The 10 most advanced industrial automation companies

™
Shaping the Automation Arena by Delivering Smart Industrial Automation
AUTOMATION
The10Most
Advanced Industrial
Cyber-Talk
Innovations in the Industrial
Automation Field
NARAIURAN
CONTROLS
COMPANIES
Ravi Shankar Natarajan
Managing Director
June 2018
www.insightssuccess.in
Industry-Evolution
Reinforcing CyberSecurity in
the Era of Automation

utomation technology is taking everyone on ride and its
Apositive effects have are started resonating in all business
vertical including industrial automation. According to reports,
industrial automation and instrumentation market in India have a bright
future, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7% during 2018-2022.
The ability of enhancing the operations for a sustainable development
will be the motivating factor for the growth in discrete industry.
Despite having this optimistic projection, the industry has to face some
tough challenges to march ahead with full vigor. The cost of
automation is one such issue. Bringing the whole manual setup on the
automation is not as easy as it looks. It requires strong financial
resources to engineer and adopt automation technology in a business.
Hardware solutions like PLC’s (programmable logic controllers) to
intelligent robots, quality control tools like inspection cameras and
sensors are an inseparable part of an automated production system.
These aspects provides a great benefit to the business which augment
the overall efficiency of operations but requires a higher initial cost
which is a challenge for any business which is part of the industry but
going through a tough time. However, with the passage of time, the
cost of technology declines that allows small and medium-size
businesses to adopt innovative production solutions.
Labor market is another challenge which is a much more grave issue
that needs to be handled very carefully. Millions enter into workforce
every year, and there is a huge workforce already across the industries
that are employed. Corporates thus need to take the cognizance of their
displacement by upgrading their skill set and providing other
opportunities that arise with the implementation varied automation
technologies. For example, food processing industry has high potential
for automation, but the decision to adopt automation will need to
consider the cost of manual processing, the abundance of people who
are willing to work, benefits that automation can produce, nature of
competition and newer roles and responsibilities for the displaced
personnel.
Despite these challenges, deployment of automated systems can bring
plethora of performance benefits for any business include greater
throughput, high-quality products, improved safety conditions, higher
productivity, and competitive edge over the peers. These benefits will
ultimately attract every business towards automation, sooner or later as
someone rightly said: the cost of benefits overcome the challenges with
the passage of time.
Editorial
Growth of
Automation
is Inevitable
Ashwini Deshmukh

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Business Development Executives
Ashwini, Meera, Tejaswini
Contributors
June, 2018
Shweta Shinde
Art Editor
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Visualiser
Shweta Ambilwade
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Executive Editor Ashwini Deshmukh
Copy Editor Ashwini S. Deshpande

Articles
Innovations in the Industrial
Automation Field
Industry-Evolution
Cyber-Talk
Reinforcing CyberSecurity in
the Era of Automation
22
38
A Meaningful Dialogue
with Data
Data-Trend
26
Understanding the Industrial
Control System
Expert's Outlook
32
Delivering Astounding Automation,
Control, & Security Systems
NCC Telecom
16
Naraiuran Controls
Shaping the Automation Arena
by Delivering Smart Industrial Automation
8
Cover Story
Contents
CXO Standpoints
Interview

B&R Industrial Automation
A Global Player Delivering
Cutting Edge Automation Products
20
Ossian Agro Automation
Transforming the Rural Facets
with its Finest Irrigation
Automation Tools
Reex Technologies
An Efcient Organization
Taking Automation System
to the Next Level
Softhard
Global Specialists in
Hardware and Software
Solutions
28
36
42

oday, to resolve the automation and control related issues, industries are using the ever changing technologies
Tin control systems. These advanced control systems require high quality and reliable control systems to deliver
efficient production through manufacturing processes. The smart devices developed in this industry is
efficaciously controlling the processes along with communicating flawlessly without linking to other control devices
like PLC’s.
In the issue of “The 10 Most Advanced Industrial Automation Companies”, we have presented the leading
companies in the Industrial Automation industry, delivering hi-tech and supremely advanced automated products and
services.
This issue specially features Naraiuran Controls (India) in the Cover Story. Naraiuran Controls is the leading
organization in the industrial automation era which offers the finest and smart manufacturing automation.
Besides, we have listed; B&R Industrial Automation, which combines state-of-the-art technology with advanced
engineering to provide customers with complete solutions for machine and factory automation, motion control, HMI
and integrated safety technology; Ossian Agro Automation, the leading organization which provides appropriate
e-devices to the rural areas for better implementation of irrigation systems; Reflex Technologies, which is an expert
organization providing End-of-Line Automation solutions; Softhard Group of Companies, which is a research, design
and manufacturing company with domain proficiency in hi- technology electronics solutions; Delta Electronics India,
the world's largest provider of switching power supplies and DC brushless fans, as well as a major source for power
management solutions, components, display solutions, industrial automation, networking products, and renewable
energy solutions; Falcon Autotech, which is one of the World’s most respected and trusted brand in Intra-logistics
Warehouse Automation Space; Mikro Innotech India, who leverage on its in-depth knowledge and proven design &
implementation experiences to meet the complex automation systems needs of multinational customers in industries
such as healthcare, Automobiles, electrical / electronics and consumer products; Schneider Electric, which is leading
the Digital Transformation of Energy Management and Automation in Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure
and Industries; and Voltas Limited, India’s largest air conditioning company, and one of the world’s premier
engineering solutions providers and project specialists.
We have encompassed the Expert’s Outlook ‘Understanding the Industrial Control System’, by Falgun Rathod, the
Managing Director of Cyber Octet Pvt Ltd, and Data-Trend ‘A Meaningful Dialogue with Data’ by Valmet
Automation Pvt. Ltd.
We have also featured ‘Interview with Insights Success’ with NCC Telecom, a boutique technology company which
designs and develops indigenous products such as home/lighting automation, building/video intercom systems in India.
Also, we have included ‘Innovations in the Industrial Automation Field’and ‘Reinforcing CyberSecurity in the Era
ofAutomation ’scriptedbyourin-houseeditorsinthewonderfulpagesofthismagazine.
So, flip through the delightful pages of our magazine and experience the advancements of the industrial automation
industry!
Technology Advancements Fostering the
Industrial Automation Industry
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Cover Story
Managing Director

Naraiuran
ControlsShaping the Automation Arena by
Delivering Smart Industrial
Automation
We predict
changes & respond
in real time

Our team
is sandwiched
with
multidisciplinary
& functional
expertise which
helps to
understand
our
customer
he automation industry paradigm is shifting towards more
Tcustomized and flexible production. Automation has its own
pattern of high production volumes where the production and the
products are always kept changing. While global production volumes
remain high, automation now has to be flexible enough to deal with
rapidly changing product configurations. Co-operation of Human–Robot
as a hybrid team is the collaborative method towards enhanced flexibility
and Intelligence.
As every industry is active with the Industry 4.0 strategy, the
manufacturing industry is getting ready for smart factory where
automation and data exchanges has big role to play in manufacturing
technologies. IoT and cloud computing plays a vital role in designing that
will reshape the culture of manufacturing process flow.
Headquartered in Chennai, Naraiuran Controls is one of the leading
Turnkey automation companies in India which provides end-to-end
engineering solutions from the conceptual design to buy off support.
Naraiuran specializes in designing, engineering, manufacturing &
integration, and consulting of a complete plant and has more than two
decades of vast multi-industry experience. The company has been
splendidly working with the functional knowledge of the diverse
spectrum of industries which offers quality deliveries to the customers.
Naraiuran has been evolved from a small startup to an established
technology partner of various renowned clients across the world.
A Leading Light of Naraiuran
Ravi Shankar Natarajan is the Managing Director of Naraiuran
Controls who established the company in 1997 with his inherent potential
and a solid mission of building integrity and innovation. Ravi Shankar is
a dynamic entrepreneur who thinks beyond himself and his team believes
him for his strategic vision. He has a rich experience in all verticals of the
industry which has made the company as a path-breaking organization in
delivering the finest and advanced engineering solutions for the industry.
Ravi Shankar is an influential leader who believes in growing
consistently and regarding this, he says, “I am gaining experience as I
take up challenges of facing high winds, low altitude, mental and
physical fatigue, and I keep going as I believe that organization has no
age.” For him, business is ‘Beyond Making Money’. Under his
leadership, the company is shifting to the next spectrum of growth and
enduring both geographical and domain expansions.
Delivering Substantial Industrial Automation Solutions
Naraiuran focuses on all segments of the automation industry and
marvelously combines them with its powerful technology team and
delivers a sophisticated portfolio of engineering services.

