Abhijeet Group, a renowned manufacturer specialising in high-quality moulds and moulded parts, recently inaugurated the relocation of its plant, which is situated in the vibrant hub of Chaken, Pune. This upgraded facility spans over 60,000 square feet, marking a monumental advancement in the realm of moulded part manufacturing. Abhijeet Plastics continues its legacy by offering an impressive suite of services, from design and development to the meticulous manufacturing of moulded components, serving a wide array of industries with a primary focus on both the automotive and non-automotive sectors. What sets Abhijeet Plastics apart is not just its advanced technology but also its steadfast dedication to ensuring ‘CUSTOMER’S TOTAL SATISFACTION.’ Leveraging their extensive experience and profound industry knowledge in the tooling and moulding sector, Abhijeet Group has further strengthened its position as a trusted and dependable partner within the industry.

The inauguration ceremony witnessed esteemed dignitaries Mr. Senthur Pandian, Senior Vice President (Electric Vehicle), and Mr. Rahul Chemburkar, Sr. General Manager, Strategic Sourcing, at Mahindra and Mahindra, inaugurating the facility. The traditional lamp-lighting ceremony by our Managing Director, Mr. Naresh Raut, and guests marked the auspicious beginning.
During the event, a comprehensive tour showcased a spectrum of injection moulding machinery, ranging from 450 tonnes to 2700 tonnes, and blow moulding machinery, ranging from 10 litres to 150 litres capacity, highlighting high-quality moulded component manufacturing.

CEO Mr. Jaymurugan presented an insightful audio-visual on Abhijeet Group’s journey, emphasising the organisation’s ethos: “past as a foundation, present as a masterpiece, and future poised for brilliance.” He articulated the group’s ambitious goal of doubling its capacity within the next four years, reiterating their commitment to challenges and customer-centricity under the tagline “progress at work.”

Director Mr. Nikhil Raut outlined future initiatives, including innovative wrapping technology in the automobile industry, the establishment of a Research and Development Centre in Banner Pune by January, the new moulding facility at Nashik, and the expansion of the toolroom at Naigaon, solidifying the company’s status as a comprehensive supplier for the automotive and non-automotive sectors.

Director Mr. Abhijeet Raut Worm expressed gratitude towards dignitaries and guests, underlining the plant’s dedication to customers. He extended appreciation to the team members and workers for their diligence, acknowledging customers as pivotal pillars in the Abhijeet Group’s journey. Pledging continuous improvement and exceeding customer expectations, the group aims to foster deeper customer relationships by comprehending their unique needs and providing optimal solutions for mutual success.

In his address, Mr. Senthur Pandian commended Abhijeet Group’s commitment to customer satisfaction and its integral role as a reliable partner, especially within Mahindra’s electric vehicle segment.

Mr. Rahul Chemburkar expressed Mahindra’s appreciation for Abhijeet’s contribution, lauding the team’s diligence and entrepreneurial spirit. He emphasised that the new Chakan facility epitomizes Abhijeet Group’s unwavering commitment to excellence, precision, and innovation.

The event concluded with Mr. Naresh Raut felicitating the guests, followed by expressions of gratitude from Abhijeet Group to all attendees and the dedicated team whose relentless efforts materialized this vision.

Swiss Steel Group (SSG) held the 1st
Hydrogen Symposium at the Henrichshütte Iron and Steel Works in Hattingen. Eminent speakers from academia, business and politics held lectures in four sessions dedicated to the
following key topics:

• Hydrogen supply strategy
• Hydrogen-resistant steels
• Industrial use of hydrogen
• Supply and use of hydrogen based on the example of Deutsche Edelstahlwerke

At the opening of the event, Frank Koch, CEO of the Swiss Steel Group, welcomed participants. After a brief recap of the history of the Henrichshütte ironworks, he explained the importance and use of hydrogen from its production to use in steel production. This brief introduction outlined the symposium’s content.

“The Future of Hydrogen – Solutions from the Swiss Steel Group” was the subject of Dr. Till Schneiders, Vice President Technology & Quality, Deutsche Edelstahlwerke Specialty Steel GmbH & Co. KG. He gave a report of SSG activities and highlighted the importance of hydrogen as an important component in the steel production process. He emphasized that SSG’s activities encompass the use of hydrogen and steels engineered for hydrogen technology. Following Dr. Schneiders, Till Mansmann, member of the German parliament, the Innovation Commissioner for Green Hydrogen at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, held his forward-looking lecture on the topic “Research and Development for a Successful Ramp-up of the Hydrogen Economy”. After that Dr. Philipp Wasmuth from Open Grid Europe GmbH lectured on the subject “Hydrogen for the Diversification and Decarbonization of the European Energy Supply”. He addressed the question “How great is the task of decarbonization?” given the considerable need for decarbonization until climate targets are met. He also enlarged upon hydrogen production sites and mentioned the first import route for hydrogen from the Netherlands to be completed in 2025. This was followed by “Hydrogen in the Future Energy System – Challenges and Trade-offs” by Dr. Julian Röder, Working Group Leader, Ruhr University Bochum, Chair of Energy Systems and Energy Economics. He considers hydrogen indispensable in efforts to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045 and calls for development of renewable energies and a noticeable increase in energy efficiency. After Dr. Röder, Robert Baron, Director Corporate Strategy Swiss Steel Group, spoke on the topic “Hydrogen: From Buzzword to Reality”. In his presentation, he addressed the challenges of the different emission segments ranging from the burning of gas and coal to the footprints of purchased energy and purchased raw materials. Expanding on the production process of green hydrogen, he explained the hydrogen needs of the German steel industry and the requirements associated with hydrogen production.

The subsequent lectures specifically concerned the science of steel, opened by Jens Jürgensen of Ruhr University Bochum. He talked about the “Material Challenges and Solutions for the Use of Hydrogen as an Energy Source”. He clarified that many materials – primarily metals – may be subject to cracks and embrittlement and explained how these risks could be avoided or minimized by selecting the right materials. This was followed by a presentation by Dr. Gregor Manke, Managing Director, EURO-LABOR GmbH. His chosen subject was “Local Hydrogen Analysis – Non-destructive Hydrogen Measurements”, an outstanding complement to Jens Jürgensen’s presentation. He made the point that hydrogen analysis is an important if not essential part of the selection of a material. His reasoning was that hydrogen is generally not homogenously distributed within a material, which significantly affects the stability and load capacity of a component. The ideal follow-up to this presentation was provided by Dr. Hans-Günter Krull, Head of Research and Development, Deutsche Edelstahlwerke Specialty Steel GmbH & Co. KG. His chosen subject was “Material Selection for the Use of Hydrogen”. He spoke about the factors influencing resistance to high-pressure hydrogen and emphasized that plastic deformation of a part must be avoided at all costs since steels with a yield strength of over 900 MPa are to be considered critical in regard to RRA. The topic area was rounded off by a presentation by Dr. Thorsten Michler, Group Manager Lifetime Concepts for Hydrogen Applications, Fraunhofer IWM. He talked about “Stainless Steels for Hydrogen Applications – An Overview”. Dr. Michler stressed the importance of considering the results and contexts presented as only applicable for gaseous, dry hydrogen (GH2). In his lecture, he initially focused on different stainless steels and then went on to explain the development of a special high-pressure hydrogen resistant alloy.

The first presentation of the subject area “The Industrial Use of Hydrogen” was given by Dr. Klaas Kunze, Head of Hydrogen Storage Development, BMW AG. His topic was “The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Drive in the Passenger Car Application and use of Steel Materials in the High-pressure Storage System”. He spotlighted the hydrogen-powered BMW iX5 HYDROGEN. His presentation was complemented by the lecture of Dr. Heinrich Bülte, Head of Thermodynamics & Emissions in the R&D Division, Deutz AG, which turned the attention to “Hydrogen Engine Power Generation and Non-Road Mobile Machinery”. The development of a hydrogen-powered engine is already on a very successful course, Dr. Bülte explained. The engine is similar in function to a diesel, but there is still sufficient potential for further improvement.

