India is fast rising as a manufacturing powerhouse. With Prime Minister Modi’s “Make in India” programme, the manufacturing industry in India is set to become the fifth-largest in the world by 2020, worth an expected US$1 trillion by 2025. Therefore, against the backdrop of an increasingly crowded playing field for suppliers, quality and prompt service are more important than ever in setting companies apart from their rivals.
Veer-O-Metals Pvt Ltd has long since been aware of this. The company was founded in 1965 and is a leading manufacturer and exporter of precision sheet metal fabrication parts and assemblies. With reputed clients in diverse verticals, Veer-O-Metals has established itself in industrial circles as a trustworthy provider.
THE SEARCH FOR QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY
Veer-O-Metals’s first encounter with FARO was in 2005. With clients in fields such as medical electronics, aerospace, and automotive manufacturing, there was little margin for error allowed in Veer-O-Metal’s production processes.
At that time, the Veer-O-Metals team depended on vernier calipers and micrometers for the bulk of their measurements. However, these manual tools had their limitations. The metal parts ranged from small components that are around 10 x 10cm in size, to larger structures of 3 x 3m dimensions. Technicians tasked with measuring large structures such as door frames would typically take an entire day to complete the job. Even then, the accuracy of measurements depended heavily on each technician’s competency. Even with the most skilful operators, there were times when measurements were still inaccurate, forcing the team to push back project timelines.
“It became clear that something had to change,” recalled Mr. Shambhu Saran, General Manager of Operations at Veer-O-Metals. “That’s when we decided to invest in the FaroArm, in hopes of bumping up productivity and accuracy.”
FAROARM: A TRUSTED SOLUTION
Veer-O-Metals’s first purchase was the 6-ft Titanium FaroArm, a solution that offered measurement accuracy of up to 25 microns. Company technicians immediately saw an improvement in production quality.
Most important to the team at Veer-O-Metals was the FaroArm’s ability to complete geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) inspections swiftly. Mr. Saran commented: “It used to be difficult to even measure flatness tolerance, but the FaroArm automatically generates reports based on 3D data points. The CAM2 metrology software even maps out a visual of our products, allowing us to pinpoint and correct problem areas in our products more quickly.”
An operator uses the FaroArm’s contact probe to inspect a sheet metal product for accuracy.
The ease of operating the FaroArm also greatly improved Veer-O-Metals’s work productivity. With six axes of rotation and the option to quickly switch out probe heads, the FaroArm’s intuitive design is easy for technicians to use, and reduces the need to change between several traditional tools. The accuracy of measurements has also become more consistent across the board, reducing precious time spent on training new technicians. This has cut Veer-O-Metals’s inspection time by 60%.
FARO’s proven efficacy led Veer-O-Metals to purchase the FARO QuantumS and QuantumE measurement arms in 2017 and 2018 respectively. By then, Veer-O-Metals had expanded – with four plants in Bangalore – and the portability of the FaroArm became even more of a boon. “When necessary, we transport our measurement arms between plants,” noted Mr. Saran. “As the devices are battery-powered, it was never a concern to have them plugged into a power source, and the Universal Quick Mount base allows it to be conveniently placed on any metal and granite surface. This has enabled us to maximise our usage of the arms.”
SATISFACTION ALL AROUND
The team at Veer-O-Metals now use the three FaroArm units for four to five hours every day, proving an excellent return on investment. With improved efficiency and reliable accuracy, Veer-O-Metals has been able to speed up the production process, delivering products to clients in a much timelier manner.
“By consistently upgrading production processes and technology, we are confident of retaining customer loyalty,” Mr. Ranjith Kumar, Assistant Manager – Qualification, concluded. “Our fourth plant is scheduled to open in mid-2019 and we project a 30% increase in export sales. FARO technology will be instrumental in helping us keep up with new orders, and we will definitely consider purchasing other solutions when the need arises in future.”
