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Phillips Machine Tool Collaborates with Markforged

Phillips Machine Tools, a leading global manufacturing technology solutions provider collaborates with Markforged, creator of The Digital Forge, an integrated metal and carbon fibre industrial 3D printing platform. The addition of Markforged Digital Forge will strengthen Phillip Machine Tools additive manufacturing portfolio - metal & polymer powder beds, cold spray and direct energy deposition will get a performance boost.

In order to eliminate the barriers between design and functional parts, the cloud-based Digital Forge additive manufacturing platform of Markforged seamlessly combines hardware, software, and materials and develops strong, production-grade parts on demand.

"The collaboration of Phillips with Markforged proves advantageous to both the companies," says Shai Terem, CEO at Markforged. Markforged will be able to enjoy the vast network of Phillips Machine Tools, an additional distribution across the Americas and Asia. "Phillips Machine Tools commercial and federal government customers can now reinvent manufacturing and run more efficiently through the innovative offerings of Markforged", adds Mr. Terem.

As the Digital Forge is the only 3D printing platform to leverage machine learning, it creates parts cheaper, faster that are often equipped with better properties than traditional manufacturing methods. The platform will enable companies to manufacture and deliver quality parts in a completely new way to solve supply chain issues while saving time and money.

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₹166000CR Investment in Gujarat: Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India Signs MoU

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AMNS) India which already owns a steel manufacturing unit at Hazira in Surat will invest ₹1,66,000 crore in six different projects in Gujarat which will open up nearly 1.80 lakh direct and indirect job opportunities. This includes ₹40,000 crores to produce 10 GW in clean energy.

A recent media release by the Government of Gujarat notified that steel giant Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India (AMNS India) will invest ₹1,66,000 crore in six different projects throughout the state. AMNS India owns a steel manufacturing mill at Hazira in Surat. Rajiv Kumar Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary (Industries and Mines) on behalf of the Gujarat government and Dilip Oommen, CEO of AMNS India has inked a pact sealing the investment deal. The MoU was signed in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar.

The press statement further stated the fund allocated for different projects. The company will pump Rs 45,000 crore to increase the steel production capacity of the Hazira plant from the current 8.6 MMTPA to 18 MMTPA along with an investment of Rs 4,200 crore assigned for the modernization and expansion of their captive jetty in Hazira.

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Milk Processing Plant at ₹10 Lakhs? Check how George Thomas is empowering Rural Entrepreneurship!

Setting up a business is never easy and this is more so in rural areas. It takes vision to bring the potential of India’s rural economy to the fore and help it grow based on rural entrepreneurship. George V Thomas is one such visionary who has made it possible with his brilliant idea to facilitate the setting up of mini dairies in India at a fraction of the investment required for a full-scale dairy plant.

The grip of COVID-19 in India saw many entrepreneurs think out of the box to survive. George V Thomas is one of those who thought out of the box and also succeeded in laying the foundation for what is going to have a long term impact on India’s rural economy, benefiting thousands of dairy farmers. In conversation with Machine Maker, George V Thomas, the Hyderabad based Tool-Tech CEO narrates his vision.

Milk Processing-a summary

Milk processing involves the preservation of milk for a certain period of time to nullify the chances of contamination and food-borne diseases. It involves six steps: milk collection, milk storage, pasteurization, cream separation, homogenization, and milk-filling and packaging.

Milk collection is self-explanatory. After cows are milked, the produce is transported by tank lorries to different dairy plants. The next step is milk storage, where the milk acquired is stored in large refrigerator tanks at a maximum temperature of five degrees Celsius. The third step is pasteurization. Named after its inventor Louis Pasteur, this process involves heating milk at a temperature of 72°C for at least 15 seconds and then cooling it immediately to destroy harmful bacteria and other dangerous microorganisms. Pasteurization also helps extend shelf life. Then comes cream separation. After the milk has been pasteurized, the fat of the milk is separated by cream separation machines. Milk with low or no fact content is called skimmed milk.

The fifth step is homogenization. To prevent the cream from separating from the rest of the liquid after the milk has been stored, homogenization is carried out using homogenizer machines. The sixth and final step is milk-filling and packaging. At last, the milk can be packed into cartons, glass containers, pouches, PET bottles, and so on. To ensure long shelf life, the milk is filled and packed using aseptic technology.

A Noble Cause

Mr Thomas added, “Tool-Tech also offers milk pasteurizers for pasteurization, insulated milk storage plants for storing milk, milk cream separators to separate the cream from the milk, milk-packing machines for packaging, and so on. We are always ready to provide the best products to our customers.”Thus, Tool Tech provides all the paraphernalia necessary for establishing milk-processing plants.