The following two presentations had a strong focus on scientific aspects, starting with “Current Issues in the Evaluation of Turbomachinery Components for Applications with Compressed Hydrogen”, by Dr. Roland Herzog, Head of Material Technology, MAN Energy Solutions SE. The second was held by Stefan Wanjura, Advisory Key Expert, Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG, on the subject “Consideration of the Effects of Compressed Hydrogen on the Fuel-bearing Components of Large Gas Turbines using the Example of a Selected Component”.

Prof. Dr. Tim Hosenfeldt, Senior Vice President Central Technologies, Schaeffler AG, went on to talk about “Materials-based Innovations for the Supply and Use of Hydrogen”. He established that material innovations are decisive for future success and in technical leadership as well as for sustainability and economic viability. As he sees it, steel will play a leading role. Davor Spoljaric, Senior Vice President Application Technology, Messer SE & Co. KGaA, assumed in his lecture “Cost-optimized Supply and Effective Use of ‘Green’ Hydrogen: Step-by-step Decarbonization at the Steel Mill” that the EU will mandate the use of renewable hydrogen for heavy industry by 2030/35. Gregor Ebbers, Head of Investments / Special Tasks, Deutsche Edelstahlwerke Specialty Steel GmbH & Co. KG, held a noteworthy presentation on the topic “Green Hydrogen in Steelmaking – Operational Implementation Challenges”. In it, he explained the targets of the Swiss Steel Group as follows: reduce CO2 emissions and create a CO2-neutral process chain in steel production. For quite some time, the Swiss Steel Group has been looking at hydrogen as a substitute for natural gas. Within the next 3-5 years, pilot and reference facilities are to be built at selected sites of the Swiss Steel Group.

“Heating of Thermoprocessing Plants with Hydrogen or Hydrogen-Natural Gas Mixtures”. This contribution by Dr. Joachim Wünning, Managing Director, WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH, ended the symposium. Dr. Wünning described the conventional heating methods and explained why electrical heating is also possible with hydrogen.

Organised by Tool & Gauge Manufacturers Association of India (TAGMA India), India’s most sought-after platform for the die mould industry is scheduled to take place from April 27 – 20, 2022 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai.  With the regular participation of leading brands who showcase their latest proven technologies and visitors like CEOs, Consultants, Decision Makers, DMI is today known to be a one-stop shop for die mould professionals.

“With ongoing pandemic still posing challenge, Indian manufacturers are taking a variety of approaches to radically transform their businesses and find new ways to differentiate themselves. Companies are continually looking for technologies that can help them achieve accuracy and reduce cycle time. The 2022 edition of Die Mould India is going to highlight the latest development in the field of tooling as companies are gearing up to showcase smart manufacturing solutions, newer tool geometries, the latest CNC machines, additive manufacturing solutions, integrated automation solutions, among others. With over 250 exhibitors showcasing their technologies and solutions, we expect this edition to be a grand success,” said DM Sheregar, President, TAGMA India.

Looking at the prevailing positive sentiment of the industry after the challenging two years, the show, which will be held after a gap of four years, is likely to get a good response from various industry verticals.

D Shanmugasundaram, Vice President, TAGMA India said, “The die mould India exhibition is the only dedicated event for tool and die makers which makes it unique and attract visitors from diverse industries. In this edition, we are inviting delegates from 50+ OEMs and the public sector, 10+ user industry associations to explore business opportunities for tool makers. On behalf of TAGMA India, I invite industry professionals to visit the show and witness some of the latest developments in the industry”

Exhibit range of the show includes Dies & Moulds, Press Tools, Mould base & standard parts of Dies & Moulds, Hot Runner System, Tool Steel, Heat Treatment, Texturizing, Gauges, Additive Manufacturing, CAD/CAM system related to Dies & Moulds, Die Spotting, Digitizing, Additive Manufacturing/ 3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping & Modeling, Machine Tools for Dies & Moulds, CNC Milling/Machining Centre, EDM, etc. Moulding machine/ Die Casting machine, Accessories for Machine Tools, Die/moulding polishing machines, Cutting Tools, Measuring Machines, All materials, equipment, accessories & services covering Die & Mould industry.

Although the advancement has helped the industry for more than 40 years with the latest cutting-edge innovations, various fascinating plastic injection technologies out there could be utilized to bring your prototype into production.

Injection molding is a standard process in the world of plastic manufacturing. It is the integral process to create plastic products by injecting molten plastic material into a mold. Injection molding can be performed with the help of other materials as hosts, most commonly metals, to any type of injection molds. These hosts are also melted in a heated barrel and then forced into the mold cavity and the raw plastic material.

In this article, we’ll discuss different types of injection molding technologies that are helping today’s injection molding organization produce parts more quickly and with a higher caliber. The more you understand, the more prepared you’ll be to demand such a technology when it comes time to pick your injection molding partner!

How Does Injection Molding Work?
Even though the injection molding process is complex, it can actually be broken down into a couple of essential steps that help easily understand how it works and why it’s so effective.

The injection molding machine is usually composed of three primary components: the feed hopper, the heated barrel, and the screw. This machine takes plastic powder or granules and manipulates them to shape them as per the needs and dimensions.
When the feed hopper gets the plastic granules, it then utilizes the frictional action of the screw to create heat. At the point when the plastic reaches the right temperature, it is then injected into the mold cavity, where it gradually cools and takes shape as per the mold design.

If required, advanced injection molding techniques like repeated Injection can be utilized to create parts out of multiple materials. It’s additionally possible to use insert molding to add plastic parts over existing parts made out of other materials.

The primary principles behind the injection molding process may look simple; however, in reality, it is a cumbersome process that requires the right equipment and the right expertise. However, injection molding can consistently produce excellent results even for the most challenging manufacturing projects when it is executed correctly.

Different Types of Injection Molding Process
Different types of injection molding techniques have been utilized in various enterprises—particularly those that flourish with manufacturing operations. As a result, products and services are effectively created for the best of the worldwide market. Need to know the different ways you can mold a variety of materials? Read on!

• Thin Wall Molding
  Thin wall molding is an advanced injection molding technology that accomplishes a plastic part with an extremely thin wall. It is often used in test apparatuses, vessels, tubes, electronics, and other enclosures. Plastic injection molders who prefer thin wall molding must consider each aspect of the mold design, part design, and processing in detail to guarantee that the thin wall geometry will hold up without compromising quality. Here at Truventor, we use a sophisticated vision system to analyze each completed part to ensure no cracks have shown up.
• Metal Injection Molding
  Plastics are not the only materials utilized for injection molding. Industries that use metals can likewise utilize this manufacturing process as well. In addition, niche industries utilize this for precise product requirements. This is particularly valuable for electronics and other manufacturing industries for digital purposes. It is one of the newer technologies that dispel traditional processes because distinct markets require complex shape parts.
• Liquid Silicone Injection Molding
  Most plastic injection molding is thermoset, which means cold material is injected into an amazingly hot mold to create a part. This cycle cures the part so it can never be melted again. However, if you require a part to withstand exceptionally high temperatures or chemical agents—as you might with certain clinical devices or car parts—you may need thermoplastic injection molding, which frequently uses liquid silicone.
• Gas-Assisted Injection Molding
  This type of injection molding keeps molded parts from being harmed or distorted when it goes through the cooling period. This method works by shooting gas into a plastic-filled injection mold, which assists it with maintaining its smooth finish. You can utilize this for parts that require a hollow section since the gas-assisted process can make this possible without incurring additional cost.
• Thermoplastic Injection Molding
  This type usually deals with thermoplastics as essential materials. The thermoplastic polymer is fundamental for a wide range of applications, from electronics to the automobile industry. The benefits of thermoplastic injection molding are, for the most part, attributed to its conductivity and basic strength. It offers shrink-resistance and generally safe for damaged parts. In addition, it has incredible versatility and sustainability, which makes it a suitable process for businesses that have strict design and functionality requirements.
• Hot Runner Molding
  As the name infers, hot runner molds fundamentally deal with heat as their agent application. This is utilized for plastic resins that need either external or internal heat for them to materialize. Hot runner molding utilizes two plates heated by a system that can oblige small to large parts. It is also helpful for businesses that might need to preserve the highest quality injection molding without bringing about an excessive production cost.
• Cold Runner Molding
  While hot runner molding utilizes two plates for its base, cold runner molding utilizes 2 to 3 plates for its process. While the distinction may seem minute, plates influence the molding cycle since it primarily deals with how the runner system discrete the plate from the mold. Cold runner molding is well-known among businesses that fiddle in injection molds. Many organizations have seen the advantages that this process can offer for manufacturing. Cycle times are quicker for this system, particularly if you have robotic assistance in eliminating runners.
• Reaction Injection Molding
  In this process, two different types of material are mixed at very high pressure into an impinging mixer and then inject into the mold at low pressure.