The industry paradigm is shifting towards more customized
and more flexible production. Automation has its pattern of
high production volumes where the production is changing
and the product is changing. While global production
volumes remain high, automation now has to be flexible
enough to deal with rapidly changing product
configurations. Co-operation of Human – Robot as hybrid
team is the collaborative method towards enhanced
flexibility and Intelligence.
As the manufacturers need to achieve shorter time-to-
market and reduce product life-cycle costs, including
energy consumption, while ensuring quality, reliability and
economic efficiency adapting Robotic automation and Data
Integrity will support to meet Industry 4.0. Our expertise
and our team ability to identify opportunities in the
production give us the ability to deliver automation
solutions meeting Industry 4.0.
The Active Work Culture and Stout Team of Naraiuran
A healthy working environment is the most pivotal
requirement for every organization which influences its
employees and makes them feel valued. Naraiuran offers an
interactive environment where each employee is treated as a
family member and it also arranges various employee
engagement activities. The company provides an open door
policy, professional infrastructure, and diverse opportunities
to explore their talent. These policies facilitate the
employees to improve their crucial factors such as better
quality of work, strong team work, and decision making
ability. The prime motto of Naraiuran behind organizing
such activities is to encourage the organization’s
atmosphere which makes it more energetic and apparently
increases the overall work performance of employees. It
also believes that the pivotal aspects such as long-term
trusting relationships with every employee and encouraging
their contributions as well as their personal development are
the rock pillars of the company’s success.
Naraiuran firmly believes in the power of teamwork and it
largely invests in team building as well as on the
infrastructure for long-term exploration. The company has a
robust team in the Electronics, Mechanical, Robotic,
Automation, and IT domains which build innovative ideas
for the industry. Its competency team delivers the value
proposition to its customers, from design engineering to
production. It is an efficacious organization which sees
through the gaps as well as the opportunities for the
improvement of productivity in discrete or process
manufacturing plant. The company’s sturdy team is all
focused on maintaining their existing customers through
ongoing sales, and encourages referrals to the new and
potential clients through their high quality service, product,
and price.
Unique strategies to Accomplish Customer Satisfaction
Naraiuran associates with its customer as a technology
partner on the board more than an integrator. The company
believes that its experience and expertise makes it capable
of building customized solutions as per the needs of the
customers. While elaborating the distinct tactics the
company implements, Ravi Shankar assert, “Our project
team is well-trained to provide the specifications that we
We create a digital link between
operations and information technology
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With Naraiuran, our
customers always have a
reliable partner
to rely on

agree. The foremost pivotal diﬀerential we oﬀer is our
approach to new projects, attitude to nurture the
relationships.” He further adds, “Understanding the
concern at the time of execution and being with the client
even after the execution until we see the smile on client’s
face brings us real happiness.”
The Future Advancements of Naraiuran
Naraiuran is heading with a vision of continuous
improvement in providing high customer satisfaction and
maintaining its supreme services and solutions. The
company is all set to apply Industry 4.0 strategy which
would assist it to build innovative systems and solutions.
Articulating the future of the company, Ravi Shankar says,
“We are transforming towards Smart Industrial Automation
meeting Industry 4.0. Our infrastructure is getting
transformed to stimulate the client requirement in-house
and becoming smarter and more interconnected with every
passing second.”
A team with ‘Centre of Excellence’ is formed to analyze
industry gaps and opportunity for automation technology to
meet Industry 4.0 standards. With the functional expertise,
Naraiuran is working towards building “Industrial Digital
Ecosystem”. Naraiuran is also increasing its breadth of
reach to the client from turnkey control & automation with
Robotic Automation, cloud integration, IoT for tracking
system & monitoring, and Augmented reality for the
manufacturing industry.
We build
Industrial
Digital
ecosystem
with Plant
Integrated to
Cloud-IoT-
Augmented
Reality
application

