Abhay Patil: Machines should not be over-engineered

Abhay Patil, started off his presentation by listing out the departments that have expectations from the packaging machinery manufacturer. The departments are entrepreneurs, production team, maintenance team and the regulatory compliance body of the company.

Entrepreneur’s expectations
Patil said that the main concern is the payback and ROI and hence, they would want to have the shortest payback period with a provision for add-ons in future. The next requirement is the least requirement of manpower. Patil said, “The manpower can be reduced with the help of shaft-less or clamping mechanisms; and robotics for human interface and locomotion.”

The third need from a packaging CEO’s point of view is that it should be energy efficient and use energy efficient motors, heaters and lights. The packaging machines should not have unnecessary weight and they should have dynamic balance. Patil believes that the machinery should not be over-engineered. “The owners will focus on increasing productivity and minimising the waste to create a brand value,” he said. 

Production team’s expectations
Patil spoke about the production team’s importance as it will be the user of the machines. He said, “The team will require all technical necessities like easy accessibility, web threading positioning at a convenient height, automatic cleaning system and much more.”

He also talked about the safety parameters that the operators would need such as conductive grease, safety interlocks and use of artificial intelligence. 

Maintenance expectations
The maintenance team is responsible for the installation and maintenance of the machines. Hence, according to Patil, this team will require “solid” after-sales support and spares that are easily available. “The parameters such as precise fault detection and diagnostic procedure must be displayed,” he added.

He hoped that manufacturers provide a toolkit of learning in design and production. He said, it’s not just about supplying technology but connecting with the factory and shop floor, as well as the actual team who operate the kit.

Regulatory compliance body’s expectations
The regulatory body of the company makes note of all the regulatory aspects and the compliance aspects that the company is following.

Later, Abhay Patil talked about how the regulatory body expects no air pollution, no water pollution, noise reduction and online waste recycling. 

Today, ESG and sustainability is a big play for printers as more and more clients set high expectations of their suppliers to have clear programs and measurements in place to manage their carbon emissions and their social impact in the communities in which they operate.

He concluded his session by saying that the packaging machinery manufacturers should have sustainability compliance. “Factors like heat recycle, solvent recycle, water recycle and solar energy utilisation should be considered,” he said. 

Abhay Patil’s main theme was: he expects to see the further use of automated and integrated workflows driven by AI, as costs inevitably rise and we lean towards the use of technology to balance this, and support businesses in India. He said, “Innovation and upgradation should not compromise affordability.”