We have added two additional production lines for positioning switches and safety switches. In the near future, two more production lines will be established in the new Export Oriented Unit area says Sagar Bhosale, Managing Director, Schmersal India.

What kind of products will be manufactured in your expanded Export Oriented Unit (EOU)?
Until now, we have produced several types of electromechanical switches and solenoid interlocks that are used for machine safety. In the expanded facility, we have added two additional production lines for manufacturing switches and safety switches. In the near future, two more production lines will be established in the new Export Oriented Unit (EOU) area. Here, we will manufacture the switchgear that is currently produced in one of our manufacturing units in Germany.

What kind of impact did you witness owing to the lockdown in your product range, which products have garnered attention now?
As a manufacturer of safety switches and switchgear for the lift industry, product wise, the impact has been largely contained – except for two current trends.

The first trend is that the business has slowed down as production sites of our customers were closed, export was blocked, orders were cancelled and global supply chains were interrupted. We are slowly fighting back to normality now. Safety equipment is crucial for every machine. Our customers rely on us and we deliver.

Another trend has been due to Covid-19 and its hygienic consequences, food manufacturers have switched to smaller packaging units. Here, new or refurbished machines are needed since we have a massive footprint in the food and packaging industry which continues to grow.

Going forward, how will this pandemic impact product development and R&D, what kind of features in existing products or what kind of new products will be sought?
We do not see any impact on this side. What we are constantly doing is transferring safety features from the mechanical into the software side of the machines – for instance, intelligent safety PLCs. This allows us to integrate the safety function perfectly into the machine and its functions; at the same time, it increases the flexibility of the machine.

How have you managed to keep your manufacturing units and workers protected in the crisis? We understand the value of our human assets, likewise we have ensured our production lines are not interrupted. All the safety measures and practices are strictly being followed to ensure safety of the staff coming to the factory and other offices. We have also limited the staff working in our factory and office space, as for the rest of staff is concerned, they are all working from home.

What kind of business opportunities do you expect in the new year? Which quarter of 2021 do you feel will normalise the market sentiments and revive businesses globally?
This is dependent on the Covid-19 related situation. At the moment, we “run on sight”, as the skiers and snowboarders call it. All we can say is each year we have achieved a healthy growth and we expect this growth to continue in 2021. Main application fields of our safety switchgear like food industry, power industry and general mechanical engineering are robust. 

Due to India´s general economic growth, we will benefit from the development of the national machine manufacturing industry. At the same time, we will increase our export share step by step. Currently it is 10 per cent of the total sales, and it will grow. We are very confident about the future, even if it cannot be foreseen in which quarter the economy will return to normal – or rather normal business.