How to Choose Injection Molding Services?
Even though injection molding can be incredibly helpful in a wide range of industries, all together, for any of that to matter, you should choose a reliable and experienced services provider that can take your vision and transform it into reality.

However, what are some of the things you should take care? Indeed, the injection molding service organization you decide to work with should have the rich experience of dealing with a wide range of injection molding projects. In addition, designing and creating the molding process can be tricky, so you need experienced experts that can assist you to overcome any obstacles that you encounter.

Apart from experienced staff, the Injection molding service provider should also have the most cutting-edge injection molding machine technology since it plays an essential role in how exactly the parts can be, how rapidly they can be manufactured, and how long it will require to begin the manufacturing process.

At last, you should look for an injection molding organization that can easily handle big projects. Then, when you want to scale up production, you don’t have to search for a new provider simply because the organization turned out to be incapable of doing larger runs.

The Indian tooling market is at an inflection point today. It has grown at 5% CAGR since 2005 and continues to be an ever important cog in the manufacturing wheel. However, in spite of significant enhancements in the capabilities of Indian toolmakers, a significant volume of tools continues to be imported. This trend needs to be reversed to enable Indian players to take the next step in their growth journey. A report…

The tooling industry plays a critical role in the manufacturing value chain. It provides dies and moulds needed to mass produce various parts and thereby forms the backbone of industrial growth. As per the latest estimates, the market size of the Indian tooling industry stands at ~INR 18,000 Cr, with more than half of the total demand attributed to the automotive and auto components sector. Most major global auto manufacturing hubs have a strong domestic tooling industry. India, however, is a notable exception, as a significant portion of its tooling demand is still met via imports.

With an increase in the variety of products and shortening of product lifecycles across the globe, the worldwide demand for tooling is well poised to grow significantly in the future. Countries with superior capabilities and capacities in tooling will be at an advantage. Hence, it becomes imperative to facilitate the growth of Indian toolmakers and enable access to new customers beyond national borders. Tooling localisation would also result in many economic benefits such as employment creation, development of indigenous machine makers, better R&D landscape and more efficient supply chains. Therefore, it is time to understand the hurdles to growth faced by the indian toolmakers and focus on the measures required to overcome these hurdles.

Major highlights of the Indian tooling sector

• The market size of the tool room industry in India is estimated to be ~INR 18,000 Cr with ~70% of demand being met domestically and ~30% through imports.
• Tooling imports into India are ~5x tooling exports from India by value; China and Korea account for almost 40% of the total tooling imports into India.
• Plastic moulds is the biggest segment accounting for 42% of total demand, followed by sheet metal dies at 37%.
• Automotive is the largest end user accounting for 60% of the total demand, followed by consumer durables at 16%. 

Role of tool rooms in economic development
India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. The country’s GDP has grown 2.7x over a span of 10 years, i.e., from ~1 trillion USD in 2008 to ~2.7 trillion USD in 2018. As per government estimates, India has the potential to reach 5 trillion USD by 2024-25. The Indian manufacturing industry currently constitutes ~15% of the GDP. Under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, the Government of India plans to increase this to 25% of the GDP by 2025.

Tooling enables mass production in any industry and major global manufacturing hubs have grown on the base of a strong tooling industry. However, India is still lacking in this regard.

Clearly, the manufacturing sector is key to attaining the ambitious target of economic growth. Now, let’s understand the role that the tooling industry will play in helping the manufacturing industry achieve its target.

A mother industry
Tool rooms play a critical role in the manufacturing value chain by providing the dies and moulds needed for mass production of various parts. The tool room industry forms an integral part of the production process in almost every industry and is considered the mother industry of all manufacturing units in the country.
Enabler in global manufacturing hubs The global demand for tool producing companies has been continuously rising over the last few years, except during the economic crisis of 2008 and 2009. All major manufacturing hubs have a well-developed tooling industry that forms the backbone of industrial growth in these geographies. For instance, countries with the highest vehicle production are also the ones leading in tooling production. India, however, is a notable exception here.

Economic benefits of localization
India has been witnessing a growing demand for tooling over the past few years. However, a significant amount of tools is still imported. This is not a desirable scenario, as it results in significant value addition happening outside the borders. Promoting indigenous manufacturing provides advantages such as employment creation; development of domestic machinery manufacturers; boost in R&D, and reduction in supply chain inefficiencies and risks.

Key challenges
Indian tool rooms are faced with major challenges such as high financing costs, inverted import duty structure, duty-free moulds from certain countries, lack of skilled labour and lack of an outsourcing ecosystem. However, there are six major obstacles that are currently impeding the growth of Indian tool rooms. They are:
Access to finance: Indian toolmakers face many challenges with respect to easy access to finance. Indian tool rooms avail of interest at much higher rates as compared to their global counterparts due to the higher risk premium for SMEs. Furthermore, in other countries, government loan guarantees are available to SMEs such as tool rooms. This, however, is not the case in India.

Inverted duty structure: It is observed that the import duty on tools is lower than the import duty on raw materials and bought-out components used in manufacturing these tools. This not only lowers the cost competitiveness of Indian tool rooms as compared to global players, but is also resulting in rising tool imports.

Duty-free moulds imports from certain countries: According to the CEPA agreement signed between the Government of India and South Korea in FY2008-09, injection moulds fall under the category of 100% tariff reduction. As a result, there was a 28% increase in injection moulds imports from South Korea during FY2010-FY2019. This has dealt a severe blow to domestic toolmakers and has further accentuated the already dire situation due to the inverted duty structure.

Lack of export Incentives: Toolmakers in other countries receive state-sponsored incentives to explore export markets. But this is not the case in India. Indian tool rooms, majorly being small and medium scale, cannot afford to go abroad and participate in exhibitions year after year on their own to develop a professional relationship with customers in other countries and understand their requirements.

Lack of skilled labour: Indian tool rooms are currently facing a dearth of skilled workforce. This can be attributed to two key reasons. Firstly, insufficient number of training institutions leading to a huge demand-supply gap and secondly, shortcomings in the quality of curriculum due to which the graduating students are not industry ready.
Lack of outsourcing ecosystem: Global tool rooms outsource some of the manufacturing activities, but Indian tool rooms don’t have this option due to lack of a cohesive outsourcing ecosystem. A close-knit tooling cluster for job-sharing and subcontracting are prevalent in major tooling countries such as Taiwan & Korea. This helps tool rooms in meeting the stringent delivery timelines or making up for capacity shortfall at times.
Potential solutions

Reduction in loan interest rates: Making loans at subsidised interest rates available to Indian tool rooms can help them become cost competitive. It will help them increase their net income, which can be reinvested in technological/ infrastructural upgradation. This would help Indian players get more orders from the existing customer base and acquire new customers too. There are additional benefits as well. If the Government of India were to subsidise loans by bearing 25% of the annual financing costs of tool rooms, it would result in additional ~INR 30 Cr net benefit from increased tax revenue on an annual basis (after offsetting the cost of providing subsidy), as well as creation of approximately 4,000 to 8,000 new jobs.

Reduction in import duty on raw materials and components: Removal of the inverted duty structure prevalent in the Indian tooling industry would reduce input costs for tool rooms and aid in enhanced cost competitiveness. As explained in the previous point, this leads to higher revenues and additional economic benefits. It would bring about a net benefit of ~INR 80 Cr annually for the Government of India through increased tax revenue (after offsetting for loss in import duties) and creation of approximately 6,000 to 11,000 new jobs.
Removing moulds from the import duty exempted products list in CEPA: Removing moulds from the list of products with 100% tariff exemption when imported from Korea and subjecting them to usual duty norms applicable can result in additional duty collection of ~INR 80 Cr annually. It will also help Indian mould makers to compete with Korean tool rooms on an even footing without impacting the trade relations with Korea significantly.

