Curtain Raiser – Plastivision 2013
technologies expand growth opportunities
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Today, India has emerged as one of the most important markets for the automotive sector. The market offers tremendous scope and potential for the automobile industry to grow and expand. Due to its deep forward and backward linkages with several key segments of the economy, the automotive
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ccording to ACMA, India will emerge as the largest producer of small cars by 2013. It has been estimated that the automobile & auto component industry would reach $ 145 billion by 2016, accounting for more than 10 per cent of the country’s GDP. A report from CII also indicates that the Indian automotive aftermarket industry has the potential to grow to ` 37,000 crore by 2015. This has been possible because the automotive industry has been highly proactive in terms of implementing state-of-theart technologies in machining and production processes.
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Major technologies
competitive. Therefore, this solution enables designers to conceptualise things in 3D and makes designing faster. Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM): EDM is a high-precision metal removal process that uses thermal energy to erode the work material by means of controlled sparking. The process helps produce difficult-to-generate shapes, such as D holes, splines, narrow slots & grooves etc, and finds use in the automotive and aerospace sectors. This process has now become one of the most accepted technologies in the manufacturing industry. Industrial robots: Opting for robotic solutions allows scope for higher productivity, efficiency, reliability & precision and minimises the room for human error. Usage of industrial robots is strongly encouraged in the automotive industry. However, cost is probably one of the hurdles towards opting for robots. In the Indian manufacturing scenario, the lack of skilled labour has pushed the need
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3D design solutions: Automotive design forms the largest segment for 3D design solutions. Designs created on 3D design platforms make it easier for manufacturers to visualise the real product, thereby reducing the instances of errors. Companies are always under pressure to introduce new products in the market to remain This newsletter is published by
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for robotic solutions. However, given the technological advancements, the industry is now moving towards making intelligent robots with additional features, such as robotic vision and force sensing, which is changing the dynamics of robotic application. Coordinate-measuring machine (CMM) probes: Aspects of flexibility & accuracy, reduction in errors and increased repeatability have emerged as the key areas to ensure better customer satisfaction. 3D CMMs are mainly installed and utilised at fixed locations for high-accuracy measurement. The newly launched portable CMMs are equipped with articulated multiple axis arms that can be taken to the component for inspection. This saves the effort of taking big and heavy parts to the CMM for measurement. Multiple axis machining: This technology is increasingly gaining prominence in the automotive sector. Such a solution enables the processes of milling, drilling, threading and
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