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in

Management BriefCompany Name
B&R Industrial
Automation
Private Limited.
br-automation.com
Jhankar Dutta
Managing Director
B&R combines state-of-the-art technology with advanced
engineering to provide customers with complete solutions
virtually in every industry for machine and factory automation,
motion control, HMI and integrated safety technology.
Delta Electronics
India Pvt. Ltd
deltaelectronicsindia.com
Dalip Sharma
Managing Director
Delta Group is the world’s largest provider of switching power
supplies and DC brushless fans, as well as a major source for power
management solutions, components, display solutions, industrial
automation, networking products, and renewable energy solutions.
Falcon Autotech
Private Limited
falconautoonline.com
Vineet Baid
CEO & Co-founder
Mikro Innotech
India Pvt Ltd
mikroindia.com
Rajesh Pawar
Managing Director
Mikro Innotech leverage on its in-depth knowledge and proven design
& implementation experiences to meet the complex automation
systems needs of multinational customers in industries such as
healthcare, Automobiles, electrical / electronics and consumer
products.
Ossian Agro
Automation Pvt Ltd
nanoganesh.com
Santosh Ostwal
CEO,
Rajarshee Ostwal
Founder-Director
Ossian Agro Automation is the leading organization which
provides appropriate e-devices to the rural areas for better
implementation of irrigation systems.
Schneider Electric
schneider-electric.com
Anil Chaudhry
Country President &
Managing Director
Reflex Technologies is the leading organization which provides
End-of-Line Automation solutions.
Softhard Automation
Pvt Ltd
softhard.in
Milind Jagtap
Chief Mentor
& Chairman
Voltas Limited
voltas.com
Pradeep Bakshi
Director &
Chief Executive Officer
Voltas is India’s largest air conditioning company, and one of
the world’s premier engineering solutions providers and project
specialists.
Falcon is one of the World’s most respected and trusted brand
in Intra-logistics Warehouse Automation Space.
Softhard is a research, design and manufacturing company with domain
proficiency in hi technology electronics solutions. Their proficiency
lies in designing, development and fabrication of micro controller/
digital signal processor based product and solutions to meet industry
business needs.
Naraiuran Controls
(India) Pvt Ltd
naraiuran.com
Managing Director
Naraiuran Controls is the leading organization in the industrial
automation era which offers the finest and smart manufacturing
automation.
Reflex Technologies
reflexautomation.com
Rajesh Ananthakrishnan
Founder
Schneider Electric is leading the Digital Transformation of
Energy Management and Automation in Homes, Buildings,
Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries.
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TelecomDelivering Astounding
Automation,
Control, &
Security
ystems
n
Interview With Insights Success
We aim
to design indigenous,
modular, & cost-eﬀec ve
automa on systems
that are simple to use
‘ ‘
Chirag Ajmera
Director
June 2018
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Today, technology is making its move in almost
every sector of the world and home automation
does not set apart from that. Home Automation has
been around since many years in terms of lighting and
simple appliance control, and recently, technology has
caught up for the idea of the interconnected world. One
such organization which is very keen in building quality
control and home automation systems is NCC Telecom,
which has a core focus on open systems, industry standards,
and product innovation.
In an Interview with Insights Success, Chirag Ajmera, the
Director of Technology & Business at NCC Telecom,
shared the unique products and services the company offers
to its customers. He has also shared his views and success
mantra in making the company one of the leading
organizations in the automation industry.
1. Kindly tell us about your company.
NCC Telecom Pvt. Ltd. is an entrepreneurial technology
company headquartered in Mumbai City. We work on
interesting products with smart people, and treat everyone
like royalty. Our key products are Digital Dreams - Home /
Lighting Automation, Video Apartment & Intercom system
with 4 zone security and all of which are designed &
developed indigenously. Our focus on open systems,
industry standards, and product innovation has kept us in
the forefront of technical and market advancements in the
control and automation industry; making us one of the
leading manufacturers in INDIA. We value our customers
and work hard to maintain the highest level of service to
our customers.
2. Briefly, tell us about the CEO/Founder of the
company.
Chirag Ajmera serves as the Director of Technology &
Business at NCC and is one of the owners of the company.
Chirag’s main focus is to plan and manage all activities of
smart home software/product development and the IT
infrastructure alongwith growing the company by 15-20%
yoy.
His extensive understanding of the latest technology trends
provides the foresight for future product development. His
technical & problem resolution management skills, coupled
with his dedication to customer service have proven to be a
true value-added asset to the organization. His work is split
between growing the company and working with the team
on all areas of product, engineering and customer
happiness.
Chirag Ajmera’s purpose for joining NCC is to continue the
growth of the home company and to maintain profit
margins. He believes this will be accomplished by a
continued focus on the culture, people, technology,
efficiencies and operating costs.
Chirag holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Engineering in
Computer Engineering from the University of Mumbai as
well as a Master’s degree in Computer Science from
University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
3. What kind of Automation services/ solutions does
your company provide that makes you stand out from
the competitors?
Digital Dreams - Living Simplified
It is a one stop solution to unify all the lifestyle products
you love and create an experience you can’t live without.
By integrating everything from lighting, AV, HVAC,
security—even smartphones and tablets—Digital Dreams
enhances your everyday world to be more convenient,
intelligent, safe & efficient.
Technology makes life easier, design makes it more
enjoyable!
The Infinity collection of switches rewrites the rules of
design, making your home stand out from the pack.
4. Kindly brief us about the unique strategies that you
use in your company.
Modular Solution - We don’t mandate a consumer to buy
the most advanced smart home solution, rather we promote
“start with basics & keep adding over time”, under that one
can buy simple touch switch making basic lighting control
easy while giving home a unique decor.
Diverse Offerings - Smart home solutions are confined to
certain range of products eg. only switches, centralized
solutions etc. With us, it is different, we have a wide range
of product offerings which can cater to a single room upto a
mansion
Make-In-India - Now smart home is no longer restricted to
the few select
June 2018
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5. Kindly brief us about the most satisfactory experience with a client. What kind of game-changing services have you
provided them?
We have multiple such instances, but one of our most valued customer is Lodha developers
We started business with them in 2010 bagging 140 apartment project to provide smart home solution. Our diligent services,
unique oﬀerings and value for money solution rewarded us 3 more projects from them which accounted for a total of 857
apartments. It was our biggest milestone then and we would always be indebted to Lodha group.
6. How do you work on your long-term relationship with your clients?
Prompt service requests & best after sales support - Whatsapp, Support portal, twitter and facebook chat
Tech Upgrades - We launched support for Alexa in Nov 2016 & support for Siri in Nov 2017, so consumer gets the latest
update in the same hardware he/she is using.
7. What are the values and factors that you attribute your success to? Also, suggest the one quote which adorns your
company very well.
Truth, Optimal solution oﬀering &best-in-class services.
“Walk the talk” - we are a company who will show everything that we speak/recommend which is unusual in smart home
industry.
8. Kindly brief us about the Automation trends?
For now, automation trends include - Voice controls, AI & Touch
9. What are the future advancements of your company and how well-equipped are you?
We constantly keep upgrading the hardware and software used in our smart home solution and we have the appropriate team
of vendors and suppliers to bring new and innovative products in the segment. As far as the future advancements are
considered, we shall innovate in the periphery of smart home with increased intelligence in the system such that
user/consumer actions are automated and are transparent without requiring user intervention thus increasing convenience of
using a smart home system.
June 2018
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B&R Industrial Automation:
A Global Player Delivering Cutting Edge
Automation Products
he manufacturing industries are on the rise
Tworldwide which are evolving and adopting the
next generation technology solutions. With these
technology transformations, Indian players are not only
becoming increasingly competitive but also serving the
ever-growing demand of domestic and international market.
The initiatives and policies from the Indian government
such as ‘Make in India’, infrastructure development are
aiding ambitions of SMEs, thus creating an attractive
business environment for the Indian industry.
On July 6, 2017, an innovative automation company, B&R
Industrial Automation Private Limited became a
business unit of the ABB Group with its headquarters in
Austria. As a global leader in industrial automation, it
combines state-of-the-art technology with advanced
engineering to provide customers with complete solutions
virtually in every industry for machine and factory
automation, motion control, HMI and integrated safety
technology. The industrial IoT communication standards
like OPC UA, Powerlink and Open Safety as well as the
powerful Automation Studio software development
environment are constantly redefining the future of
automation engineering. The innovative spirit that keeps
B&R at the forefront of industrial automation is driven by a
true commitment to simplify the processes and exceeding
its customer expectations.
With over 200+ offices worldwide, the company provides
an entire range of products and software based open-
architecture solutions for machine and factory automation.
By pairing the B&R’s innovative products and software
solutions with ABB’s world leading offering in robotics,
process automation, digitalization and electrification, they
have expanded their position in industrial automation. At
present, B&R is uniquely positioned to seize the growth
opportunities resulting from the Fourth Industrial
Revolution.
An Enthusiastic and Adept Leader of B&R
Jhankar Dutta is the Managing Director of B&R India.
Jhankar holds a PG degree in Business Management –
Marketing after completing his graduation in Electronics
engineering and then joined the field of automation. With an
extensive experience of over more than a decade in the
industrial automation, he is specialized in machine and
factory automation in different industry verticals. Jhankar
began his B&R career in International Sales at Austria.
Subsequently he was heading one of the major offices of
B&R India in preparation for his new role.
B&R Factory’s Advanced Automation Applications and
Services
B&R is well-known as a technology leader and takes pride
in delivering cutting edge technology products. The
company provides unique solutions to the machine builders
and factory operators in various industries namely
packaging, plastics, printing and paper, textiles,
automobiles, food and beverages, semiconductors, wood,
metal and mining, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Over
4000 machine builders and 30000 plants and factories from
around the world trust in B&R. Even the machine builders
from India have been associated with B & R over many
years, which is strongly resonated in the number of
customers visiting their flagship, interactive event called
Innovation Day.
B&R acts as a key enabler for companies moving in the
direction of Industry 4.0 by offering them technologies &
solutions. This facilitation improves the productivity,
efficiency and flexibility of their machines and factories.
B&R’s Orange Box lets user’s access various parameters
and process data from digitally isolated machinery. The
Orange Box brings smart-factory intelligence to brownfield
installations with cost- effectiveness. It reads data from the
machines without making any changes to the existing
hardware or software.
June 2018
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B&R also realize that a product with high features is
insufficient from the market-leader situations. Hence,
they focus on having professional manpower’s who
have mastery over the products to help their customers
select and implement the new products and features.
They provide integrated one-stop solutions for
machine factory automation applications and services.
It also serves as a perfect automation partner to
machine builders helping them achieve a successful
Industrial IoT implementation. In addition, they also
offer complete assistance and guidance to their
customers during their project design and
implementation.
Successive World-Class Customer Support of B&R
B&R’s innovations in its products and technologies are
an ideal partner for achieving a cost effective, high
performance, modular machines and production units.
B&R has been a believer in open source architectures
for over a decade. Ethernet Powerlink, the open source
real time deterministic Ethernet communication acts as
a backbone for all B&R systems.
APROL from B&R acts as a middleware and simplifies
process data capture including energy and condition
monitoring. It collects, monitors, logs and analyzes
data, along with providing extensive reports and trends
for real time decision making. Users thus do not need
different systems for satisfying different needs of
energy, condition monitoring and data acquisition and
everything can be handled in a single system.
Condition monitoring systems help in predicting the
behavior of the machines and reducing unplanned
downtimes. APROL PDA can be used to monitor one
or more lines of machines in a factory. A clear
overview of the entire plant, including aggregated
status signals, makes it possible to assess data from
individual production lines or an entire plant at a
glance. APROL is equipped with comprehensive
analysis and reporting tools that generate individual
reports at the push of a button. These analysis and
reporting tools round off the functionality of the
automation platform and make the system an ideal tool
to meet the challenges of the future. Factory operators
get a complete view of Overall Equipment Efficiency
(OEE), energy data and condition data at their
fingertips.
Enhancing Customer Support Experience
Over the years, B&R has consistently grown with their
customers playing a vital role in its success. Together
We develop scalable
hardware and
software solutions
ready for Industrial IoT providing
Perfection in Automation
‘‘ ‘‘
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Advanced Industrial
C O M P A N I E S
with their customers, B&R wants to pursue their goals and
objectives and consolidate the future. “Our mission is to
enhance customer support experience and deliver
satisfaction efficiently in a shortest possible time. We are
proud to say that we are providing best in class service and
support to our customers. Our world-class support will
definitely enhance our customer’s experience, enabling
them to offer their customers faster service and reduce
machine downtime” states Jhankar Dutta.
Jhankar Dutta
Managing Director
June 2018
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21