Export incentives for tool rooms: Government of India can also look into providing export incentives to tool rooms. Following global benchmarks, such incentives need to be in range of INR 40 lakh-200 lakh per annum depending on the percentage of turnover from the exports for the tool room. This will help tool manufacturers to develop their client base outside India and give them exposure beyond Indian markets, improving their quality standards in an effort to meet global customer needs. It will also give a boost to overall exports from India.

Setting up new tool room training centres: Skill enhancement needs long-term planning to upskill the current workforce and impart relevant skills at the entry level. The Government of India can aim to double the existing number of training centres by opening 20 new Tool Room Training Centres (TRTCs) to match the global benchmark. Also, the existing TRTCs can collaborate with global toolmakers to understand the differences in curriculum and also with end user industries to update the curriculum and training methods as per the current requirements.

Future expectations  Future expectations 

• The Indian tool room industry is estimated to grow to INR 25,000 Cr-INR 26,000 Cr in value by 2025 on the back of strong growth in key end-user segments.
• OEM’s perception of Indian tool rooms is slowly changing. They are much more willing to trust Indian tool rooms and localize to achieve cost benefits.
• Commercial tool rooms can expect to reap benefits of the localization trend if they are able to invest in capacity enhancement, technology upgrade & worker skill development.

Developing tooling clusters on the lines of Special Economic Zones: To promote colocation of industry players and enable holistic development of a sound tooling ecosystem in India, the Government of India can consider setting up tooling SEZs in automotive hubs such as Delhi-NCR, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Since the automotive sector accounts for major share of tooling consumption in India, this will result in a more efficient supply chain, reduced delivery times and higher levels of collaboration between all the key stakeholders.
What the future holds?

The Indian tooling industry is at a crossroads. The Indian manufacturing sector is poised to grow significantly in the near future. And, to support the higher volumes of production, the demand for tools is likely to increase. However, whether this demand is met by domestic toolmakers or imports are able to tap into a larger share of the pie depends on several factors, many of which are beyond the control of toolmakers.
Talking about the automotive sector, in particular. After localization of vehicle and component production, tooling localization is the next frontier. Several major OEMs are taking active steps in this direction. A major PV OEM has increased tooling localization from 60-65% to 80-85% in their direct procurement in last 2-3 years and is also instructing their Tier-1 suppliers to utilize cost-competitive Indian toolmakers and meet the requirements of quality and delivery time.

Indian tool rooms have to enhance their capacities as well as capabilities in order to be ready to take advantage of the expected increase in demand. Many of them are already doing it. In fact, more than 80% of tool rooms have invested in upgrading their manufacturing setup over the last 3 years and more than 50% have invested in skill development of workforce. This shows that the tool rooms are doing their bit.

However, policy support is needed on several fronts in order to ensure cost competitiveness in the face of stiff competition from imported moulds and dies. Inverted duty structure and duty free imports make it difficult for domestic toolmakers to compete on an even footing. They face higher financing costs than their global counterparts and do not have access to a large pool of skilled labour or outsourcing firms that can support them in manufacturing tools in a more efficient manner and delivering in lesser time. These hurdles to growth need to be tackled to ensure Indian players get a fair chance while competing with global tool rooms.

Indian tool rooms have the potential to be at par with Chinese and Korean toolmakers, but they need a helping hand from the Government of India to realize this potential. Many of these issues can be resolved through policy interventions in the upcoming Union budget. Some of the issues such as lack of skilled labour and outsourcing ecosystem cannot be completely resolved in the short term, but collective effort from toolmakers, OEMs and the government, can be the first step of the Indian tooling industry towards development. The Indian tooling industry is poised for growth. All it needs is attention from all the stakeholders.

This article was first published on Tagma Times Newsletter

The need to reduce carbon footprint has prompted the automotive industry to manufacture Electric Vehicles (EVs). Industry experts forecast that EVs will most likely dominate the automotive landscape in the coming years. As the industry gears up for the next phase of automotive evolution, toolmakers, who have, until now, focused on the manufacturing of components of commercial vehicles, are likely to face the impact. While manufacturing EVs presents new challenges, it also offers a plethora of new opportunities. Toolmakers need to focus on mobilizing themselves if they want to ride high on the e-mobility wave.

Travel bans and economic slowdown during the COVID-19 pandemic may have reduced greenhouse emissions to some extent. However, this only temporarily redresses the climate change issue. “Once the global economy begins to recover from the pandemic, emissions are expected to return to higher levels… As countries move toward rebuilding their economies after COVID-19, recovery plans can shape the 21st century economy in ways that are clean, green, healthy, safe and more resilient. The current crisis is an opportunity for a profound, systemic shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet,” highlighted the United Nations on its website.

The adverse impact of climate change has prodded several countries across the globe to stop and think about sustainable ways of living. At a time when several countries are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, Electric Vehicles (EVs) are garnering appeal as the silver lining in the clouds. Compared to vehicles that run on diesel or petrol, EVs emit less greenhouse gases, which make them an environment-friendly option. In fact, a recent World Economic Forum report states that “Norway, Iceland and Sweden are leading the charge, with plug-in electric vehicles accounting for 74.8%, 45% and 32.2% respectively in 2020”.

Now, let’s understand India’s stand on EVs…

According to a NITI Aayog report titled ‘Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs): Towards A Policy Framework’, “While many countries have included EVs as an element of transportation policy, their responses have varied according to their stage of economic development, energy resource endowments, technological capabilities, and political prioritization of responses to climate change. In India, a particular set of circumstances which are conducive to a sustainable mobility paradigm have created an opportunity for accelerated adoption of EVs over ICE [internal combustion engines]vehicles.” As per the NITI Aayog report, the circumstances include:

• A relative abundance of exploitable renewable energy resources.
• High availability of skilled manpower and technology in manufacturing and IT software.
• An infrastructure and consumer transition that affords opportunities to apply technologies to leapfrog stages of development.
• A universal culture that accepts and promotes sharing of assets and resources for the overall common good.

In 2017, several news reports quoted Union Minister Mr. Nitin Gadkari saying that he would strive for India to switch to 100% electric mobility by 2030. Additionally, while addressing the virtual ‘Electric Mobility Conference 2020’, organized by FICCI Karnataka State Council, Mr. Gadkari said, “The future is very bright and India has the potential to become the l

argest EV market in the world as the government continues to push for EV adoption.”

EVs in the market

As the government promotes the use of EVs, Indian automakers are skeptical about making the big switch as they are concerned about the economic viability of the move. However, some Indian automakers decided to take the plunge. Let’s take a look at some of their eco-friendly contributions:

Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd.

Driven by purpose for a tomorrow that is clean, green and technologically connected, Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd. has rolled out quite a few EVs. Some of them are:
Treo Zor Electric 3-Wheeler Cargo: Last year, Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd. announced the launch of its new electric 3-wheeler cargo model, Treo Zor, in India. The Treo Zor is based on the proven Treo platform and comes in 3 variants – Pickup, Delivery Van and Flat Bed, said the company’s press release.

e-Alfa Mini electr

ic rickshaw: Earlier, in 2017, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. announced the launch of the e-Alfa Mini, its zero-emission, all-new electric rickshaw for passenger movement. The e-Alfa Mini with a 4+1 seating capacity is a complete 3-wheeler designed specifically for Indian conditions, said a press release issued by the company.

eVerito: A year prior to that, Mahi

ndra Electric had in 2016 announced the launch of its innovative new eVerito – the all-electric, zero-emissions sedan. Powered by electric drivetrain technology from Mahindra Electric, the direct drive single-speed transmission eVerito can be charged at home as well as quick charged in 1 hour and 45 minutes through fast-charging technology.

