Helping Industry Harness Technology

With the aim to help Additive Manufacturing achieve maturity and facilitate its incorporation in Mechanical & Plant Engineering, VDMA India organized the ‘Additive Manufacturing Symposium – The Game Changer of Manufacturing’ for the second time at Taj, Bengaluru on August 20, 2021. Highlights…

Additive Manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D Printing, is a transformative approach to industrial production that enables the creation of lighter, stronger parts and systems. It is yet another technological advancement made possible by the transition from analogue to digital processes. In recent decades, communications, imaging, architecture, and engineering have all undergone their own digital revolutions. It has revolutionized the way we think and has ushered in flexibility and efficiency to manufacturing processes. While additive manufacturing seems new to many, it has been around for several decades and is rapidly picking up pace. In the right applications, AM delivers a perfect trifecta of improved performance, complex geometries, and simplified fabrication.

AM gaining momentum

New avenues of AM adoption are emerging with more industries and applications adopting it. Currently, Automotive and Electronics industries lead both in terms of overall market share as well as growth of AM adoption and are trailed by Medical, Industrial and Architectural sectors.

The technology is projected to touch a market of $36 billion by 2027 and is predicted that the impact of the AM industry could accelerate to attain a potential of $300 billion by 2027. The Indian Additive Manufacturing market alone is estimated to hit $79 million in products and services by the end of 2021 with a CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) of around 18 percent in the past 5 years. While increased domestic production, low manufacturing costs and an increased utilization across industries and application will power this growth, the partnership of key AM players with the Government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative will further boost its expanding footprint.

Initiative towards industry progress

The event covered various leitmotifs ranging from simulation, machinery, processes, imaging products and materials. More than 80 delegates comprising industry representatives, academia and media participated at the symposium. The event was conducted in collaboration with VDMA’s partner companies – B&R Industrial Automation Pvt Ltd, Beckhoff Automation Pvt Ltd, Festo India Pvt Ltd and ZEISS India and its knowledge partner – BTG Legal.

The event was graced by the Chief Guest Seenivasan Balasubramanian, CEO, International Aerospace Manufacturing Pvt Ltd (IAMPL); the Guest of Honor Friedrich Birgelen, Deputy Consul General, German Consulate Bangalore; Rajesh Nath, Managing Director, VDMA India; and other speakers and dignitaries.

Experts’ take

While Nath outlined the impact, benefits, and the market analysis of Additive Manufacturing both in India and globally, Birgelen spoke on the impact and management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and some similarities in India.

In the technical presentation ‘Adapting Additive Manufacturing in the Aerospace Industry’, Balasubramanian introduced the transformative process of AM, highlighted its benefits, and shared some of its applications in the Aerospace industry.

The symposium’s knowledge partner BTG Legal released a paper about ‘Root cause analysis of disputes in engineering contracts and how to avoid them’. It was released by Balasubramanian, Birgelen and Nath, and presented by Parveen Arora and Prashant Mara, Partners at BTG Legal.

The Indian Additive Manufacturing market alone is estimated to hit $79 million in products and services by the end of 2021 with a CAGR of around 18 percent in the past 5 years.

The technical session, moderated by Manohar S, Regional Head, VDMA India, comprised four speakers. Rayeshwar Shanbhag, Area Sales Manager, Beckhoff Automation, made an interesting presentation on ‘PC Based Control for Additive Manufacturing’. He was joined by his colleague Pavan Sadarjoshi, Application Manager, Beckhoff Automation.

KS Manoj, Head of Business Development IQS, ZEISS Industrial Metrology, spoke on ‘Holistic Quality Assurance process in Additive manufacturing – from Powder to Part Performance’. Raghavendra Borelli, Branch Head – Bangalore, B&R Industrial Automation, chose ‘Driving industrialization with Additive Manufacturing Automation’ as his point of discussion.

Ramesh Ramachandar, Senior Industry Segment Manager, Festo, concluded the session with ‘Adding Consistency & Efficiency to Automation in Additive Manufacturing’.

Source: VDMA India

Sovan Tudu
Sub-Editor
Magic Wand Media Inc
Sovan.tudu@magicwandmedia.in