Armed with the sine qua non of milk processing procedures and sound knowledge of the industry, Tool Tech has set about assisting farmers to start their own automated milk processing plant to provide fairness. Mr Thomas said, “We at Tool Tech are constantly in the process of conceiving new and creative ideas to overcome issues such as power instability and milk transportation in rural areas so that even farmers in remote areas have the opportunity to grow their own brand.”

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Breaking Traditions, How an Engineer & his Prime Minister Wrote India’s Metro History

Metro Man of India E Sreedharan was the mastermind behind India's first Metro Rail Project Kolkata Metro, as its Deputy Chief Engineer way back in 1970

E Sreedharan’s first achievement was the repairing project of Pomban Bridge, an incredible project which was completed within record 45 days

His engineering expertise proved to be instrumental in the timely completion of the Delhi Metro project before CWG 2010

From architectural marvels to incredible infrastructure, India’s engineering mega minds are the true pillars of the nation’s growth. Defying the oddities of the conventional approach, these stalwarts are the builders of modern India. Elattuvalapil Sreedharan or E Sreedharan, popularly known as ‘Metro Man’ of India for heroic exploits with Delhi Metro, is one among those change makers who defied strong opposition in the time of the Delhi Metro the project, one of the key projects which became an issue of national prestige in the lead up to Common Wealth Games 2010 in New Delhi.

The Journey of a Changemaker

Born on 12 June 1932 in Malabar district, British India, he completed his Civil Engineering degree from the Government Engineering College, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, presently known as Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. Starting his career as a lecturer in Government Polytechnic, Kozhikode and his stint with Bombay Port Trust as an apprentice, he subsequently joined the Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE) in 1953 and his first assignment was in the Southern Railway as a Probationary Assistant Engineer in December 1954.

His first major assignment turned out to one of India’s most incredible projects ever - the Pamban Bridge - which was washed away by a cyclone in 1964 December. He showed mettle and completed the restoration and repairing task within 45 days only. He was awarded the prestigious Railway Minister’s award in recognition of his hard work. Kolkata Metro was another major milestone of his career where he was assigned the planning implementation, designing and development of the first metro railway in India.

Around the time of his retirement in 1990, the government requested his services and was appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of Konkan railway by the then railway minister George Fernandes.

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Made in India ‘Hector’ by Morris Garages set to run on the Indian roads

The travellers at Mumbai International Airport are welcomed by the yet to be launched new SUV from UK, Morris Garages-Hector. Morris Garages, a UK based automobile brand is geared up to launch their first Indian made SUV, Hector for all the car lovers in India.

The MG Motor India had earlier initiated the operations of designing and manufacturing the MG Hector at its facility in Halol, Gujarat. The Hector is India's first model of MG and was unveiled on the 15th of May this year. Expected to launch by mid of June 2019, Hector is expected to give a tough competition to Jeep, TATA Harrier in the SUV segment.

The MG Hector SUV will be the largest in class with a length of 4655 mm, a width of 1835 mm and a height of 1760 mm. It comes with a set of large 10-spoke alloy wheels and large outside rear-view mirrors with integrated turn signal lights. The other add on features include a premium cabin equipped with power adjustable seats, cruise control, electronic parking brake and a 360-degree camera.

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PMV Electric to launch 2-Seater Smart Micro EV; A new vision for Urban Mobility in India

The electric vehicle segment in India has recently become more energetic more than ever. With big automakers announcing and launching their electric vehicles, the dynamic start-ups are not lagging behind either. With a dynamic perspective and a knack for innovation, the breed of entrepreneurs of new India is going some extra miles in their respective manners to enter the EV market. What marks the start-ups is their perennial commitment to quality and a passion to make a difference through their endeavours.

Mumbai based PMV Electric Private Limited is one such start-up that envisions the future with EVs as a mode of smart and eco-friendly personal mobility solution. The company's electric microcar EaS-E2 is a four-wheeler 2-seater that packs quite some punches. PMV Electric’s founder Kalpit Patel an ideator talks to Machine Maker, who is all for practical solutions to ground level problems, and that comes across through the personal 2 seater electric car that PMV Electric has been working on.

An engineer by profession Kalpit has been working for the last five odd years on the electric vehicle project. Kalpit says. “considering I did not belong to the industry, I had to learn a lot all by myself to help me understand the market dynamics.”

Tackling the City Traffic

The idea of an electric vehicle happened to Kalpit during his daily commute to work which took one odd hour for a distance of ten kilometres. “It was back in the June of 2016, I thought that there should ideally be a solution that will be at par with conventional vehicles in terms of comfort and convenience, but should have a smaller footprint.” Kalpit started to study and research extensively about the future product development and design, and its features and benefits.

