Machine tool firms keen on upgrading

The Indian machine tool industry is upping its effort to look outward by planning to register a bigger presence at this year's Hannover Fair, considered the biennial meet of the global metalworking business.

The number of Indian firms participating at EMO 2007 (Exposition Mondiale de la Machine Outil), from September 17 to September 22, is going up from 25 to 29, the and space booked is set to go up three times, to 1,500 sm.

Of these, nine are machine tool manufacturers, 16 machine tool accessory and attachment manufacturers, and four from media and Internet commerce focussing on this trade.

Said NK Dhand, president, IMTMA, "We are trying to use the occasion for two main purposes "" to learn about the new technologies on display and try to increase our exports. We are focusing on exporting to all Eastern European countries, Russia, Germany, Brazil and Australia."

Some of the exhibiting companies include: ACE Designers, Bharat Fritz Werner, Carbtools (India), Electronica Machine Tools, Forbes Gokak Precision Tools Division, ITL Industries, Jyoti CNC Automation, Krishna International, Micromatic Grinding Technologies, Pragati Automation, Proteck Circuits and Systems, Uday Computer Aided Manufacturing.

The products on display will include turning and grinding machines, machining centres, honing and finishing machines, tool turrets and CNC rotary tables. Most of these products are targeted at auto and auto-ancillary manufacturers, machine tool manufacturers, tool and die industry and other general engineering industries.

Though small (2006-07 industry turnover Rs 1,721 crore), the mood in the industry is buoyant as it has been growing around 35 per cent annually since the recession ended in 2003-04. The scope for further growth is enormous as imports have been growing at a much faster pace.

As Indian toolmakers have the cost advantage and have established their competitiveness at the lower end of the industry, they can continue to grow fast if they can keep accessing the right technology. Hence, the importance of the fiat which the latest technology is on display.