Vasanth Thangavelu, General Manager, Marketing, ExxonMobil Pvt. Ltd., our influencer from the lubrication technology and solutions industry shares his organizational vision for the growth of their solutions and the manufacturing industry.
Envisioning Growth and Technological Leap for the Indian Manufacturing Industry
India’s manufacturing sector is large, diverse and at the cusp of massive growth as the country doubles up on its goal of achieving a USD 5-trillion economy. With close partnerships between public and private players, the Indian economy is seeing a positive inflow of investments and now, has the potential of becoming a global manufacturing hub – expected to add more than USD 500 billion annually to the global economy by 2030.
The ‘Make in India’ initiative, started by Prime Minister Modi, has played a driving role in the growth of the manufacturing industry. It has eased certain regulatory processes, simplified credit, and encouraged more investment in the sector. Benefitting from this growth in the manufacturing sector, the machine tools segment too is witnessing an increased focus on specialization, quality control, and diversification. As the backbone of the manufacturing industry, the segment requires specialized machinery working round-the-clock to deliver precise and accurate products. Additionally, machine tools provide the basis for precision manufacturing and enable operators to maintain a desired standardized characteristic of the products. These tools require periodic inspections and surveys for their upkeep. Often, these machines face unwanted breakdowns and suffer from low productivity due to mechanical wear and tear. Faulty components can severely hamper the productivity of the machine. Moreover, external factors like harsh temperatures, humidity, rust, and oxidation can damage crucial parts like gearboxes and engines that may further bring the entire machinery to a standstill, halting operations.
To combat such unwanted outcomes, machine operators must invest in good quality industrial lubricants that not only protect individual components of the machinery but provide all-around services like smooth operations and high energy efficiency. Energy efficiency, especially, is a growing concern as industries race to become cleaner and more sustainable. Here, industrial lubricants are playing an important role in helping manufacturing businesses achieve energy efficiency through specially crafted formulations that enable smoother functioning.
In the last few years, we have witnessed a massive technology leap in the adoption digitalization. Pervasive across the globe, the machine tools segment and manufacturing industry too, at large, are warming up to the benefits of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML). The use of internet-enabled machinery and software applications is dominating the production process with greater efficiency and effectiveness. With a plethora of digital services and technical gizmos available at its disposal, the machine tools sector is sure to flourish and expand greatly in the coming years.
Organizational Vision
At ExxonMobil, the machine tools sector remains a key focus of our vision in India. The sector will play a critical role in supporting allied industries and contributing to an overall expansion of manufacturing in India. A range of opportunities are emerging for the industry with the government’s focus on aiding the development of SMEs and MSMEs, whose budget allocation has doubled in just a year[1].
MobilTM Lubricants has been a consistent partner for India’s core manufacturing sector. As industrial growth gains pace, the diversity of equipment and its specialized needs too are expanding. To maintain efficiency in operating complex machinery, there is also a parallelly growing demand in opting for premium lubrication solutions that assure operational health. With a rich legacy in formulating superior lubrication solutions, Mobil is committed to meeting the demands for best-in-class formulations that enable continuous output. The most demanding conditions require solutions that can handle challenges efficiently. For this, there is added focus on innovation to ensure smoother operations efficiently, simplifying complex manufacturing operations. At Mobil, we are driving professional lubrication insights that help maximize operational energy efficiency and limit energy-related costs. Innovation at Mobil blends the best of technology to develop lubricants that are effective and energy efficient – minimizing power-related costs and extending fluid life.
The manufacturing industry will continue its acceleration towards adopting digitalization and AI/ML. Duly, we will remain focused on bringing newer remote tools to assist manufacturers. Embracing the reality of Industry 5.0, Mobil remains driven to build innovative smart technologies and automation solutions – establishing the new order as we move towards a connected industry system marked by the emergence of cyber-physical interfaces, IIoT, AI/ML, and cloud computing. Leading the trend of evolving manufacturing processes in, Mobil remains committed to its vision of guiding businesses with the most advanced solutions and timely service support that together guarantee performance, productivity, and profitability.
Our Organization’s Contribution to the Strength and the Growth of the Industry
With over 150 years of industry expertise, ExxonMobil has been at the forefront of leading lubrication technology innovation and has pioneered the development of industrial lubricants. With a wide range of specially crafted oils and greases that have been developed globally after intensive research and development, Mobil has curated its portfolio of industrial lubricants that deliver with accuracy and precision. Mobil has extensively worked on identifying and isolating common problems that operators face while working with machine tools and worked with these findings to develop products that not only tackle such problems but also improve overall life, performance, and productivity.
Mobil’s specially designed synthetic oils and greases provide excellent protection against wear and tear, rust, and corrosion – adding to improved performance and longevity of equipment. For instance, the Mobil DTE 10 Excel™ Series is a collection of high-performance anti-wear hydraulic oils that have been specifically designed to meet the needs of modern, high-pressure, industrial, and mobile equipment hydraulic systems. These products demonstrate outstanding oxidation and thermal stability, allowing for long oil life and minimized deposit formation in severe hydraulic systems using high-pressure, high-output pumps.
Additionally, Mobil’s premium performance Mobil Velocite™ Oil Numbered Series has been formulated from select high-quality, low viscosity base oils and additives that impart good resistance to oxidation and protection from rust and corrosion. These oils are used in the lubrication of high-speed spindles in machine tools and some critical hydraulic, circulation systems, and airline oilers where the appropriate viscosity grade is selected. It has been pathbreaking in helping minimize inventory costs and limiting the potential for product misapplication. Another critical aspect in which this series supports evolving industry trends is through imparting good resistance to oxidation and protection from rust and corrosion – both of which are integral for efficiency.
Mobil’s range of premium-quality slideway lubricants, the Mobil VactraTM Oil Numbered Series has been designed to meet the requirements for accuracy, aqueous coolant separability, and equipment protection of precision machine tools. This series has been carefully formulated from high-quality base stocks and performance balanced with an advanced additive system that provides controlled frictional properties, compatibility with aqueous metal working fluids, and corrosion protection of parts and equipment.
In further support to driving AI/ML in the manufacturing sector, Mobil has innovated a range of reliable servicing solutions under Mobil ServSM technical services – designed to help operators optimize their equipment maintenance programs and machine availability, so they can achieve their goals in safety, environmental care, and productivity. The Mobil ServSM Lubricant Analysis (MSLA) has been designed to help save time and money while boosting equipment reliability and productivity. It uses one of the most sophisticated interpretation logic algorithms and the most extensive used-oil analysis limits database which allows its users to choose the analysis that best fits their reliability program. Additionally, the MobilTM Solcare Service app empowers users to reach their goals with data-driven insights and tailor-made recommendations, making it easier to access critical data easily and make a shift from reactive to proactive maintenance. A combination of product design and servicing are today enabling Mobil to bring the best of global innovation to India’s rapidly growing manufacturing sector.
For more information, visit www.mobil.in/business