Reinforcing
CyberSecurity
in the Era of
Automation
June 2018
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22
Cyber-Talk

he increased use of IT solutions in the industrial industry has led the management of the control systems to a difficult
Tlevel, making it vulnerable to outside breaches, especially cyber-attacks. As a general precaution, industries should
always be ready for any unexpected situations, activities or occasions and mainly assaults. Industries are in a search
of vital security solutions due to the proliferation of cyber-attacks over the past decade. These attacks have rendered
companies in the loss of their brand power, monetary loss, damage to the equipment, and infrastructure, tearing alongside the
trust of quality and confidential information.
Threats to industrial automation are very much different from IT threats. The difference lies in the matters of workplace
security, production downtime, process disruptions and physical damage to plants, assets, and humans. Sometimes, the IT
technologies lack the abilities to support industrial automation and are unable to implement safety measures and policies
which are necessary to stop the threats. Companies are trying hard to avoid such attacks and set a barrier against
cyber-attacks. The current day scenario of the open and collaborative market has made the industry prone to these breaches.
These dangers come from the web, connected corporate systems, and unauthorized access and many more.
June 2018
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The Exponential Increase in the
Cyber Assaults
Industrial automation industry
increased their concern about the cyber
breaches after seeing the aftermath of
such breaches. The common credence
that the industrial automation
industries are immune to cyber-attacks
as long as they are isolated from the
internet is no longer applicable in
today’s digital world. These increased
threats are a major concern with the
increasing level of automation,
digitization, and dependence on IT
solutions. The agendas behind such
attacks are monetary, competitive,
political, social gain, and sometimes
personal. Cyber-attacks are primary
aimed at DCS (distributed control
system), PLCs (programmable logic
controller), SCADA (supervisory
control and data acquisition), and HMI
(human machine interface). These
attacks enter an organization through
the loopholes left around unsecured
remote access, inadequate firewalls,
and less network segmentation.
The past decade has a memorable
history of cyber-attacks. Australia’s
Maroochy Shire’s SCADA was
compromised in March 2000. In
Poland, public tram system was
hijacked remotely in January 2008 and
Google faced the wrath of the attack
when its china domain got attacked in
2008. The federal agencies reported
around 782% increases in such attacks
to US-CERT. The year 2011 witnessed
CERT registered with around 200
incidents related to cyber-attacks. One
important thing to notice is that these
attacks were registered as these were
public; many such attacks have gone
unnoticed over the long years.
Attack Vectors
Cyber-attacks are driven by economic,
competition, and political agendas. The
organizations have no control over
such vectors. The basic attack
compromises physical security and
control system vulnerabilities.
Breaches happened through physical
security includes unsecured gates and
physical access to servers. These are
the internal error and internal threats
where malicious attacks happen from
employees and third party personnel.
Control system vulnerabilities include
network loopholes i.e. unsecured
remote areas, inadequate firewalls, and
lack of network segregation. Other
loopholes include out-dated hardware
and software and external devices like
PCs, USBs, mobile devices. The past
half-decade has forced companies to
implement patches and anti-malware
solutions. There is a specific need of
commitment to be formed within the
different corporations because the
cybersecurity is now present in the
world in a vast form.
Barriers Improving Cybersecurity
The first step in improving the barrier
stand is to welcome the open industrial
environment. In the past, old
organisation networks were isolated
from each other and they only depend
upon their proprietary hardware and
software. Now there is a need to form a
collaborative mechanism both
internally and externally. The open and
collaborative system will increase
productivity along with profitability.
The second step is to overcome the
inadequate end-user awareness. In
comparison to other industries, the
industrial industry has a low level of
awareness. Other businesses have
detailed cyber plans and procedures in
case of any type of breaches. One
reason not to implement such plans is
that the cybersecurity does not
generate money. It’s just not a good
return on investment (ROI). The task
of analyzing the threats and risks are
daunting and huge in size. The analysts
have a vision they can only create
plans and procedures, but cannot take
action against such threats. The third
step is to increase the IT solutions.
increasing it solution does open to
vulnerabilities, but it can be more
beneficial in strengthening the security
divisions. The benefits offered are an
increase in ease of operation and
working space. The fourth inadequate
step is to increase the skilled
manpower. The industrial sector prides
itself on its manpower. However, there
is less technical expertise available in
that manpower and the industry should
increase its technical manpower.
Partnering with the Right Solution
Provider
The most effective way of protecting
digital technologies is to establish
cybersecurity measures and
mechanism in the industrial plant as
early as possible when any
mischievousness is recognised. Firms
must understand the technical aspects
of the cyber security involving
industrial environment. The firms
should partner up with others firms
whose services centers around security.
These companies are equipped for
effective and efficient cybersecurity,
sometimes having experience in
working for the both IACS (industrial
automation and control systems) and
cybersecurity principles. The
companies forming ecosystem must
commit to the safety together.
Enterprises must understands that
cybersecurity is not a one-time
adventure but a long and learning
adjustment.
June 2018
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24