"In July of 2017, we made a prototype, which indeed was a learning experience for us. Following this, in June 2018 the third prototype was developed which was similar to contemporary vehicles in terms of components." The feedback it received was quite positive from some of the industry people and Kalpit thought the product's commercial viability should be explored.

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Sonalika Tiger Electric Tractor is all-ready to take on Indian Fields

Taking electric mobility into newer heights, India's first field-ready electric tractor has been launched by Sonalika Tractors, part of International Tractors Limited. The electric tractor, with the brand name of "TIGER", is powered by a 25.5 KW natural cooling compact battery, is made available for sale through bookings, sonalika electric tractor price at ₹5.99 lakh.

The tractor is equipped with an Etrac motor which is expected to give high power density and high peak torque with having zero RPM drop. The e-tractor offers a mighty battery backup of eight hours and a top speed of 24.93 Kmph with a two-tonne trolley. As claimed by Sonalika Electric Tractors, TIGER e-Tractor is equipped with a fast-charging system, the battery can get fully charged in just four hours.

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Ather Energy Expands: opens its second retail store in Kerala at Kozhikode

Ather Energy, the smart electric scooter manufacturer, has inaugurated its latest retail shop in Kozhikode, Kerala's second largest city, as a part of its aim to grow its retail footprint throughout significant towns and cities in India.

Ather Energy, India's leading electric scooter manufacturer, has launched a new retail location in West Nadakkave, Vellayil, Kozhikode, in collaboration with Crux Mobility. Ather Space will offer both the Ather 450X and the Ather 450 Plus for test rides and purchase.

After Kochi, Ather Energy's is expanding its presence in Kerala and opened its second experience centre Kozhikode. According to Ather Space, it is designed to give owners a one-of-a-kind ownership experience as well as complete service and support. The company state that Ather Place, which is designed to be a dynamic, tactile, and engaging space, will allow consumers to learn about every aspect of the vehicle and provide a thorough overview of the major parts with a stripped-bare unit on show. Before visiting the experience centre, they can schedule test ride sessions on Ather Energy's website.

“Our second experience facility in Kerala is a result of the feedback we've gotten from the market since our launch in Kochi,” Ravneet Phokela, Chief Business Officer, Ather Energy, said. The number of test ride requests we are receiving from different parts of Kerala, including Kozhikode, has increased.” Ravneet informed that EV awareness and acceptability are high in Kerala and that the adoption rate of EVs would continue to rise in the coming months as a result of the FAME II amendment.

In Kozhikode, the ex-showroom price for the Ather 450X after the Fame II modification is Rs147,087 & Rs127,916 for the Ather 450 Plus. When compared to the total cost of ownership of a comparable 125cc scooter, the business claims that owners of the Ather 450X and Ather 450 Plus can now break even in 18-24 months and save roughly Rs. 2 per km in the years following.

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Engineers Day: 10 Indians Who changed the Face of Engineering

Do you know India produces the second-highest number of engineers in the world every year? There are several Indian Engineers who played an imperative part to play in assisting in the smooth operation of society. The country is a cradle of nurturing the world’s best engineering minds for decades who have shown Indian engineering excellence to the world.

There are several Indian Engineers who played an imperative part to play in assisting in the smooth operation of society. Engineers transform abstract ideas into something that is beneficial to society and make people’s lives easier. We use products and ideas developed by engineers every day, ranging from our home appliances to the infrastructure of buildings, and tools that make our lives and tasks easy and convenient. This Engineer’s Day, Machine Maker brings 10 such best engineers in India who made a mark in world history.

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What is a Hydraulic Press Machine? All you need to know!

The hydraulic press machine is a mechanical device that uses the static pressure of a liquid, as defined by Pascal’s law and converts it to a force required for various industrial operations. These operations include bending, metal forming, molding, forging, drawing, punching. The hydraulic press can be configured for various types of material such as metals, plastic, rubber and wood. History of Hydraulic Press England based Joseph Bramah invented the hydraulic pressure machine in 1795. Successor to the hydraulic press, Bramah also invented the flush toilet. These inventions led him to the study of Pascal’s law, also known as Pascal’s principle. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the hydraulic press was used by engineers and industrialists in the field of farming, machinery and transportation. What is Pascal’s Law Pascal’s law states that when the pressure of an incompressible fluid is changed in a closed space, then the same pressure change will be transmitted throughout the closed space. During his experimentation with Pascal’s law, he devised a machine using two cylinders, one small and one large, filled with a fluid and a connecting channel. He found out that when he applied a force to the small cylinder, the pressure would get transferred to the larger cylinder.

