, high level delegations from public and private sector industries will attend as trade delegations.
The exhibition will cover a total area of 33,000m2.
The latest innovations in metal forming technologies, robotics & automation, welding & joining, wire-forming & drawing, presses, die casting, hydro forming, sheet metal forming machines, presses for special applications, dies and moulds, hydraulic & pneumatic systems and elements, testing machines, etc., will be showcased during the event. These technologies will cater to many applications, including aerospace, defence, automobiles, auto components, capital goods, electrical & electronics, earth moving & construction, food processing & dairy equipment, among many others.
The organisers will also hold two concurrent events. The first is TOOLTECH 2018, which will focus on dies & moulds, forming tools, machine tool accessories, metrology and CAD/CAM. There is also a pavilion named i2, which is an industry-institution pavilion. Further, the Academia Pavilion will provide an opportunity for Indian academics and the industry to interact. An international seminar on Forming Technology is also planned alongside this exhibition, and will be held on January 24, 2018.
Besides these, Connect, an awareness programme on the machine tool industry; and the Reverse International Buyer-Seller Meet, an interactive platform for machine tool manufacturers and international buyers, will also take place. All these proceedings are expected to draw a large visitor turnout, which will prove to be beneficial in terms of knowledge-sharing as well as to assist in striking deals for the development of the industry and its users.
Drivers for the Indian Industry
Speaking about opportunities and drivers for growth in India, Yaseer Wajahet, market manager, Hypertherm India, is cautiously optimistic when he points out that, “The growth of the Indian market remains promising. Infrastructure developments — such as new railways, roads, and energy plants — have boosted the demand for metal cutting. The government has made significant progress on important economic reforms. The introduction of new GST rules, the Make in India campaign, and other measures to improve the ease of doing business, will be a game-changing reform for the Indian economy to support strong and sustainable growth ahead.”
Ajey Phatak, head, marketing, Beckhoff Automation, says, “The present policy initiatives are focusing more on infrastructure spending, which is good for business growth.” Arguing for more governmental push and investment from the industry on this count, specifically for the electronics component and semiconductor manufacturing industry in India, he suggests, “These industries have the potential to create voluminous business growth, and would also bring down the costs of Indian industrial products. Job creation would certainly be possible, especially for white-collar jobs. This industry is capital intensive, and hence the Government can partner with the private sector to invest in this segment. This would create huge demand for hi-tech machineries, automation systems, etc.”
Shilip Kumar, president, Henkel Adhesives Technologies India, emphasises on the importance of joining hands with global technology providers. He states, “The policies and initiatives undertaken by the Indian government have created a favourable economic climate in the country. The Make in India drive is a good start. The policies instituted have attracted global players and many have either set up or are in process of setting up manufacturing plants in India.”
Sameer Kelkar, CEO and R&D head, Grind Master Machines, supports this view and explains Grind Master’s initiatives by saying, “In a strategic partnership with MJC USA, we are offering metal spinning & flow forming machines, which can be effectively used for weight reduction of parts. We are also working with Timesavers Holland to offer precision deburring machines for aerospace parts and slag grinding machines for fabricators.”
Display of Strength(s)
With companies having invested in developing and bettering their technologies, there is no doubt that a lot of new innovations will be on showcase at this edition of IMTEX FORMING. For instance, Henkel has recently launched the LOCTITE HY 4060GY and LOCTITE HY 4090, which are next generation universal structural bonders, powered by a patented hybrid technology, that combines the most critical attributes of structural, instant and epoxy adhesives. Henkel claims that these hybrid adhesives offer excellent bond strength, fixture speed, substrate versatility, reliability, durability, and improved health and safety benefits for users; thus, enabling simplification of the production process, reduction of costs, and improving efficiency.
On the other hand, Hypertherm’s newest class of plasma, X-Definition, provides industry-leading cut quality and superior performance on all metals, enabled by new technologies such as Vented Water Injection (VWI), plasma dampening, and Vent-to-Shield technologies. The result is squarer cut edges, markedly less angularity, and excellent surface finish on non-ferrous metals like aluminium and stainless steel. The cutting-edge technology enables the XPR300 to cut faster, providing users with greater productivity and lower operating costs when compared to earlier Hypertherm systems.
Grind Master has recently introduced revolutionary robotic solutions for fettling of cast iron castings and deflashing of ferrous castings. “The fettling processes used in the foundry are very primitive and the working environment of manual fettling is very hazardous. We thus find huge potential in the introduction of automation in this sector,” confesses Kelkar.
With TwinCAT Vision, Beckhoff has incorporated comprehensive image processing capabilities into its PC-based control system. TwinCAT software unites a comprehensive range of machine functionality – PLC, motion control, robotics, high-end measurement technology, IoT, HMI and now machine vision – all in an end-to-end engineering and control platform. “With this level of integration, TwinCAT Vision eliminates the need for separate vision solutions, often developed by third parties. The software opens up vast innovation potential in machine building – for instance, through consistent real-time synchronisation with other automation tasks or support of advanced track-and-trace solutions,” declares Phatak.
Great Expectations
Industry players have many expectations from IMTEX FORMING 2018. Wajahet articulates this well when he explains Hypertherm’s purpose behind participating. He says, “IMTEX FORMING is an important platform for us to showcase our latest technologies and connect with potential buyers, valued channel partners, and end users. This is essential as it provides Hypertherm with the chance to reinforce existing partnerships and cultivate new ones. We are also keen to use this opportunity to redefine the common understanding of what plasma can do, and share how Hypertherm’s X-Definition plasma can further enhance the use of plasma cutting for high precision applications. With the live cutting demonstrations at the Hypertherm booth, we’d like to cultivate greater awareness about the shift in cutting technology from oxy-fuel to plasma and the advantages of plasma in terms of both productivity and cost.”
Phatak has similar aspirations for Beckhoff’s participation, and explains, “We expect the Engineering and Machine design teams from automotive and other manufacturing industries to visit our booth and understand the TwinCAT all-in-one CNC solutions from Beckhoff. This is the future of Make in India machines, with integrated intellectual property protection. EtherCAT, the fastest real-time fieldbus communication, is the key for a high performance machine tool.”
Regarding Henkel’s participation, Kumar elaborates, “IMTEX provides a great opportunity to network with the value chain participants in the metal working area. Henkel’s innovative solutions have changed the way industrial products are manufactured. The traditional ways of assembling such as welding, riveting, etc. are being replaced with Loctite thread lockers, sealants and structural adhesives. We aim to increase awareness of Henkel’s broad portfolio of technologies that provide solutions for the entire manufacturing value chain from metal working solutions to assembly and maintenance. At IMTEX 2018, we hope to be able to shape participants’ minds to new possibilities, create awareness and impart knowledge about Henkel and its range of innovative solutions, besides learning about new trends in the manufacturing sector.”
Kelkar also suggests that large corporations send their teams to IMTEX to check latest technology offerings, and therefore it is a good platform to engage existing and prospective buyers at one place. According to her, “Grind Master expects to connect with the users of machine tools from Automotive, Defence, Aerospace, Railways and Engineering sectors.”
On the whole, IMTEX Forming 2018 will serve all stakeholders by bringing them together under one roof, and promises to be a grand success.