AMeaningfulDialogue
with
DATA
Modern pulp and paper mills generate large
volumes of data from process instrumentation,
process and quality analysers, condition
monitoring systems, process automation systems, quality
control and inspection systems and laboratory
measurements. In addition, there are volumes of data
concerning process reliability, productivity, maintenance
activities and consumable consumption. When this data is
combined, sorted and intelligently analysed, it has
tremendous value as a roadmap and metric for optimizing
the performance and reliability of process components,
sub-processes and even the complete production line. This powerful
data can be used to make valid decisions for sustainable
improvements in process operation and profitability.
The Industrial Internet is today’s enabler for accessing data securely
and making it a valuable resource for pulp, paper and energy
producers. This enables manufacturers to make valid decisions and
modifications which can stabilize and optimize a mill’s process
operations, quality and profitability. Most importantly, with the
Internet and cloud computing, this data is easily transportable so that
experts in pulp, paper and energy processes can quickly and surely
assess the state of the process, its stability and economical operation.
The result is improved performance.
Application and Services for Reliability and Performance
Industrial Internet applications and services are built to improve the reliability and performance of processes. Asset
reliability optimization includes online monitoring, predictive diagnostics, as well as data-analysis to improve mill and plant
efficiency, to help to plan timely maintenance, and to prevent unplanned shutdowns.
Operations performance optimization concentrates on integrating data from different systems together with production data
to optimize mill and plant operations. They also include optimization service for individual processes and the whole machine
fleet.
Data-Trend
Valmet Automation Private Limited
June 2018
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Performance Centres
Experts in pulp, paper and energy
processes provide root cause analysis,
process stability assessment, problem
solutions and recommendations, as
well as optimal control implementation
and tuning services. A primary
objective is to help customers push
production and profitability further
without major investments while
meeting production and quality targets
with minimized raw material,
chemicals and energy consumption.
The other mandate is to help customers
to keep production-assets in optimum
working condition while minimizing
maintenance costs. It also helps to plan
and implement shutdowns
professionally, which will aid in
avoiding costly overruns, as well as
optimize the use of
The Future of Analytics and
Management Tools
The future of data analytics will
involve common solutions by suppliers
in a “co-creation digital ecosystem”.
The suppliers in this ecosystem
understand the value of data for end
users and will work together on
co-creation and implementation of new
industry-specific solutions. The first,
concrete steps in building this
ecosystem have been taken by
combining the knowledge and
expertise of MES (Manufacturing
Execution Systems) and ERP
(Enterprise Resource Planning)
solutions for the pulp and paper
industry.
With this combination, customers’
business- and production processes
will be optimized by integrating data
and application expertise and by
offering combined solutions. These
include KPIs for OEE (Overall
Equipment Efficiency), OTIF (Orders
on Time in Full), Quality and Cost.
The combined offering will also
include optimization solutions utilizing
Advanced Process Controls (APCs)
and Advanced Planning (AP). APC
reduces process and quality variability,
optimizes process areas and moves
their targets to optimum economic
operating points. AP calculates
optimum targets for each process area
to maximize overall line performance.
The end result is more production from
the pulping process, debottlenecking,
and improved ability to plan for
disturbances or changes.
Conclusions
The enabling-technologies of Industrial
Internet and advanced data analytics
are complementary capabilities which
are helping pulp, paper and energy
producers to optimize their process
operation, its reliability and
profitability. As the value is
recognized, this trend is expected to
increase over the coming years. With
these capabilities, supplier experts in
pulping, papermaking and energy are
able to diagnose root causes of process
instabilities and inefficiencies,
optimally tune the process controls to
achieve maximum productivity, quality
and cost efficiencies, and make sound
recommendations for process
improvements. With predictive
diagnostics, they are able to diagnose
maintenance issues well before they
become problems, thereby improving
process component and production line
reliability and uptime.
In the coming years, new tools for data
management, process management and
business management will emerge as
industry suppliers with a common
appreciation of the value of data
combine their expertise and product
offerings. Line level or mill level
optimization will optimize the process
as a whole. The line optimization
solutions can combine process
improvements and consultation,
advanced process control and
optimization, analyzers and
measurements, regulatory controls
performance improvement, KPI
monitoring and benchmarking services.
In the future, there will be more
predictive maintenance solutions and
services to improve the reliability and
performance of processes. The use of
new technologies such as augmented
and mixed reality will promote new
expert applications which will virtually
connect supplier specialists with mill
production and maintenance staff.
Analytics have now been developed to
the point where traditional data
reporting, querying, drilling and
alerting have been augmented by more
data-intensive advanced analytics
which can simulate, predict outcomes
and optimize pulp, paper and energy
processes. Ultimately, prescriptive,
artificially-intelligent analytics will
support judgements and decisions by
mill staff, internal and external
resources.
June 2018
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Ossian Agro Automation:
Transforming the Rural Facets with its
Finest Irrigation Automation Tools
ith every passing day, the technologies are
Wevolving which is creating a deep necessity
to increase the pace of automation. A
continuous implementation of new trends in the
automation market is creating a great confusion among
the customers while deciding and finalizing the products
which result in delaying the decisions. Also, automation
companies are relying on the system integrators due to
various challenges in the promotion. This overall
scenario has hyped the need for developing best-in-class
organizations which deliver innovative products and
tools in the automation industry.
A Pune-based socio-entrepreneurship company, Ossian
Agro Automation is the leading automation company
which is engaged in the rural irrigation automation since
1996. The company was established with a solid motto
to provide appropriate e-devices to the rural population
for the efficient use of irrigation systems at an affordable
cost. Ossian Agro has been recognized globally by the
UNESCO, UNFAO, Mobile World Congress, GIZ, Forum
Nokia, GSBI, e-agriculture, and the other renowned
national as well as the international institutions.
An Influential Duo of Ossian Agro
Santosh Ostwal is the CEO & Founder Director and
Rajashree Ostwal is the Founder-Director of Ossian
Agro. Santosh is an Electrical & Electronics engineer
who is well-known for understanding the farmer’s mind
and pulse towards the smart irrigation. His
entrepreneurial journey has always been full of
excitement and courage along with severe falls and tiger
leaps. All these have been followed by a tremendous
success and a worldwide recognition from GIZ
(Germany), The Tech Museum (USA), UNFAO,
UNESCO, and etc. Santosh is an exemplary leader who
is an exclusive example of how a long-term goal can be
achieved with passion and dedication against all odds.
Ossian’s Comprehensive Set of Services
One of the Ossian’s inventions comprises ‘Namo-
Ganesh’ which controls the water-pumps with the help
of a mobile phone. This invention has proved to be a big
ICT revolution in the telecom automation field during
2003-2004. The company provides a wireless automation
of rural irrigation systems consisting of water tanks and
pumps in the farms as well as in the drinking water
supply systems. It has also launched a special system
called ‘Namo Ganesh M2M’ for the automation of water
tanks which have been popular among the rural and
urban applications.
The company is spearheading with its game-changing
services like friendly relations with the customers,
providing training to the local technicians from the
villages along with easy-to-use & low-cost technology
supported tools. The hardworking team of Ossian
believes in building trust with long-term commitments
with a proven track record and gives personal attention
to every farmer with their innovative networking models.
Creating a Splendid Amalgamation of Challenges &
Opportunities
Ossian Agro’s robust team takes every challenge as an
opportunity to reach the finest level in their work. There
are numerous challenges that the company faces and one
of them include the access of the rural community as the
June 2018
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buyers prefer local and secured products where even
an inferior product can also be a big competitor.
Enhancing the digital skills among the user as well
as local village technicians and building trust among
the users for a particular technology which
consumes a lot of time is also one of the major
challenges.
The government is keen on developing smart
villages and digital skill development and this
scenario has brought numerous opportunities for
Ossian Agro like increasing the implementation of
advanced technologies in the rural areas, penetration
of mobile and telecom skills in the villages, and
monitoring more than one million water tanks in the
rural drinking water supply systems.
A Glimpse of Ossian’s Most Satisfactory
Customer Experience
Ossian Agro has been working with the rural
community since three decades due to which the
company shares a strong bond with the farmers.
While remembering one of the valuable
experiences, Santosh says, “A basic product in the
first generation of 2004 has been recently bought
for small repairs. The customer was very happy
with the product and insisted on its repairing
instead of buying an advanced version. He was not
only satisfied by the cost-effective services we
provide but also endorsed the product to more than
40 new farmers in the village.”
Augmenting Growth with a Meticulous Planning
Ossian Agro is working on an ambitious project of
connecting rural water tanks and pumps to the
mobile network. This project is adopted across India
with Maharashtra as a pilot state. The company is
also working incessantly on a business model such
that the products will be provided to the villages at a
lowest possible cost with advanced technical
features to save water, electricity, labor, time, and
civil structures.
Ossian Agro is planning to implement IoT and
mapping of irrigation components in the rural as
We deliver
hi-tech advancements
in the rural areas
to build
competent and economical
irrigation systems
‘‘ ‘‘
T
h
e
Most
0AUT MATION
Advanced Industrial
C O M P A N I E S
well as the urban area in the coming years. Articulating
the future strategy of the company, Santosh & Rajarshee
says, “We have well-developed technologies in our stock
with the proven life test models. The basic task is to
expand the business model looking into sustainable
factor and accordingly, we are working with different
government bodies, international institutions, NGO’s &
industries for the partnerships.”
Santosh Ostwal
CEO & Founder Director
June 2018
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29

