Coimbatore-based Effica Automation, incorporated in 2005, is today in the focal business of materials handling automation encompassing machine tending, palletizing and conveying, making the most of robots. Under the stewardship of Mr. Arjun Prakash, Director, who is the grandson of late Dr. G.R. Damodaran – a statesman, educationist, humanitarian and founder of the legendary PSG Tech, Effica is eminently poised to take industrial automation in India to subliminal heights. A mechanical engineer from PSG, Mr. Arjun pursued an internship and intensive training and experience in the field of mechatronics. The education and insights he received in mechanical engineering, electronics, robotics, computers and software applications helped him build a strong foundation for Effica Automation which is today in the forefront of integrating robotic systems to enhance operational efficiency, productivity and profitability in Indian industry which is poised to join the big league using robots for automation and manufacturing excellence. Mr. P.K. Balasubbramaniian converses with Mr. Arjun Prakash to get a clear perspective of Effica Automation and its capabilities, commitments & path-breaking initiatives in the high-tech field of robotics. Excerpts:
Q. Effica is a name to reckon with in automation. What precisely is your niche?
We started off in 2005 designing and manufacturing special purpose machines (SPMs) for a plethora of applications. We even developed robotized special plasma cutting systems for marking and precision cutting power transmission poles of 60 ft long. Way back in 2009 we executed a project worth Rs. 2 crores in Houston. This was a complex job involving different disciplines – mechanical, electrical, electronics, robotics, and industrial PCs. It involved handling, rotating, marking and cutting of poles where cost of error was very high. Over the years, we have changed our focus. Since 2011, to be precise, our focus is on material handling automation using robots which includes machine tending, palletizing and conveying.
Q. What are the automation solutions you offer for the manufacturing sector?
We offer robot based component loading and unloading systems. The solutions are available for multiple CNCs, forging presses, sheet metal presses, plastic injection moulding and similar processes. Along with this we offer all the accessories required to complete the solution like conveyors – roller, belt, and slat, the end effectors for gripping various types of components, the safety systems, infeed and outfeed component stacking magazines. We also offer gantry machine tending to replace articulated machine tending projects for payloads from 2 kg to 100 kg. This is an economical solution, and with this the existing plant layout need not be disturbed. We also do bag conveying & palletizing automation. This is a robot-based high speed palletizing system with a speed of 20 tonnes per hour. For the FMCG segments we offer pick and place solutions for the packing requirements. These are very high speed solutions for light weight products with a special emphasis on hygiene. We have made our systems modular and user-friendly so that in the event of a failure, the end-user can fix it themselves. This way we have removed the fear of breakdown and consequent downtime from the mind of the end-user.
Q. Could you throw some light on your infrastructural facilities?
Well, we have a sprawling manufacturing facility housed in a land of 10,000 sq. mtrs. We have an in-house machine shop, assembly shop, design department, quality control section and so on. Our main strength is in our software and programming capabilities required for our solutions. We have a dedicated trained workforce of 35 people. Marketing has traditionally been done directly. However, we now have channel partners in strategic locations like Coimbatore, Chennai and Bangalore to extend our reach to the customer.
Q. Productivity enhancement is understandable. How do you increase efficiency and flexibility?
Robots help enhance flexibility. Special purpose machines need retooling but robots need only reprogramming. The changeover is minimal and not time-consuming. Practically we observe that our customers have seen an increase in machine utilization by up to 35% while using our solutions. This is because people are prone to fatigue and night shift efficiencies are very low. This is not there when robots are at work. Naturally efficiency levels are high.
Q. Could you elaborate on the cost saving aspects?
To begin with there is a form of instant savings from the increased machine utilization. In the case of CNC machines, if we are able to tend to 3 machines and increase their machine utilization by a factor of 35% then it is the equivalent of having the fourth machine which may be priced similar to our robotic solutions. This is even more pronounced in the case of forging presses where the cost of a single press can run up to multiple crores and the savings are massive in terms of capital investments when robotic machine tending is used. Added to this the unavailability of skilled labour and the attrition turnover of trained people is a bugbear. This disrupts production and uptime of machines. When you switchover to robotic automation, the breakeven is achieved in less than 18 months in most cases and in some cases even instantly as mentioned above. The risk factor is less and no recurring costs. All these bring enormous savings to be accrued to the bottom-line. Today we see even very small scale machine shops and businesses breaking even with robotic automation. As the prices of robots keep dropping in the future we are only likely to see more and more of this trend.
Q. Who are your major customers and markets?
Our customers vary from small machine shops to automotive ancillary manufacturers like Pricol, Amara Raja, Rane, Mothersons, Tubes India (TI) and Arkkays. In the engineering sector we have customers like LMW and in the FMCG sector we have customers like ITC. Even large companies like Ford, Nissan and Saint-Gobain have been our customers in the past.
Q. Why do customers come to you again and again?
We are highly customer-centric in our operations. Since the time we have increased our focus to materials handling robots, we have been able to standardize a lot of our internal processes and respond to our customer very fast at a much lower cost. This results in much higher customer satisfaction and quicker ROI. This must be the reason why customers come to us again and again. Recently we supplied one robot to Rane EVL. They were so happy with its performance that they immediately ordered more Robotic systems!
Q. What are the challenges ahead for a company like you in today’s context?
The field of Robotics is in a massive growth phase similar to what IT was in the late 90s. When this happens, we have to be ready to scale up our production to ride the growth wave. Side by side, we must educate the customer on the benefits of automation. They must be induced to adapt the manufacturing processes to make room for robots to take charge. We have to remove the fear from the minds of the customer that there won’t be any issues of breakdown and idle time since they themselves can address the snags if any and keep the machines humming.
Q. What’s the shape of things to come in factory automation and how do you envisage making a dent in this exciting field?
Some 20 years ago a robotic solution cost Rs.30 lacs. Today it is in the vicinity of minimum Rs.15 lacs. The inflation adjusted prices are dropping down massively and will drop down further in the days to come. This will help manufacturers to go in for more and more robotic automation. There has not been any change in technology in Robotics for the past four decades. However, we are seeing significant changes in technology in the last 2-3 years. The next wave of robotic technology like collaborative robots which work side by side with humans and super easy programming and operation methods which are similar to your mobile devices and apps are already rolling out. The worldwide robotic sales for the year 2013 is said to be 179,000. This is nowhere near the potential demand for robots in the world. In the year 2014 China is the largest consumer of robots. Indian SMEs should think progressively and take path-breaking decisions to reap the benefits of productivity and flexibility offered by robots. We in India are on a growth trajectory. And robots will play a pivotal role in enhancing our quality, productivity and operational efficiency in the days to come.