Tata Motors
Tata Motors has been proactively driving electric mobility in the country. To build a sustainable future for India, the company has been working collaboratively on various electric vehicle solutions. Some of them are:

Nexon EV: Redefining the evolution of EVs in India, Tata Motors announced the launch of the Nexon EV, an aspirational SUV for car buyers looking for a connected drive experience with zero emissions, last year. Powered by the cutting-edge Ziptron technology, the vehicle promises zippy performance, an ARAI certified anxiety-free range of 312 km on a single charge, an efficient high-voltage system, fast-charging capability, extended battery life and class leading safety features, said the company’s press release.

Tata Ultra Urban AC electric buses: Expanding its horizon further, Tata Motors then strengthened its relations with the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) and delivered 26 state-of-the-art electric buses last year. The 25-seater Tata Ultra Urban AC electric buses are equipped with advanced features for the comfort of the driver and the passengers like: ‘Lift Mechanism’ that extends an automated ramp for easy ingress and egress of specially-abled passengers, along with ergonomic seats, roomy interiors, utility provisions like charging ports, Wi-Fi hotspot for on-the-go connectivity and wide entry and exit passages. The full-electric buses come with Intelligent Transport System (ITS), telematics system, regenerative braking system, amongst other features for efficient and smooth operations, said the company’s press release.

Tigor EV: Following the introduction of Tigor EV for government and fleet consumers, Tata Motors in 2019 announced the launch of its extended range Tigor EV Electric Sedan, with a range of 213 km, certified by ARAI. It is available in 3 variants – XE+, XM+ and XT+ – for both fleet and personal segment customers. The new extended version offers an enhanced driving range, low cost of ownership, connectivity, comfort of a sedan and zero emissions, informed the company’s press release.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor
Toyota Kirloskar Motor believes that it is imperative to challenge themselves and provide customers with new breakthroughs that not only promises magnificence and comfort, but also contributes to the well-being of the ecosystem. One such breakthrough is:

Toyota Vellfire: Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) unveiled the illustrious Toyota Vellfire, the new luxurious self-charging hybrid electric vehicle in India, last year. The New Vellfire delivers a powerful driving experience while ensuring low fuel consumption and carbon footprint. The new Vellfire engine which is also coupled with two electric motors and a hybrid battery ensures low emissions whilst delivering a delightful driving experience, stated the company’s press release.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd.
As a technology and innovation driven brand, Hyundai is committed to helping build India’s future mobility. The company focusses on delivering ‘Shared’, ‘Connected’ and ‘Zero Emission Mobility’. Some of its contributions are:

KONA Electric: Showcasing the strengths of its SUV model combined with the innovative technology of an electric powertrain, Hyundai Motor Company launched the KONA Electric in 2018. Hyundai KONA is an expression of Hyundai’s advanced technology in eco-friendly mobility. It is a long-range green SUV that offers 452 Kms/charge, said a press release issued by the company.

Hyundai NEXO: In the same year, Hyundai Motor announced the Next Generation Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) – Hyundai NEXO. The HYUNDAI NEXO SUV model spearheads Hyundai Motor’s plans to accelerate development of low-emission vehicles globally. It combines the practicality of an SUV with clean advanced fuel cell technology. This next generation vehicle offers the most advanced technology on the market with various advanced driver assistance systems and the strongest powertrains in the segment, said a press release.

IONIQ: The company also announced the Global Electric Vehicle – IONIQ in 2018. The vehicle reflects Hyundai’s commitment towards clean mobility solutions and future readiness with unrivalled global technology in electric vehicles for aspiring customers without compromising on driving dynamics and performance, said a press release.

Mission manufacturing
At the virtual ‘Electric Mobility Conference 2020’, Mr. Gadkari had called upon the automobile industry to reduce cost of EVs. This, he said, will ensure that the sales go up and, as a result, the industry would stand to gain. He stressed that the quality of the vehicles should also be maintained and felt that with higher output, the automobile industry would be able to cater to the growing market. He also said that Indian manufacturers have the capability to make efficient EVs t

hat can not only create more jobs but also provide opportunities for exports. “e-Mobility is going to be the future mode of transport with greater efficiency and less impact on the environment. Import of crude oil and air pollution are two major concerns for the country. We need to have an integrated approach for EVs,” he stated.

Referring to the NITI Aayog report, Mr. Gadkari said that India needs a minimum of 10 GWs per hour of cells by 2022, which will be expanded to 50 GWs by 2025. “We need to encourage the manufacturing of these cells in India. I urge the industry to think about manufacturing e-batteries in the country,” he emphasized.

As the journey for emission-free vehicles commences, automakers have already taken charge. For instance, to jointly support the EV revolution in India, Mahindra and LG Chem collaborated in 2018 for the Li-ion battery technology. “Under the aegis of this collaboration, LG Chem will develop a unique cell exclusively for India application and will also supply Li-ion cells based on NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) chemistry with high energy density. These cells will be deployed in the Mahindra and SsangYong range of Electric Vehicles. LG Chem will also design the Li-ion battery modules for Mahindra Electric, which in turn will create battery packs for the Mahindra Group and other customers,” informed a press release.

Also, in 2020, Epsilon Carbon, an Indian coal-tar derivatives company, announced its plans to diversify into the battery material business to develop and manufacture high-performance and quality carbon products for anode components of Lithium-ion Batteries (LiB). The manufacturing facility has been set up in Ballari region of Karnataka in August. Vikram Handa, Managing Director of Epsilon Carbon, had said: “To make India self-reliant in e-mobility, India is aiming towards establishing manufacturing leadership in the EV space and Epsilon Advanced Material’s manufacturing leadership in graphite anodes will make India self-sufficient for a key raw material for LiB cells.”

Besides these, in April this year, Lohum announced its plans to invest up to INR 250 crore in the next three years to enhance its capacity with plans to foray into electric four-wheeler battery segment, according to a PTI News report. The company, which currently has a battery manufacturing capacity of 300 megawatt-hours per annum, plans to set up a new unit at Greater Noida to take its total battery manufacturing capacity to a ‘gigawatt-hour scale’ to respond to the surge in demand from the electric vehicles segment, added the news report.

Plans in the pipeline
Although some automakers have already begun manufacturing EVs, there are others who are gearing up to join the EV evolution in India. For instance:

Ola plans to launch electric scooters: According to a PTI News report published in April 2021, Ola Electric said it will bring its electric scooter to the Indian market this July; and is working on setting up a ‘Hypercharger Network’ to include one lakh charging points across 400 cities. Last year, Ola had announced an INR 2,400 crore investment for setting up its first electric scooter factory in Tamil Nadu. Upon completion, the factory will be the world’s largest scooter manufacturing facility that will initially have an annual capacity of 2 million units. “And then, we’ll ramp up – over the next 12 months – after the factory is set up…the sale will also start at the same time, so factory gets completed in June, sale starts in July,” the news report quoted Bhavish Aggarwal, Ola Chairman and Group CEO, as saying.

Volvo plans to launch electric car in India: In February this year, PTI News reported that the Indian arm of Swedish luxury car maker Volvo said 50% of its vehicles would be battery operated by 2025 under its global vision plan and the first product ‘XC40 Recharge’ would be launched in the country later this year. Meanwhile, as part of its ambitious climate plan, which seeks to consistently reduce the lifecycle carbon footprint per car through concrete action, Volvo Cars plans to become a fully electric car company by 2030, the company said in press statement issued in March this year. “To remain successful, we need profitable growth. So instead of investing in a shrinking business, we choose to invest in the future – electric and online,” said Håkan Samuelsson, Chief Executive.

Tesla plans India entry: Earlier this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed the company’s plans to enter the Indian market, within days of the electric vehicle maker registering its arm in the country. According to a regulatory filing, the firm has registered Tesla India Motors and Energy Pvt Ltd with Registrar of Companies (RoC) Bangalore. The company is reportedly in talks with five states as it explores the feasibility of setting up its manufacturing unit and research and development (R&D) centre in India, revealed a PTI News report.