Understanding the
IndustrialControl System
CS - Control System is the Technology which
Iencapsulates the several types of control systems or
network associated with Instrumentation and used in
Industrial Processes. The Industrial control system (ICS) is
a general term that encompasses several types of control
systems, including SCADA systems, DCS, and other
control system configurations such as PLC often found in
the industrial sectors and critical infrastructures. (NIST)
Before Understanding ICS Security let’s talk about few
other technologies like PLC – Programmable Logic
Controller, PLC’s are controller used in Instrumentation and
acting as digital computers with multiple I/O and used for
Automation of Small & Heavy Industrial systems. SCADA
– Supervisory Control data acquisition is a control system
that uses Systems, Networks, and GUI for running efficient
processes of Industry to monitor and control Infrastructure
of Industry. SCADA & PLC’s are utilized and used in
small-scale within the industries like chemical, Paper,
power generation, telecommunication and much more as
they are cost effective. More complex architectures can be
developed by the communication of other internal devices
and controllers.
Few other examples are DCS (Distributed Control System)
– It’s a hierarchical control system with distributed
elements across a facility via communication technologies,
IED (Intelligent Electronic Device) – A Microprocessor-
based controllers device for controlling power systems
equipment. Major of the industries like Chemical, Gas,
Energy, Transportation, Manufacturing, Production and
many more are nowadays implementing and utilizing this
technology.
Mentioning the small brief below.
SCADA
9SCADA are highly distributed Geographically separated
assets
9Centralized data acquisition and control are critical
=Oil and gas pipelines
=Electrical power grid
=Railway transportation systems
9Field devices control local operations
Distributed Control Systems
9Supervisory control of multiple integrated systems
responsible for a local process
9DCSs used extensively in process-based industries
=Examples:
=Oil and gas refineries
=Electrical power generation
=Automotive production
9Feedback loops maintain set points
9Programmable logic controllers used in the field
Programmable Logic Controller
9Computer-based solid state devices
Expert's Outlook
June 2018
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About the Author
9Control industrial equipment and processes
9Regulate process flow
=Automobile assembly line
Differences for above all:
9Location
=SCADA – geographically dispersed
=DCS and PLC – factory centered
9Communication
=SCADA – long distance, slow speed
=DCS and PLC – LAN, high speed
9Control
=SCADA – supervisory level
=DCS and PLC – closed feedback loops
Hacking Industrial Control System
Almost 40 percent of all ICS and critical infrastructure
Falgun Rathod is the Managing Director
of Cyber Octet Private Limited. He has nearly
one decade of experience in Industry. Falgun is
specialized in Cyber Crime Investigation &
Infrastructure Security. He is also a renowned Cyber
Security Consultant and listed in Top ten Ethical
Hackers of India & Top Ten Cyber Cops of India.
Falgun had delivered over 100+ seminars &
trainings in various colleges and corporates across
India. He has been known for his distinguished
contribution to the society for cyber security
awareness and has also assisted State & Central
Government for many projects & cases.
Falgun is a member of ICTTF – International Cyber
Threat Task Force, CSFI – Cyber Security Forum
Initiative & Chapter Leader of OWASP for
Gandhinagar Region. He is committed towards
delivering an aim of Securing Digital Boundaries
of India by contribution of his knowledge,
skills and consistently trying
to minimize the gaps between
academics and Industries.
faced a cyber-attack at some point in 2017. Most of the
Systems either logically or physically impacted by Cyber
Attacks like Ransomware, Trojans, Malicious Insiders,
Malware, and other Hacking methods. More than 300
Attacks were noted in 2015 increased in 200 % since 2010.
Many companies, especially in Asia, are running Windows
XP which are already not supported and out of Market and
possess thousands of vulnerabilities.
There have been enormous development and distributions
of hacking tools on the Internet which can easily scan this
type of networks, systems through which vulnerabilities can
be found and exploited and meanwhile the whole Network
of Industry can be brought down in a couple of minutes.
Stuxnet was the major first worm impacted Nuclear Power
Stations and was developed to attack Iran’s Nuclear Power
Plant. It exploited 2 known windows vulnerabilities and had
infected 2, 00, 000 computers and ruined almost one-fifth of
Iran’s Nuclear Centrifuges. Later, Stuxnet origin Duqu,
Flame, Triton were the major malware discovered which
were exploiting the vulnerabilities of components of ICS.
Falgun Rathod
Managing Director
Cyber Octet Private Limited
June 2018
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Given below are the Major Threats for Critical Control
Systems.
1) Network Access – All the Internet accessible devices are
mapped by multiple tools and search engine like Shodan,
Google etc., Moreover Attacker will get to know the
technology been used and version of same.
2) Governance – There have been always lack of security
policies implemented and understood at ICS
environment. Assets in ICS if not standardized and not
maintained can be a threat to the ICS.
3) Physical Security – Attackers can easily target the ICS
Assets where physical controls are not in place and
without proper monitoring can be stolen.
4) Cyber Actors – Script Kiddies, disgruntled employees,
foreign intelligence, Insiders, Contractors/vendors could
also be a major threat to an ICS.
5) System Management – Delays in Upgrades and Updates
could also be harmful and cause a threat, No DLP,
Antivirus, Firewall on a system can be crucial and the
system could be hacked within no time, Physical Media
movement is also a part of the concern.
6) Supply Chain – Third-party vendors and contractors can
be attacked in order to target indirectly to an ICS. Even
Third party Hardware & Software data can be breached
or attacked through various vulnerabilities existing prior
to being installed in ICS environment.
Compromising ICS can result in:
=Unavailable systems
=Compromise of sensitive production data
=Impact delivery of materials/parts/weapons
=Impact integrity of the part being produced/repaired
Securing Industrial Control Systems
The industry’s spotlight is on Cyber Security of Critical
Infrastructure. It is not possible to prevent all incidents from
happening; we can identify the risks and mitigate the threats
with some new technologies emerging. The tailored
security solution is always trustworthy and advised to be
implemented. Moreover, Standards are been developed and
deployed on Infrastructure critical resources but again it is
not advised as there are a bundle of technologies, tools,
instruments, networks and software’s are been used hence it
is critical to rely upon one particular standard.
Following are the Controls and measures to be taken to
Secure ICS
1) Risk Assessment: Conducting Security Assessment of the
Infrastructure of ICS based upon relevant standard to be
implemented VS the Security Best practices.
Identification of the controls and implementation of same
for the Systems Security, Reviewing Network
Architecture, Software & Hardware used.
2) Conducting frequent Vulnerability Assessment &
Penetration Testing: Internal & External VA should be
conducted and proper testing should be conducted to
identify known vulnerabilities.
3) SOC & NOC to be properly set up to monitor the
network and infrastructure. Moreover, International
Standards/Compliance are defined which could be
implemented depending on the type of Industry.
4) Board-room Training from the Management to
Employees to be organized in order to avoid the Social
Engineering attacks and minimizes the risks of human
errors.
5) Licensed, Updated and Patched OS and software to be
used
6) Updated Antivirus, Unified Threat Monitoring Systems,
Industrial Firewall, Data Diodes, IDS.
7) BCP & DRP in place
No such 100% Security can be achieved but it’s all about
the Risk Reduction, Impact Mitigation, Operational &
Functional Security.
June 2018
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34

