A product is said to be of good quality if it satisfies the customer requirements in terms of performance, grade, durability, appearance and intended purpose and if all these parameters are sustained during the life of the product. The machine tool industry considers quality as a byproduct of the processes followed in design, manufacturing, assembly, inspection, supply chain, marketing, sales, and service of a product. In fact quality control permeates all the processes involved in chiseling out an engineered product. One company that ensures impeccable quality of products in the manufacturing chain is the Pune-based ATQ Metro which has recently won the Engineering Excellence Award from Divya Media in the category of ‘Fast Growing Company in Testing & Measuring Systems’.
Everything in a name
ATQ is the brainchild of a veteran engineer, Sanjay Desai, who has had nearly 30 years’ all-round experience in manufacturing, marketing, application engineering, training and consulting in the areas of metal cutting, metal forming, CNC machines, carbide cutting tools, work-holding devices, CAD/CAM software for die & mould applications and hard part machining, before starting his own company. “ATQ stands for Accuracy, Trust and Quality. In other words, whatever is manufactured using ATQ testing and measuring systems will be of a high degree of accuracy, uncompromising quality and reliability,” elucidates Sanjay Desai, Founder & Director, ATQ Metro.
Indeed, ATQ Metro aims to be one of the leading manufacturers and service providers of state-of-the-art engineering products in the field of Industrial 2D/3D Metrology, Dimensional Measurement, Reverse Engineering and Traceability. The company’s success can be attributed to its visionary leadership as well as its reputation for high quality precision products, excellent technical support, and building long-term relationship with customers, suppliers and employees. The company offers a wide range of products for contact and non-contract measurement used in production, quality control, manufacturing and research. ATQ Metro is committed to ensuring that all its products are of the highest possible accuracy, unmatched trust and superior quality.
Humble beginnings
“Running a company is no cake walk. We had to face a lot many challenges,” says Sanjay Desai whose focus continues to be on SMEs and MSMEs.
“People are prepared to invest in capital equipment like CNC machines. The moment they buy a machine, they start guestimating the revenue that can be generated and return on investment. The same thing cannot be applied to testing & measuring machines. This must be the reason why people are reluctant to invest in metrology products,” explains Sanjay Desai.
ATQ Metro became a private limited company in 2019 with Sanjay Desai and Dhanashree Desai onboard as the two directors. The wealth of experience Sanjay has amassed over the years became handy for giving a sound footing for ATQ. Today the company enjoys a reputation for high quality precision products for industrial 2D/3D measurement, dimensional measuring, reverse engineering and traceability in production, quality control, manufacturing and research.
Futuristic products
Some of the futuristic products of ATQ need special mention:
The Vision Measuring Machine is a high speed, high precision 3-axis measuring system offering quick and accurate measurement of complex parts. It uses ATQ Metro software to offer robust 2D/3D composite measuring roles. It is available in 3 variants which include the fully automatic CNC, semi-automatic and manual VMM.
The Vertical Auto Quick Measuring Machine is the best of the vertical series. The machine is decked with telecentric high-resolution lens with image evaluation. The machine locates the measuring product, matches the suitable templates, and generates personalized reports as per the dimensional needs of the workpiece. On the other hand, the Horizontal Auto Quick Measuring Machines have telecentric resolution lens teams with accurate image evaluation affixed into one button flash measurement principle.
ATQ Automatic Focusing Digital Microscope is a high-performing digital full-HD microscope that supports remote control operation and comes with an electronic scaling function.
The ATQ Metro 2D Measuring Software is a multi-sensor measuring software that helps measure geometric and complex figures without hassle with high enabling high-precision edge detection and optimum optical scanning.
ATQ has come up with a special Tool Inspection System which is a measuring device to inspect critical tool geometry and dimensions of cutting tools. It also provides an additional measuring function to the end-users.
The ATQ Marking Machine is an advanced laser marking equipment with an all-in-one design. It has a high-quality laser beam with a fast marking speed.
ATQ also offers Unique Fixturing Solutions for clamping varied components being measured on the video measuring machines and CMMs. Using these fixtures, users can have continuous and fast clamping of components. This increases the repeatability of fixturing and obviates the need for developing special fixtures for components. These fixtures are modular and can be expanded according to the customer requirements to provide a complete fixturing solution for any part regardless of its size/shape/material.