​The working principle of the hydraulic press machine is based on Pascal’s Law.

The hydraulic press machine consists of two cylinders having different piston diameters. The smaller diameter piston is called the Plunger,  and the larger diameter piston is called the Ram. The two cylinders are connected by a channel or a pipe. The two cylinders and pipe contains an incompressible fluid. When a small force is applied to the plunger, pressure is introduced in the liquid in the cylinder. This pressure is transmitted through the liquid and acts on the ram. Hence an amplified force can be obtained at the ram according to the requirement.

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Zeon Charging collaborates with Ather to expand the Public Charging Network

Zeon Charging, based in Tamil Nadu, has teamed up with Ather Energy, a smart electric two-wheeler company, to speed the expansion of its public charging network.

Ather will deploy its Ather Grid points in existing and future Zeon Charging stations as part of this agreement. In turn, Zeon will cooperate with Ather to install four-wheeler chargers wherever practicable at current Ather Grid locations.

Ather offered its unique charging connector to other two-wheel manufacturers in August of this year. Having two- and four-wheeler chargers in the same site creates synergies in terms of power supply, backend infrastructure, and EV charging capability.

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What’s Stopping India from Being the First Mover in Technology Development?

Bala Pachyappa believes India’s focus on availing a ready and developed technology has been a deterrent for technological developments in India

In India, Electric Vehicle technology is still in its growing stage, and one of the major challenges for the industry is to build a team with adequate technical and manufacturing expertise. Bala Pachyappa Co-Founder & Senior Advisor of EMF Innovations has been deeply involved with the skill development while working for Electric Vehicle motor manufacturing company. EMF Innovations has internship programmes where the students get to work and learn on real-life projects.

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Technology development has always taken a back seat in India despite the abundance of technical and engineering talent even at the grassroots level in the country. While the engineering education system lacks the penchant for creating innovators, other factors such as demand for ready technology over maturing technology has given scope to mushrooming of only servicing and trading companies in India. Bala Pachyappa, Co-Founder and Senior Advisor of EMF Innovations point to this large scale inconducive context.

EMF Innovations (EMFi) is a technology-based company run by a team of engineering entrepreneurs with the objective to offer reliable electric motors for green mobility applications. Headquartered in Singapore and with the India office at Coimbatore, EMFi has Bala Pachyappa at the helm of the team for designing and developing the DC Power Train for Electric Vehicles and other future mobility solutions. Bala holds a Master’s degree in Control Engineering from BITS, Pilani and comes with over a decade of exposure and experience as a Design Engineer of semiconductor and electronics automation software, strategic planning and mentoring young minds towards innovations…..Read Full Article

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Premier Padmini: India’s Iconic Car That Raised Style Quotient

Of the few iconic car models that ruled the Indian roads of the early 70s and 80s, Premier Padmini aka Fiat 1100 D garnered immense popularity with its simplistic yet fascinating design. Gone are the days of a Premier Padmini being synonymous with a luxurious possession of a middle-class Indian household or a style statement of the youngster of yesteryears. What still remains, is the unflinching nostalgic charm it casts upon the countless Indian hearts.

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Interestingly, much before the Economic Liberalization facilitating the entry of a number of foreign automotive players who forged ties with Indian companies to tap the Indian market, Premier Padmini  was the first instance of a successful cooperation between an Indian company with a foreign automotive player. FIAT 500 was the first car from the Italian engineering marvel Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (FIAT) which was assembled for Indian market since 1951. In 1954 The Fiat 1100 first came to India as the Millecento. The Millecento evolved into the 1100 Elegant which then became the Select and the Super Select models. Fiat 1100 D (D for Delight) came to India in 1964.

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​TRUMPF launches NEW Generation of TruLaser 1000 Series Laser Cutting Machines

Following the global launch, TRUMPF India launches the reinforced TruLaser 1000 series for the Indian market.

“The TruLaser Series 1000 has been one of the most installed machines in India in recent years, from our 2D Laser cutting machine portfolio. A package comprises, lower cost of ownership, more productivity, ease of operation and automation is the demand of the growing Indian market”, said Associate Director - Business Development and Marketing, TRUMPF (India) Private Limited, Sachin Gambhire about the new innovation.

"New advanced functions for higher productivity, lower operating costs and the possibility to expand it to various automation functions, makes New TruLaser Series 1000, an ideal solution for customers in India", added Sachin Gambhire.

For the first time, the Highspeed Eco function is being used on this machine type. Here, a nozzle developed by TRUMPF directs the cutting gas specifically to the sheet metal. This increases the machine’s feed rate by up to 70 percent, while reducing gas consumption by around 60 percent. 

The machine cuts sheet metal significantly faster than conventional 2D laser machines. In addition, the new series also features CoolLine technology for the first time. This function automatically sprays water mist onto the sheet to ensure optimum cooling during the cutting process. In this way, even sheets up to 25 millimeters thick can be cut precisely. 

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Atmanirbhartha in Tool Manufacturing: Precision Wheel Arbor by KTA Spindle

Precision wheel arbors are specialized tools used for holding grindiing tools on a 5 axis CNC machine for manufacturing solid carbide tools

Founded by Vijay Chopda before 3 decades, Pune based KTA Spindle Toolings is a proudly Indian manufactuer of tool holders and accessories. Giving a boost to local manufacturing, KTA Spindles offers indeginiously designed and manufactured precision wheel arbor as an import substitute for CNC cutting/ grinding machines.

For a very long time for precision machining, India has looked out and depended on foreign manufacturers. Over the last couple of decades, the Indian manufacturing sector has seen a steady rise in domestic manufacturing of high precision components, especially catering to the automotive sector which is very price-sensitive. The need of developing indigenous products triggered making in India. Today, there are many Indian machine builders and cutting tool manufacturers who compete with multinational brands locally and globally.

India has many companies that manufacture solid carbide tools which are intensively used in the machining sector. It is assumed that India has around 300 plus solid carbide tool manufacturers. Solid Carbide Tools are manufactured in 5 axis CNC machines, which is not manufactured by any Indian brand. Apart from the German manufacturer WIDMA, who is manufacturing it in India, all the machines are imported, such as ANCA, DECKEL, ROLLOMATIC,SCHUTTE, TGT, REINECKER, and WALTER.

The 5 axis CNC machines consist of numerous important components, one of the critical parts is the precision wheel arbor.

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Skilling for Sports Footwear Manufacturing: High Time adopting Global Trend!

India is the second-largest manufacturer of footwear in the world only next to China in terms of volume. Despite having one of the biggest sporting communities in the world, India lags behind global counterparts when it comes to manufacturing global standard sports footwear for its own sporting community, let alone export to the world.

It is well-known that casualwear, including what is called ‘athleisure’, has been ruling the roost in contemporary fashion for a while now. In fact, This trend has invaded workplaces too. It is acceptable to wear jeans instead of trousers and white sneakers instead of dress shoes to the workplace, and even for business meetings.

It is important to evolve with changing times. Hence a disappointment with the current state of the Indian footwear industry: at a time when sports shoes are storming into everyone’s wardrobe, India is lagging in manufacturing them, mildly put. Less than one per cent of sports shoes are exported from India. Nine out of ten factories in the country manufacture leather shoes, with only a minuscule making sports shoes. 

In the closing years of the last millennium, from 1997 to 1999, I got trained at the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI). At FDDI, I was the only one in my academic circle who really wished to be in the sports shoe industry. The foundation from FDDI, and then an MBA from ICFAI and further exposure in various countries that I got from the industry helped me run Evertrade, a successful enterprise in China for over 10 years. 

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What’s Stopping India from Being the First Mover in Technology Development?

Bala Pachyappa believes India’s focus on availing a ready and developed technology has been a deterrent for technological developments in India

In India, Electric Vehicle technology is still in its growing stage, and one of the major challenges for the industry is to build a team with adequate technical and manufacturing expertise. Bala Pachyappa Co-Founder & Senior Advisor of EMF Innovations has been deeply involved with the skill development while working for Electric Vehicle motor manufacturing company. EMF Innovations has internship programmes where the students get to work and learn on real-life projects.

Technology development has always taken a back seat in India despite the abundance of technical and engineering talent even at the grassroots level in the country. While the engineering education system lacks the penchant for creating innovators, other factors such as demand for ready technology over maturing technology has given scope to mushrooming of only servicing and trading companies in India. Bala Pachyappa, Co-Founder and Senior Advisor of EMF Innovations point to this large scale inconducive context.

EMF Innovations (EMFi) is a technology-based company run by a team of engineering entrepreneurs with the objective to offer reliable electric motors for green mobility applications. Headquartered in Singapore and with the India office at Coimbatore, EMFi has Bala Pachyappa at the helm of the team for designing and developing the DC Power Train for Electric Vehicles and other future mobility solutions. Bala holds a Master’s degree in Control Engineering from BITS, Pilani and comes with over a decade of exposure and experience as a Design Engineer of semiconductor and electronics automation software, strategic planning and mentoring young minds towards innovations.....Read More