Reex Technologies
An Efcient Organization Taking
Automation Systems to the Next Level
he Indian manufacturing segment has undergone a
Tparadigm shift over the years and the global
exposure has made the customers more quality
conscious. Also, the advancements in the industry have
bought a whole lot of opportunities for the automation
companies. Hence, consistent manufacturing process
enabled by the automation is the only solution to cope with
these advancements and customer requirements.
Automation helps in reducing the cost of production, due to
which the Indian Manufacturing industry is treating
automation as a necessity instead of the luxury.
A renowned organization which established a pure tech-
oriented approach in the automation and robotics industry is
Reflex Technologies. The company is the leading
organization in providing End-of-Line Automation
solutions to the giant organizations across India. It has
strong partnerships with the global industry leaders and
offers a highly-customized as well as a cost-effective
solution under “PACKTOPACKOFF”™.
A Dynamic Leader of Reflex
Rajesh Ananthakrishnan is the Founder of Reflex
Technologies who has been standing as a strong pillar of
the company since its inception. Rajesh completed his
B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Bombay in
1992 along with a specialization in Controls and Robotics.
In the early days, he worked as a Research Assistant in the
robotics lab at IIT to develop his ideas and concepts of the
robotics. After mastering the core concepts of robotic
technology, he stepped into the nascent world of automation
in India. Under his effective leadership and guidance,
within the initial years, Reflex successfully developed a
6-Axis Robot and a 3-Axis CNC machine from the first
principles.
Rajesh is engaged in the operational areas of typical
segments such as Sales, Finance, Project, etc. Also, being
an entrepreneur, his core interests and responsibilities lie in
the product development, technology development, and
market development in the organization.
An Extensive Set of Services
Reflex Technologies possesses high adaptability over the
fluctuations in the market and the evolving global
technology developments. With the extensive experience of
over two decades in the various industries like automobile,
food, pharmaceuticals, textiles, plastics, and FMCG, the
company has narrowed down to the End-of-Line
automation solutions since a decade.
Reflex offers a complete range of quality products and
solutions to the high volume manufacturers in food &
beverages, FMCG, and textile market to meet the Intra-
Logistics challenges of their customers. The company is an
expert in providing Case Packer, Palletizer, Conveying
Solution, Warehouse Automation, Product Tracking
Solution, and Truck Loader. It also provides thorough end-
to-end solutions under its ‘PACKTOPACK’ by integrating
its products with the third-party products if required.
“At Reflex, we have taken the concept of designing and
delivery of automation system to altogether new levels. All
of our designs and inventions are highly customer-focused
and backed by the strong intellectual property rights”, says
Rajesh.
The USP of Reflex Technologies
Reflex Technologies holds a strong USP in having a ‘unique
approach’ towards solving a customer problem. The
company’s vivid strategy starts with the customer
requirement and then proceeds with developing the required
solutions. This unique approach of the company has made it
stand tough among its peers and has thrown a long lasting
impression on its clients.
One of the milestones achieved by the company includes its
outstanding service delivered to the edible oil industry in
2016. The edible oil industry was facing a major issue
regarding the strapping of a brown cardboard cover to the
15 kg tin. This process was proved to be more expensive in
terms of the material and labor involved in it. To solve this
issue, Reflex developed a robust process of sticking the
cover by eliminating the strapping and developed an
June 2018
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automatic machine which would eliminate the human
intervention and hence, the bottle-neck. This strategy
gave a huge benefit to the oil manufacturers. With
more such achievements Reflex is spearheading the
automation era.
Overcoming the Challenges and the Opportunities
While sharing his views on the opportunities and
challenges of the company, Rajesh expressed, “We see
both opportunities and challenges in today exciting
market. I have seen Indian manufacturing segment
mature over the years. Thanks to our fast growing
economy, volumes have shot up. Global exposure has
also made our consumer very quality conscious.
Consistent manufacturing process enabled by
automation is the ONLY solution. To be competing in
the global market, cost of production is paramount
.Automation helps greatly in reducing the cost of
production. Indian Manufacturer has experienced the
above and treats automation as a necessity and no
longer a luxury.”
One of the toughest challenges Reflex has faced
include the palletizing process. Palletizing is an
operation of stacking up products (Cartoons, Pails or
sacks) on a pallet for easy storage and transportation
for high volume manufacturer this process involves
high labor and strenuous work. In 2007, Reflex
introduced its first robotic palletizer. The robotic
palletizer of Reflex de-bottle neck this activity and
improves plant efficiency. After the successful
commissioning of first installation, this concept has
now become a standard norm in the paint industry.
Unwavering Vision
Reflex is currently working on the two major
technologies which are Haptic Technology and
Machine Vision Technology. With Haptic technology,
an operator of a tele-operated robot can “feel” a
product even though it is being remotely handled. On
the other hand, the machine vision technology is the
next major explosion in the automation industry where
robots would be coupled with a vision.
Reflex’s products and services are widely accepted and
implemented due to its unique and innovative designs.
The company is gearing to scale-up and deliver their
products to more customers. While enunciating the
future of the company, Rajesh asserts, “We are
aggressively working to get the cheaper and more
cost-effective as well as user-friendly products using
some very promising technologies like AI & IoT. Also,
we are working on a project to eliminate the
complexities of our product with a reduced cost.”
Reex
takes pride in
successfully delivering
concept solution in the
Intra-Logistics segment
over the
last two decades
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Rajesh Ananthakrishnan
Founder
TM
“ ”PACK PACKTO OFF
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Automation industries attain efficient production and manufacturing processes by eliminating issues related to their
production with the help of every day changing technologies. An industrial robot exceeds any human performance
based on precision, accuracy, and speed. These robots operate on various mechanical, electrical, and software
systems to overcome the fatigue experienced by the humans. Various types of control devices are used by the industries to
obtain full controlled, desired, and optimal performance from machines without the intervention of a single human body.
To achieve such desired speed and accuracy, automation industries use modern day hardware devices to control variables like
checking the condition of electrical equipment, control of devices, communications systems, HMI (Human machine
interface), and maintaining standalone computer systems. Such variables are necessary to be controlled in order to increase
and improve productivity, cost, quality, flexibility, and safety.
Innovation in automation industry comes from applications rather than coming from the new technology. The reason for not
using the latest technology lies in their utilizing method. Whenever a new technology comes into the market, companies use
new technology in a customized way accustomed to their usage, instead of using it as a whole. Looking into the history,
PLCs/DCS PCs/ dominated three decades in the automation industries becoming a commodity over these years. PLCs
replaced the old relay logic and were easy to program and reprogram and showed great growth in the automobile industry.
At the same time, minicomputers replaced large mainframe computers, although they were not distributed properly due to
their large clumps of computer hardware and cabinets. PCs were merely an extension of technology developed at that time
and were widely accepted and used in the automation industry. The new trends in the automation fields are the latest control
devices and communication protocols.
Industry 4.0
The fourth industrial revolution is the amalgamation of engineering and software combining core engineering and IT skills.
It’s the next trend in automation where the devices talk to each other. This fourth gen comprises cyber-physical systems,
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Industry-Evolution

Innovations
in theIndustrial
Automation
Field
internet of things, cloud computing, and cognitive computing. ‘Smart factory’ is the name given to the fourth revolution,
where cyber-physical systems monitor physical processes and Internet of Things, cloud computing, cyber-physical systems
communicate with each other and with humans in real-time.
The basic principle behind the industry 4.0 is to establish autonomous communication between machines, workpieces,
systems, and networks. The machines present in such factories are self-organized and can predict failures and trigger
self-maintenance processes autonomously. A typical factory diﬀers from a 4.0 factory in many ways. The latter is the
high-end production service and a key for upcoming future. In an ordinary factory, various data sources are available only to
provide information. Not to mention, the large and centralized production plants are now a thing of past. The new factories
are smaller, movable to resources and customers. Manufactured products will not be produced halfway across the world thus,
saving a lot of time and costs. Moreover, 4.0 components and systems are self-aware and self-predictive. Industry 4.0 surely
will have a huge impact on services like business models, reliability and continuous productivity, IT security, machine safety,
product lifecycles, skills, and socio-economic factors.
Autonomous Factories
The notion of a fully autonomous factory has existed for a long time now. The online and electronic transactions, digital
payments apps, AI-powered apps, and devices have severely contributed to the upcoming digital age. AI-powered intelligent
robots will handle all the necessities required by the supervisors of a factory. These automatons will aid in packing and
unpacking, loading and unloading of equipment.
The need for human handling and consolidation will be diminished. Drones and remote controlled automatons will further
assist in manufacturing. They provide better communication that too with high precision with the sensors, fast networks,
diagnostics software, and interfaces. Furthermore, such devices and sensors deliver abundant mobility using the wireless
technology. They assist in converting overloaded data into useful knowledge and interpreting the various types of control
layers.
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Software as a Future
Software has been around humans for decades now so there is no innovation present there. However, they support in
re-establishing the growth in innovation and technology. These types of automation cannot replace the exploratory skills of a
human. They are simply embedded in hardware, products, systems and aid in supervising control and data recognition. New
digital age software will be coupled with AI to improve their work methodologies and display humans with the correct
information.
The New Technology Directions
The future of automation lies in the hand of nanotechnology, nanoscale assembly systems, and MEMS nanotech sensors. This
revolutionizing technology has impacted almost every manufacturing industry like electronics, chemical synthesis,
biotechnology, agriculture, printing, metals, and many others. The mid-1970s marked the radial concept of nanotechnology,
first imagined by MIT undergraduate K. Eric Drexler who examined that the biological machinery could be adapted to
manufacture anything. At the core, the nanotechnology can place atoms in almost any reasonable arrangement, allowing
fabrication of almost anything along with the capability of replicating themselves.
Nanotechnology can be used to manufacture nano-scale materials, devices, miniaturized mechanical and electro-mechanical
elements. The materials manufactured by this technology will be much stronger, lighter, durable, water-repellent, anti-
reflective, self-cleaning, and infrared/ultraviolet resistant. Nano-scale circuits will be powerful and more energy efficient.
Nano-scale circuit chips comprising nano logic gates connected via nanowires can store large information at a very low cost.
The future belongs to the nanotech, wireless, and complex adaptive devices. New apps and software will be combined with
wireless sensors distributing information via peer to peer networks, measuring anything and everything over the internet,
machine to machine. To summarize, software along with networking and manufacturing pooled with nanotech and wireless
autonomous devices will be the key drivers of the upcoming industrial state of automation.
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SofthardGlobal Specialists in Hardware
& Software Solutions
uring the eighteenth century, the industrial
Drevolution came up and hence the automation was
introduced. With the coming of Automation the
machines were used to replace human labour and animal
power. With the advanced technology coming in,
electronics, computers, optical testing and rapid
development in other fields has made machine control even
more complex.
Softhard, since 1994, has devoted itself to the automation
field. It is an ISRO 9001:2008 certified company that has a
team of electronics professionals who have an aim of
providing high quality hardware and software solutions.
Today they have over 150 engineers and technicians spread
over manufacturing, R&D, Sales and Servicing all over the
country. Their sales have increased from USD 0.1 million to
USD 7 million in last one decade. The main focus of this
company is to provide robust embedded solutions across
various industry segments. Driven by strong technology
leadership and a committed team, Softhard is forging ahead
to meet the challenges of tomorrow with constant focus on
customers.
Experts in Hi-Tech Electronics Solutions
Softhard is a research, design and manufacturing company
with domain proficiency in hi technology electronics
solutions. The core competence of company lies in
designing, development and fabrication of micro controller/
digital signal processor based product and solutions to meet
industry business needs. From building management
systems, data loggers, energy management and process
control and automation to instrumentation and control, they
have a wide experience profile to cater to all the customer
needs. It is one of the few companies in the world to offer
complete range of Air conditioning control solution up to
8000T.
Softhard’s vision is to become the best company in India for
embedded and automation solution for manufacturing a
commercial industry. They value their customers to the
core. They wish to attain highest level of success in their
dedicated field. Developing and providing robust
technology at very reasonable rates and competitive prices.
Providing an innovative and commitment enabling
environment to all of its employees is their key feature.
About the Ingenious Mentor of Softhard
Milind Jagtap is the Chief Mentor & Chairman of
Softhard, who has come from a lower middle class
Maharashtrain family. At first, his family did not allow him
to do business as they believed that Marathis never
succeeded in doing a business. Milind took the
entrepreneurial plunge and left his job to try his hand at
business with a promise of getting back to business if this
doesn’t work. A business that was started with a capital of
20,000 in 20 years has reached 200 crore. He believes that
innovation is the only way your business can do well.
Hitachi and Tata Group of Companies were the first ones to
give the order to Softhard.
With innovation, he has replaced many technologies in
DRDO; they are in the main vendors for replacement of
German and Switzerland technologies and they are the only
vendors in India who have been approved in Missiles and
many important technologies where secrecy is to be
maintained. The Bhabha Atomic Centre,ISRO, the Prime
Minister’s house are all clients of this prestigious firm.
Softhard has made about 10 lakh Installations in over 20
years.
Overcoming the Challenges
Rising energy costs and ever-stricter environmental
regulations are squeezing productivity and reducing
competitiveness in the industry. Being profitable in today’s
market means controlling expenses. Greater energy
efficiency is therefore the order of the day. In order to
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achieve this, there must be more transparency and real
time accurate information on actual amount of energy
consumed as well as degree of efficiency and the losses
incurred and/or likely to be incurred in case system is
allowedtocontinueinitspresentform.
Power availability and reliability are among the most
critical issues affecting the company’s profitability
and competitiveness. The challenge is to ensure
availability of safe, clean, reliable power, and meet
expanding demand without raising production costs.
SOFTHARD µ-EMS aids all phases of the
operations. Its system can verify normal activities
and provide actionable information to help
proactively access and analyze the network to
determine and implement improvements.
Expert in Intelligent Energy Management
SOFTHARD from day one has provided innovative,
integrated solutions that make energy safer, more
reliable and more efficient while making your
operations more productive and sustainable. From
power distribution to expert services and support,
their unique solutions are focused on energy
efficiency, reliability and safety. Softhard helps you
to reduce costs and emissions, stay connected at all
times, and tap into a clean, secure and uninterrupted
power supply.
Softhard helps you discover new opportunities to
make the most of your energy.
Mission of Softhard
Softhard’s mission is to be a leading Indian
enterprise providing quality product and solution
based on embedded system technology. Introducing
automation and electronics to rural areas at a very
affordable cost. Employing women, lower caste
people and rural people and giving them special
training is what this company aims to do. They wish
to make maximum people independent with the
employment that they provide. All in all Softhard
aspires to improve the life of the people living in the
urban and the rural areas of India.
Milind Jagtap
Chief Mentor & Chairman
Thinking
inside the
Controls
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The 10 most advanced industrial automation companies

The 10 most advanced industrial automation companies

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