ATQ offers a delivery period of 8-10 weeks invariably for all its products. ATQ is known for timely delivery and prompt after-sales support. The company follows a unique system of pre-despatch inspection by the customer at ATQ factory. Every product undergoes our stringent quality regimen before despatch. The machines are installed in a clean, dust-free environment where ambient temperature is maintained. All this ensures peak performance of the equipment giving high productivity and uptime. The company believes that because of the technology involved, one has to stay close to the customer knowing full well that the operator, program and support service have to go hand-in-hand.
Applications galore
Vision measuring machines find a wide range of applications in metrology labs, QC/Standard rooms, R & D centers and so on. The outstanding measuring accuracy makes these machines ideal for stringent measuring requirements. It is a powerful measuring device used in precision manufacturing in industries such as Aviation, Medical Care, Automotive, Electrical, Metals, Electronics, Plastics and so on.
ATQ is a principled and conscientious service provider. The company endeavors to serve the customer with full measure. This comes naturally, not without reason. The company’s operating philosophy is based on its core values viz. passion, knowledge and co-operation. “Anything we do comes in the precincts of these three values. And our success mantra is to stay and stick to our roots and steadfast commitment and dedication,” underlines Desai.
Continuous improvement
Talking of the continuous improvement and evolution in measuring machines, Sanjay recounts: “Time was when a profile projector used to take one hour to measure one component. With the use of a manual vision measuring machine, this got reduced to 40 minutes; and with semi-automatic machines it came down to 30 minutes. With the advent of CNC machines, the time taken got slashed to 1 – 2 minutes. But today, ATQ’s quick measuring machine accomplishes inspection in a matter of 5 seconds. Besides time saving, one can eliminate human error and reduce inaccuracies to near zero. For this the credit must also go to the customer for putting pressure on us to bring in new products in order to reduce the inspection time drastically.”
The speed of obsolescence is rapid in the metrology scene where the latest entrant is vision measuring machines, remarks Desai. This doesn’t mean that the profile projector has become extinct. People are still using profile projectors.
“Over the years we have consistently invested in continuous development to make sure we are at the forefront of advancements in technology related to our domain. It helps us to offer our clients up-to-date solutions to meet their complex demands,” says Desai dwelling on ATQ’s new product development efforts.
When asked about the company’s marketing strategy, this is what Desai had to add: “Our marketing strategy is quite simple: We believe in maintaining long-term relationships with our clients and offering them reliable and efficient products, backed by unmatched service. We serve every customer with the same commitment to excellence. It is but natural that a customer for the first time is a customer forever for us. Customers know our technical competency, quality obsession and enduring application & service support. The goodwill and trust created are easy to measure from the fact that more than half of our business comes through references and word of mouth.”
Manufacturing excellence
ATQ has a sprawling manufacturing facility in Bhosari, Pune with a well-equipped assembly plant, a dedicated technology center and an NABL accredited lab. An ISO-9001-2015 facility, ATQ is armed with a workforce with vast experience and domain knowledge. It has a highly motivated team. Majority of the engineers are hand-picked, trained and nurtured to deliver the brand promise with unwavering commitment.
Speaking about the current manufacturing scenario, Desai points out that the industry is moving towards automation and digitization of all processes. “As a globally responsible organization, we are constantly focused on developing and adding new technologies and products to our portfolio which will fetch a positive and profitable impact on the industry as a whole,” he is quick enough to add.
In order to embellish the products portfolio and provide further value addition, ATQ has recently tied up with Renishaw to sell their Equator Gauging System in India. “We also offer Renishaw’s probes along with our machines. Thus our basket is replete with a variety of products, contact and non-contact types, to meet all the requirements of our customers from one single source,” says Desai. No wonder the company has 300 plus valued customers in its reference list. This includes the most prominent names in plastic injection moulding, die & mould, rubber, automobile, stamping, precision turn components, cutting tools, calibration labs, medical, jewellery, electronics, casting, fasteners, gauges, lasers, automation, power transmission, materials handling and so on and so forth.
When it comes to services, the ATQ covers the whole spectrum of calibration, maintenance & repair, retrofitting and even inspection services. It signs annual maintenance contracts with customers so as to ensure continuous uptime of their
T & M equipment, be it of any make.
If size were everything, elephants would be ruling the earth! ATQ is small, but solid. Sanjay Desai prides in having nurtured an organization which works on the tenets of its operating philosophy. The company is totally technology and quality-driven. Its people are self-motivated and culturally rich to understand the common goal set for the organization and above all the commitment to the customer to deliver quality. The company has ambitious growth plans, to be amidst the top league of manufacturers of precision measuring machines, spreading their wings far beyond our frontiers.
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Article by P.K. Balasubbramaniian
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