Bajaj Auto signs MoU with the Government of Maharashtra: In 2020, Bajaj Auto, a global two-wheeler and three-wheeler manufacturer, announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Maharashtra to set up a manufacturing facility on a proposed investment of INR 650 crores in Chakan. “The facility is expected to commence production in 2023. This facility will be utilised for manufacturing high-end KTM, Husqvarna and Triumph motorcycles as well as for electric vehicles starting with Chetak. Under the arrangement, the Government of Maharashtra will facilitate Bajaj Auto in obtaining the necessary permissions/ registrations/ approvals/ clearances/ fiscal incentives, etc. from the concerned departments of the State, as per the existing policies/ rules and regulations of the Government of Maharashtra,” said a press release issued by the company.

Ashok Leyland and ABB sign MoU: Last year, Ashok Leyland, flagship of Hinduja Group, and ABB Power Products and Systems India Limited, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the public e-mobility space, to expand the ecosystem for efficient and greener electric bus transportation systems in India. The MoU outlines a partnership to develop a pilot electric bus based on ABB’s innovative flash-charge technology, TOSA, which tops up the battery in just seconds while passengers get on and off the bus. This avoids the need to take the vehicle out of service for recharging every few hours or having a replacement bus ready, thus minimising the size of the fleet while increasing passenger carrying capacity, informed a press release issued by the company. “We are pushing the boundaries of e-mobility with our flash-charging technology, TOSA, for buses to contribute to a cleaner, greener, and sustainable future. The aim is to provide a zero local emission mass public transportation bus system with high passenger capacity. We are pleased to be working with Ashok Leyland in advancing responsible urban mobility,” said Mr. N. Venu, Managing Director, ABB Power Products and Systems India Limited (ABB Power Grids’ business in India).

Are Indian toolmakers ready?
The EV market in India is likely to touch the over 63 lakh unit mark per annum by 2027, stated a report by the India Energy Storage Alliance. As EVs begin to dominate the manufacturing landscape, toolmakers will face a jolt. This is because the automotive industry has always thrived on making parts for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and EVs do not require components such as pistons and valves, crankshafts, or even the exhaust system, etc., which are used in ICE vehicles. Industry experts, however, believe that every challenge presents an opportunity. The demand for ICE vehicles’ components will not completely end as aircraft, farm equipment, and military vehicles, among others, will require them. A battery-operated system is not feasible to operate these. However, the demand for ICE vehicle components is likely to decrease, they caution.

It is high time toolmakers rise to the challenge and think of ways to move forward. For instance, toolmakers can consider diversifying into manufacturing components for EVs and look at the manufacturing of batteries, battery casings, charging ports, etc., the demand for which is expected to rise over time. For this, they will need to equip themselves with state-of-the-art infrastructure. They will also need to familiarize themselves with the materials and procedures used to manufacture these components. EVs are the future of the automotive industry, say experts. Toolmakers will need to gear up if they want to be a part of the e-mobility evolution.

Written by  Kimberley D’Mello

This article was first published in TAGMA TIMES newsletter

Aluminium die-casting has been at the forefront of the automotive industry development given its ability to produce complex parts with high automation and recyclability. Although aluminium has been used in automobile for several years, it has now become the fastest growing as well as preferred material for modern automobiles. This is due to more emphasis on lightweight and emission standards by automakers. Given the global consensus to counter climate change, electrical vehicle technology has been given special focus and a united push by many countries. This drive in electrical vehicles will be a boon for aluminium, especially given its strength-to-weight ratio advantages over traditional materials.

The progress in aluminium metallurgy, especially development of Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloys, along with new die-casting techniques, have enabled aluminium casting to replace most iron casting and some sheet metal parts. Although the aluminium die-cast part might have a higher unit price, in comparison to traditional parts, the total manufacturing cost of casting will be lower. The significantly greater freedom of design will create cost savings, especially given that it avoids joining of parts through welding and other assembly services.

Even though internal combustion engines, which contribute roughly 200 aluminium castings per vehicle, will become obsolete, it is estimated that Electric Vehicles (EVs) will use 25% to 27% more aluminium by weight than combustion engine cars. Currently, at an average of 250 kg of aluminium per unit, EVs have already created a demand for around 250,000 million metric tonnes of aluminium, which is expected to soar to 10 million tonnes by 2030. EVs are starting to create a niche market in the automotive sector, accounting for nearly 3.5 million passenger vehicles and 421,000 electric buses sold in 2019. Even though this accounts for less than 5% of the market share, it is expected to rise tenfold through 2030 to 30%. China, which already accounts for nearly 50% of the demand, is in the lead followed by Europe and the US.

The key challenges
One of the key challenges for EVs vehicles to compete with their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts is range. This typically requires better battery technologies and, more importantly, lighter vehicles to compensate the weight of the battery pack, which is around 200 kg to 300 kg. Lightweight structures and weight-reduction solutions have gained significance to address this problem. The demand for high-integrity structural parts through die-cast will increase along with the need for bespoke tooling and design directions for
weight reduction solutions through casting simulations. All the four main processes of sand, gravity, high- and low-pressure die-casting technology will be essential in meeting the varied challenges posed by EVs.

The optimised cooling requirement of batteries will require the use of sand cores or inclusion of tubes to produce these complex and functionally integrated solutions. A large proportion of demand will also come from the housing requirements of batteries produced, typically through high-pressure die-casting as well as structural components for body parts such as pillars, strut consoles, rear-side members, mounting for shock absorbers, rear axle cross members, etc., as demonstrated in Fig. 1. A Mercedes C-Class leads to a reduction of 20% to 25% body weight. The same has been demonstrated in Ford F-150 trucks. This will open up new opportunities as well.

Overcoming challenges
However, the die-casting industry will need to rise up to meet the challenges posed by EVs. This would include significant improvement in the casting process, developments of alloys to suit applications, simulation of the casting process, design of tools, joint standards for specifications and quality inspections to ensure comparable production processes and results. The larger and more advanced structural components would demand newer die-casting presses with better control over parameters to be able to cast thinner, complex, and variable cross-section parts. For example, Tesla has installed a giga press of 6100 tonnes from IDRA to cast its rear underbody for Model Y, which will replace 70 stamping, extrusions and castings and save 20% labour as well reduce the size of their body shop by 30%. Also, another area where Tesla has made significant strides is the development of new Al alloys. Commercial cast aluminium can either possess high yield strength

(A356-175MPa) or high conductivity (8030 – 60% IACS). Tesla has come up with new aluminium alloys tweaked to achieve high yield strength of 90 to 150 MPa as well as electrical conductivity of 40% to 60% IACS, in addition to having proper fluidity to ensure the cast solidifies well along the entire length of the mould.

The mould/die plays another pivotal role in the entire supplier chain process. The requirements on the tooling will be extreme, considering the intricate and complex parts with varied wall thickness. The casting simulation technologies have developed greatly to accurately predict defects caused by temperature (soldering, hot tear, cold shut etc.,), velocity (erosion, die flash, turbulence), pressure (blow holes, air entrapment), and solidification (shrinkage porosity, non-fill).

Considering the specifications requirements of the components, an optimum feeding system needs to be developed along with thermal balancing in dies to produce robust castings. Real-time process control of parameters needs to be introduced in the dies to identify deviation from the original setup. Die life enhancement methods, including heat treatment of inserts, maintenance standards of die, surface treatment of inserts, optimised cooling systems, etc., need to evolve to meet the traditional stamping tools output.

The critical specifications of the structural components would include the mechanical properties of the casting such as tensile strength (>180MPa), yield strength (>120 MPa) and elongation at break (>5-10%). High demands will also be placed on the absence of defects in the casting, which would require high vacuum to ensure good microstructures, squeeze adoption to eliminate shrinkage porosity and good gating system as well as thermal balancing to eliminate cold shuts, end non-filling, peeling as well as soldering related defects. Special requirements also apply to the microstructural and surface quality of the parts. Also, warpage is unavoidable with large- and thin-walled components due to internal stress resulting from the casting process and further exacerbated by heat treatment, which needs to be straightened by the necessary process.

Rise to meet the challenge Rise to meet the challenge Therefore, electric drive technology will require highly complex aluminium components to complete fully integrated EV modules, internal transmission parts, housing structures for power electronics, electric motor housings, energy recovery components and fuel cell stacks, all of which will offer opportunities to foundries. Thereby, die-casting will play a pivotal role in the development of EVs. However, the industry will need to rise to meet the challenges posed by the new technology.
About the Author Dr. Arunvinay Prabakaran is the Technical Director of Dietech India Pvt. Ltd. He graduated in Metallurgical Engineering from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, with first class with distinction in 2011. He did his PhD research in Materials Science under the supervision of Prof. Nicole Grobert in Nanomaterials by Design Group in the Department of Materials, Oxford University. After completing his PhD, he started his professional career as Assistant Technical Director at Dietech India Pvt Ltd. under the guidance of his father who is well regarded in the field of aluminium die casting.
References1. Mercedes C- Class: the great stride to aluminium casting, Casting Plant & Technology, 2/2016, pg 12-162. Electric vehicles demand lightweight solutions-Enter aluminium casting, News Article by MAN Group, May 24 20193. Automotive Engineering, SAE International, 2020-06-03, Tesla casts a new strategy for lightweight structures

Inventory is the term used for the goods available for sale and raw materials used to produce goods available for sale. Inventory also includes spare parts, packing materials, tools & gauges and every material, which contributes towards the manufacturing of goods and packing of the end product till it is in finished condition.

t is generally categorized under raw and packaging materials, semi-finished, goods in work-in-progress condition, finished goods, inventories in transit and consignment inventory.

Inventory control, also known as stock control, refers to the process of managing a company’s warehouse inventory levels. The inventory control process involves managing items from the moment they are ordered; throughout their storage, movement and usage; to their final destination or disposal. Many systems, processes, and technologies have been developed over the years to help companies streamline the supply chain processes involved in inventory control systems. Accounting control of inventories is concerned with the proper recording of the receipt and consumption of the material as well as the flow of goods through the plant into finished stock and eventually, to customers.as the flow of goods through the plant into finished stock and eventually, to customers.It is also concerned with the safeguarding of the undertaking’s property in the form of raw materials, work-in-progress and semi-finished products. Operating control of inventories is concerned with maintaining inventories with the optimum level keeping in view the operational requirements and financial resources of the enterprise.

Importance and advantages of an Inventory Control System:
(i) Reducing risk of production shortages
(ii) Reducing order cost
(iii) Minimise the blockage of financial resources
(iv) Avoiding lost sales
(v) Achieving efficient production scheduling
(vi) Gaining quantity discounts
(vii) Taking advantage of price fluctuations
(viii) Tiding over demand fluctuations
(ix) Deciding timely replenishment of stocks

Methods of Inventory
ControlInventory control is concerned with the periodic review of materials in stock. It detects materials not required for planned production, among other purposes and if the obsolete materials continue
to occupy storage space until they are removed from stores.

The inventory control methods give us a means for determining an optimal level of inventory as well as an estimate of how much should be ordered and when. There are several methods suggested for inventory controls.

The following are some of the most important systems used:
(a) ABC System: A firm using ABC system segregates its inventory into three groups — A, B and C. The ‘A’ items are those in which it has the largest rupee investment. This group consists of the 20 per cent of items accounting for 90% of the firm’s rupee investment. The ‘B’ group consists of the items accounting for the next largest investment, i.e., the 30 per cent of the items accounting for about 8 per cent of the firm’s rupee investment. The ‘C’ group typically consists of a large number of items accounting for small rupee investment. This group consists of approximately 50 per cent of all the items of inventory but only about 2 per cent of the firm’s rupee investment.

The common procedure for categorization of items into ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘is:The common procedure for categorization of items into ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘is:

• The categorization can be made by comparing the cumulative percentage of items with the cumulative percentage of usage value.
• All the items are to be ranked in the descending order of their annual usage value.
• The cumulative percentage of items to the total number of items is also marked in another column.
• The cumulative totals of annual usage values of these items along with their percentages to the total annual usage value are to be noted along-side.

(b) Budgetary Control System: Budgetary control is a tool of management used to plan, carry out and control the operations of business. It establishes pre-determined objectives and provides the basis for measuring performance against these objectives. Under this system, the number of units of the materials to produce a finished product and the level of inventory to be maintained and the quantities to be purchased during the period is all pre-determined.

When these plans are projected in advance, they are called budgets. Control over inventories is exercised on the basis of budgeted figures. Successful inventory budgeting depends upon the sales forecast. The budget on control system has the advantage of the co-ordination on the inventory consumption level and the expected consumption.

This system integrates and ties together all activities of the enterprise — right from the planning to control. Control helps to eliminate or reduce unproductive activities and minimizing waste. It is an effective method of controlling activities of the business unit since it provides standards against which actual performance is measured.

(c) Minimum-Maximum System: This is one of the oldest methods used in most businesses for controlling inventories. It is essential that proper control should be exercised on the level of the inventory to be maintained. Efficient management of inventory demands that both over and under investment in stock be avoided.
If higher levels of inventories are maintained, the stock level will be influenced by obsolescence, change in fashion and improvements in technicalities. Too much capital tied up in inventories results in a lower rate of return and the possibility of substantial loss from decline in market value.

Too small a quantity is likely to reduce the value of the business and proper servicing of the customers. According to this, a maximum level of inventory based upon the demand and the minimum level to prevent out-of-stock conditions for each item of stock are established. An order is placed when the minimum level is reached, which will bring the quantity to the maximum level.

(d) The Economic Order Quantity Approach: The Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) refers to the optimal order size that will result in the lowest total of order and carrying costs for an item of inventory given its expected usage, carrying cost and ordinary cost. By calculating an EOQ, the firm attempts to determine the order size that will minimize the total inventory costs.

Finding Economic Order Quantity
The EOQ model assumes that the finished goods are sold at a constant rate over time. The important decision in inventory management is to balance the cost of holding inventories with the cost of placing inventory replenishment orders. When the holding costs and ordering costs are balanced, the inventory costs are minimized and resulting order quantity is called the EOQ.

Total inventory cost = Ordering cost + Carrying cost
Total ordering cost = Number of orders x Cost per order = ` U/Q x F
Where u = Annual usage Q = Quantity ordered f = fixed cost per order

Total carrying cost = Average level of inventory x price per unit x carrying cost.Total carrying cost = Average level of inventory x price per unit x carrying cost.Total carrying cost = ` Q/2 x P x C = ` QPC/2where Q = Quantity ordered P = Purchasing Price per unit C = Carrying cost

Inventory Level and Order Point for Replenishment
From Fig. 1, it can be noticed that the level of inventory will be equal to the order quantity (Q units) to start with. It declines to level 0 by the end of period 1. At that point, an order for replenishment will be made for Q units. In view of zero lead time, the inventory level jumps to Q and the same procedure follows in the subsequent periods. As a result of this, the average level of inventory will remain at Q/2 units, the simple average of the two end points Q and Zero.

From the above, we know that as order quantity increases, the total ordering costs will decrease, while the total carrying cost will increase in proportion to the magnitude of the order quantity.

From Fig. 2, it can be seen that the total cost curve reaches its minimum at the point of intersection between the ordering cost curve and the carrying cost line. The value of Q corresponding to it will be the economic order quantity Q0.

Inventory Storage & Preservation
Inventory Storage & PreservationStorage and preservation are an important part of the storekeeping function. When materials remain idle in the store, these materials should be taken care of and looked after properly. Otherwise, these materials may  perish due to natural chemical reactions like rusting by moisture, melting by heat, etc., and also may get affected by insects, rats, etc. Materials should be stocked in the appropriate place according to the nature of the materials. For example: Stationery, electrical, civil engineering, cleaning and similar items may be stocked in the steel racks. Medicine items may be stocked in the fridge. Perishable items may be stored in the cold rooms. Explosive, film, fuse items may be stored in the AC room. Attractive items may be stored in shelves under lock and key.
Daily and periodical cleaning should be carried out. Daily and periodical verification of stock should be carried out to ensure the correctness of stock. Proper method of handling should be followed to avoid damages to the materials.Preservation materials should be applied to protect the items. Hazardous materials should be segregated and stocked in a separate storehouse away from other storehouses. Safety precautions should be taken and safety appliances should be provided. There should be separate entry and exit for movement of materials.Management of Movement of materials & goodsProper planning and execution is key for materials management in a stores environment. There should be perfect coordination between Procurement, Stores, Production and Accounts departments to ensure efficient Materials Management. The Stores are copied of every purchase order raised and the tentative dates of supply of materials. This helps the Stores Management in organising space for storage.

