Industry 4.0 : Future of Manufacturing

Digital technologies are significantly changing the landscape of manu-facturing ecosystem. They are changing the dynamics of traditional manufacturing sharply. Industries are keen to deploy these technologies on their shop-floors to align with the changing requirements of their customers.

The reliance on information- and communication-based technologies for factory purposes has evolved over a period of time and is expected to amplify in the years to come with many more technologies being added to the ones we see now. Industry 4.0, which involves integration of software systems into production and logistics as well as the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) in processes and systems, is ushering in a favorable transformation in the world of manufacturing.

Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA) recently celebrated 50 years of its flagship IMTEX exhibition in Bangalore. As a new initiative, the Association introduced a special pavilion as well as organized a seminar on ‘Factory of the Future: Industry 4.0’. The primary goal was to increase the awareness on the significant opportunities and challenges of Industry 4.0 in manufacturing. The special pavilion and seminar provided visitors a holistic understanding of the importance of IT infrastructure, Data Security, and IoT.

IMTMA also organized a ‘Live Demo’ on Industry 4.0 during IMTEX 2019 & Tooltech 2019 at its Technology Center, BIEC. A model smart factory has been set up at IMTMA Technology Center where CNC Turning Centers, CNC Machining Centers, Digital Height Gauges and CMM machines are digitally connected and monitored in real time. The real-time data is acquired through data acquisition devices and CNC controls.

The Association will continue to project the machine tool industry and the new age technologies as key enablers for manufacturing excellence besides striving to make the industry a global player. I call upon the industry to support IMTMA’s initiatives by providing feedback which will guide us in our journey to make the manufacturing sector competitive.

Wishing you all a Happy Reading.

P Ramadas
President
Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA)