B&R : The trend setters of automation arena
Mr. P. V. Sivaram – Director,
B&R Industrial Automation
Till date, automation in the manufacturing industry has evolved with time and technological advancements. In the manufacturing industry, the key to winning in automation today is selecting software and hardware components for system that are best suited for the task at hand and that can scale in functionality tomorrow. Considering the growth of the industry & technology movements, ENGINEERING REVIEW is in interface with Mr. P. V.Sivaram- Director, B&R Industrial Automation for taking up the snap view of automation technology industry.
Q. Please brief us about company’s global reach & latest initiatives in industrial automation space? Which are your focus areas?
B&R is experiencing a strong growth in all the markets. We are one of the few companies experiencing a growth in all markets. We are now present in 68 countries with 168 offices. With this, we are able to service our customers in any part of the world. B&R is a very innovative company.
Our products actually set standards for the market. With the latest products in the Industrial PC space with Multi-touch screens, compact PC formats, we set a trend. Now we come out with Controllers in PLC format, which however incorporate a Intel ATOM processor. Industrial Safety integrated into all product ranges is another trend-setter. However, the game changer is the intelligence which comes built into the platform of Automation Studio and the associated Libraries.
We will be now strongly focusing on Integrating Safety into the Motion Solutions, and on our offerings for enhancing Energy Efficiency.
Q. What are the market opportunities for B&R products in India? How do you plan to position these products?
India is a big and growing market for Automation. The real differentiator in the Indian market is customer support. It is essential that customer support is provided with high degree of competence. We would all have experienced in various branches, where the service component is eager, but inefficient. The product performance then gets limited by the service performance. Our products are highly sophisticated, however all our innovation is driven by our customers. Therefore each product has a well designed usability envelope. This will be our USP.
Q. What is your marketing strategy for India?
We shall use all the vehicles available for marketing of a Highly Complex Industrial Capital Goods portfolio. This will include seminars, and demonstrations, but also technical articles. Then we have the traditional methods of exhibitions, media etc.
Q. What is the role of R&D activity in your company?
We are a very strongly R&D oriented company. Of our over 2000 member strong team worldwide nearly 20% are engaged in R&D activity. As you know, Automation is now only partly the HW block, it is more about the system and the application programming. But this RD is actually done in close cooperation with our customers, to deliver innovation for their market.
Q. Brief us about the quality policy for your business?
From prototypes to series production, every component is manufactured at the highest level of quality using the latest production methods, the newest technologies and fully automatic testing and inspection systems. Before leaving the factory, each component undergoes a one-hundred percent in-circuit inspection and a seamless array of function tests. These inspections utilize the highest standards and include tests that far exceed requirements.
Team – B&R Automation
Q. Could you brief us on Indian & Global perspective of automation industry?
The business volumes in Automation are growing. This is practically demanded and driven by the economy in the developing countries. However, there is another angle to this. The three factors – more compact and cost effective computing power, more secure and powerful communication solutions, and higher penetration of open systems ( as opposed to proprietary solutions ) will result in a shake-up. This will bring about much more customer benefit, with more interoperability, decentralized automation, and implementation and enforcement of standards.
Q. According you what are the factors affecting to your business?
The important factor is of course the increasing awareness and thereby, acceptance of automation as a key player in the manufacturing arena. This in turn is brought about by demand for quality products from the consumer space. This trend will continue and give benefits to the automation industry.
Q. What are the key technological trends that are driving industrial automation industry?
There are several technologies which play a role in Industrial automation. One is of course raw computing power, which becomes more affordable every day. Then there are the display technologies, there are various communication protocols and media. Eventually, what matters is that how well do these technologies solve the problems on the shop-floor. One should not forget, that the main factors – of usability, serviceability, and appropriateness for purpose, will be the measures which will determine success.
Q. What is your vision for B&R Industrial Automation?
We will grow. We are embarking on a phase of expansion, to take us to the next level. We will increase our geographical reach, and in the coming years, bring in more and more of innovative products into the market.
Q. What are the issues you need to address that are related to automation industry?
The issues are mainly associated with the ecosphere around the deployment of automation. We have to develop a culture of automation – selection, implementation, installation, maintenance – it is all about these activities. So of course we have to address education, training, and upskilling. We need some kind of regulation in place already. In a phrase, it is about developing the human capital.