All materials’ receipt and issue documents should be updated in the operating system on a real-time basis to ensure accuracy of inventory. Stores Management also controls the movement of materials to and from the subcontractors. They should also keep full control on the inventory level at the sub-contractor’s location. In respect of finished goods inventory, receipt recordings are against the final QC cleared note of Production department and issue is against the Invoice to Customer or Delivery order. In respect of a trading unit, GIN from Source Vendor forms the inward document and Sales Invoice forms the issue document.

Inventory or Stocks is a critical element in the Current Assets presented in the company’s financials. Many efficiency ratios are linked to inventory movements.Companies, as a yearly exercise, generate aging report of inventory and identify the dead and non-moving inventory for which provision is made in the accounts and plans for its disposals. Inventory is also one of the key elements in cash flow statements. It is also used as collateral in securing loans from banks. In such cases, the companies have to submit the inventory status as of month-end to the banks. The companies should also insure the inventory adequately.
Management of Inventory is a critical function in every organisation. It is always in the radar of every management, which runs the business efficiently.

CA TS Krishnan
Director, TSMT Consulting

Milacron Holdings Corp, a leading industrial technology company serving the plastics processing industry is announcing triple digit growth since 2017, fueled through innovative products and the digital solution “M-Powered” based on our partnership with ei3. M-Powered offers a full-suite of Industry 4.0 services and predictive functions that uses advanced analytics and Artificial Intelligence to capture value from machine data to improve overall machine performance, such as availability, quality, uptime and many more.Milacron Holdings Corp, a leading industrial technology company serving the plastics processing industry is announcing triple digit growth since 2017,fueled through innovative products and the digital solution “M-Powered” based on our partnership with ei3. M-Powered offers a full-suite of Industry 4.0 services and predictive functions that uses advanced analytics and Artificial Intelligence to capture value from machine data to improve overall machine performance, such as availability, quality, uptime and many more.

Ongoing Improvements

To match the exponential growth, Milacron is tripling its work force for its digital solutions to further monitor projects and provide proactive customer engagement. At Milacron, we believe that all manufacturers should have access to the tools to make the best production decisions. M-Powered is fully customisable, agile and flexible intelligence software, designed to be intuitively used through analytical dashboards and reports to allow manufacturers to interpret problems and uncover opportunities to make optimal business decisions.The dashboards include basic predictive, prescriptive and analytics capabilities for key Milacron machine components like Heater Bands, Hydraulic Pumps, and Feed Screws. These predictions enable service teams to turn unplanned downtime into planned downtime, to improve machine availability.Expanded Applicationse i3’s latest innovation in AI through its dedicated Data Science center in Zurich, Switzerland paves the way for new – applications to support preemptive part stocking modules and expanded lifetime-tracking for mould, tooling and auxiliary components. Building on these capabilities, Milacron’s M-Powered is now able to interpret the data to determine impending failures, maintenance needs, or incorrect recipe settings of the machine.  Addressing those issues leads to reduced unplanned downtime, and improved OEE.

These features boost existing M-Powered capabilities, valued by countless customers in everyday operations.

Key Production Reporting features:

• Real-time reporting of production information

• Integrates work orders, production orders, quality, downtime and process parameter results• User configuration tools

• Automatic scheduled email delivery of configured reports to users and groups• Variety of formats including pdf, excel and text

• Many standard reports available

• Custom reports can be created upon request

ei3 makes it incredibly easy to reap immediate benefits from your data set. Without much learning, investments, or waiting or large sets of data to collect, at a click of a button you can unlock ei3’s extensive production reporting capabilities. Comprehensive reports give you information on the status of your operations, allowing you to see what is going on at an unprecedented level of clarity, and take decisions based on facts and figures rather than hear-say.

Each report can of course be adapted to fit your needs, both from a content perspective but also graphically (for example, it will come with your company logo on!), or you can define an entirely new report template. Reports can be browsed in HTML format on-line, sent automatically on a regular basis (daily, weekly, quarterly, yearly), or created when specific conditions warrant it – on trigger.

Any Milacron machine can be enhanced with ei3 AI capabilities in less than two weeks. This system will improve equipment productivity and any process ran on the machinery.

Data Security Is Key 

Customers can verify without question what data is collected and ei3 is committed to IoT cloud security.

All modules provided by the collaboration of Milacron and ei3 are secure:

• Security of your data is guaranteed from the creation of the machine data, the transfer to the cloud, to the application and any API integration back into the computer system.

• Strategically placed private data centers leverages physical infrastructure, redundancy, backup, and failover with 24×7 availability to your machine data with no data limits.

• A rigorous cybersecurity system to constantly monitor and improve applications, systems and processes that withstand the growing risks of cyber hacking. ei3 has attained the ISO 27001 certification of compliance by DEKRA.

• Orchestrated based on complete admin autonomy, with access to division, machine, completely auditable remote service translations, and module control for unlimited users to receive actionable information on the machine.

We invite you to visit us in Hall 1 Booth C05 at the K-Show in Dusseldorf, Germany to see our cutting-edge products and solutions for the plastics processing industry. Milacron continues to push the boundaries of possibilities in plastics with breakthrough products from leading brands including Milacron, Mold-Masters, DME, Ferromatik, TIRAD, and CIMCOOL.

Significant improvements in cooling properties of 3D printed tools // TRUMPF makes inroads at German manufacturers with additive technologies // TruPrint 1000 offers entry-level access to 3D printing

Companies from the tool, pattern and mold making industry will be heading to Stuttgart from May 21–24 for the international Moulding Expo trade fair – and TRUMPF will be on hand to show them how to make the most of 3D printing. One of the many benefits of additive manufacturing is the ability to make tools with near-net-shape cooling. Tools manufactured in this way dissipate the heat generated during the production process directly at its source. This reduces cycle time and improves the quality of the fabricated parts.

Dissipating heat at its source
Producing parts by injection molding or die casting generates heat. To dissipate this heat, manufacturers equip the molds with cooling channels that help keep temperatures as stable as possible to prevent distortion of the part and similar problems. Conventional methods such as milling, however, soon reach their limits when it comes to creating these channels. “The difficulties are particularly evident with more complex shapes: we can’t get the drill into all the right places because we can’t drill around corners!” says Marc Dimter, a TRUMPF industry sector manager who is responsible for tool and mold making. In contrast, 3D printers build up the mold layer by layer, enabling the construction of cooling channels that run almost parallel to the tool wall. The biggest benefit is the reduction in cycle time that stems from faster cooling of the tool. In many cases, quality also improves because parts are less prone to distortion. What’s more, faster cooling results in more homogenous material properties in both injection molding and die casting, ultimately making parts more resilient.

German toolmakers still hesitant to adopt 3D printing
Despite these advantages, German toolmakers have been slow to adopt additive manufacturing technologies. “Many companies lack the necessary expertise and are unwilling to make the investment,” says Christoph Dörr, who also works at TRUMPF as an industry sector manager for the tool and mold making industry. He notes that US companies that supply their molds to Europe have already built up a strong lead. That’s why TRUMPF is taking the opportunity offered by Moulding Expo to showcase its TruPrint 1000 3D printer as an entry-level model. The plug and play design of the system makes it easy to install and operate, and it is particularly suitable for small injection mold inserts such as those used for plastic connectors in the electronics industry. TRUMPF will also be presenting a selection of 3D printed tools and molds with optimized cooling at the fair. By 3D printing a gate bushing, TRUMPF was able to reduce one customer’s cycle time by almost 30 percent. “We’re hoping to inspire toolmakers to exploit the huge potential of 3D printing. That’s why we also offer them training in 3D design,” says Dörr. What’s more, TRUMPF can supply the powder and parameters for each application directly, making it even easier for companies to adopt this new technology.

TRUMPF will be presenting these innovative technologies at Moulding Expo at the joint booth of the Association of German Tool and Moldmakers VDWF (Hall 7, Booth C55).

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