The role of automation in the Indian industry is becoming increasingly important and Gandhi automation is ready to capitalise. An interview with Samir Gandhi, Director, Gandhi Automations Pvt Ltd

What opportunities do you see for your products in the Indian market?
In the past few years an increasing number of MNC’s have started manufacturing in India and they have introduced Indian companies to the advantages of automation for entrances and material handling. Material Handling and Entrance Automation has a key role to play in facilitating the quest for being truly world-class and ensuring a “competitive advantage” for the Indian industry. Indian industry has started giving emphasis on the technology updates and industry norms. To address the need of user-friendly operations, Material Handling and Entrance Automation are the latest technology. It provides ease of operation, swiftness and above all security, the pre-requisite benchmark.

Entrance Automations and Loading Bay Equipment are closely related to the construction industry. The Indian construction industry is an integral part of the economy. Construction accounts for nearly 65% of the total investment in infrastructure and is expected to be the biggest beneficiary of the surge in infrastructure investment over the next five years. The construction industry comes with a promising future. The sector will escalate to new heights with construction activities taking place in different Indian cities. Government policies, expenditure in infrastructure and regeneration projects will provide the growth impetus. The industry is seeing a change in the way industrial, commercial buildings or warehouses are constructed by using automations. Companies are also keen to keep up with the new trends and are welcoming the proposal of automation wherever necessary.

More and more of energy efficient products are being manufactured and considering the power crunch we face; this is a major contribution to saving energy. The development of electronics and the PLCs used in our products is being researched constantly for energy efficiency.

Discuss the emerging trends in entrance automation and loading bay equipment segment.
The infrastructure for warehousing and logistics is very poor. However, with the advent of GST and implementation of GST regime; things are looking very upbeat. Companies have started investing hugely in warehouse space & logistics. This has very promising views on upcoming technology and advancements in this sector.

The emerging trends which are becoming very popular are remote operated high-speed doors and rolling shutters; the challenges here are sustainability and access. The opportunities to the Indian Industry with automation is to maintain an efficient production cycle, safe inventory, Cutting-edge technology, speed of movement, functionality and safety- are the must-haves for this line of Gandhi automations products. If we add the high quality of personalization and design, they become unique elements necessary for daily logistics operations and for the visibility of customer identity.

Many manufacturing industries nowadays need a controlled environment in which you limit the amount of dirt and dust in the manufacturing premises. Medical instrument manufacturer, electronics and computer manufacturer, food industry, the pharmaceutical industry and some military applications are but a few of the examples that have strict requirements for maintaining the dust free environment.

Our high-speed doors and dock levelers are relatively more popular in the logistics industry as their main focus is to maintain seamless operations and minimal downtime while meeting their manufacturing, storing and supplying needs. Our high-speed doors are self-repairing which provide effortless passage for material and manpower movement. The high operating speed reduces time taken in movement of material, thus hastening the logistics process.

High-speed doors have thus become an integral part of all these industries. Prime High-Speed Doors benefits various operations, including areas with special requirements for temperature control, hygiene, storage and handling of frozen foods, Atex rapid doors are needed in explosion-proof areas, deep freezer automatic roll-up door needs in cold storages, warehousing, loading bays and on conveyor systems. Prime Reset features a special advanced self-repairing system.

What are some of the innovative products in your product portfolio?
There are several products where our research and innovations have resulted in the genesis of a state-of-the-art product which has not just delivered efficiency but also additional safety.

For example, our adjustable Radius lip dock levelers helps adjust itself to move up and down for smooth loading and unloading from containers. Telescopic Lip Dock Levelers are perfect for cold storage, joining trucks unable to drive close to dock i.e. sea containers, side loading railway wagons etc. These products can be provided with a lip covering up to 1 m.

Inflatable dock shelters provide perfect sealing by inflating themselves around the docked vehicle, which makes them ideal for applications within the food industry. They are suitable for a wide range of vehicle sizes and provide continuous weather protection throughout the entire loading and unloading operation. Inflatable Shelters deliver the most versatile seal offered to service the widest diversity of truck and trailer configurations. Different to other types of Dock Shelters, the truck does not push towards the shelter. In its place the shelter is inflated around the docked vehicle providing complete seaming.

High-Speed Freezer Duo can be used in cold storage and load-out doorways, where speed and good insulating properties are a critical requirement. High-Speed Freezer Doors have a revolutionary soft bottom edge and sensor combine to ensure operator safety at all times. High-Speed Freezer Duo doors manufactured by Gandhi Automations are sturdy, dependable and an ideal fit for maintaining temperature control. To prevent ice formation during intensive cooling Gandhi Automations’ high-speed freezer duo doors, have a functionality of partial and full opening. Its intelligent dual curtain technology – simultaneous open and close operation has blower/dryer to maintain temperature balance.

Material Handling and Entrance Automation has a key role to play in facilitating the quest for being truly world-class and ensuring a “competitive advantage” for the Indian industry.
Samir Gandhi,
Director,
Gandhi Automations Pvt Ltd