2010 SHOW REVIEW

Having established itself as a leading trade fair in Germany, the USA and China, Automotive Testing Expo opened its doors in India with great success. Taking place at the HITEX Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad, Automotive Testing Expo India 2010 was hailed a success by exhibitors and visitors alike.

“This is a good place for us to be, and especially to meet people from the R&D side of the Indian automotive industry,” commented Anirudh Dube, director of exhibiting company Ducom Instruments. “It’s a busy show and we got good leads. It’s always good to see large amounts of important people from the OEMs – these people are not easy to meet so this show has provided us with a great opportunity.”

Visitors were equally impressed. Sunil Kumar Chippa, senior executive at TVS Motor Company, one of India’s largest automotive organisations, said: “I’m here to discover the latest testing technology and equipment and it’s a great show. It has the latest technology and many people to meet.”

SiTia moves forward in India

Established less than 25 years ago, SiTia, a high-tech solutions developer based in Nantes, has come a long way in a short period of time. The French company is today regarded by suppliers and OEMs around the world as a leading specialist in test bench development, providing such testing equipment as endurance test benches, characterisation and measurement benches, HIL benches and quality control benches.

But what sets SiTia apart from most of its competitors is that the company has the flexibility to create customised solutions, as general manager Fabien Arignon confirmed: “We have standard products like everyone else, but we can also customise test benches on demand.

“Working with many different suppliers and car makers means we have to be able to adapt our machines as every company is different.”

New to SiTia is a universal test bench digital controller that is adaptable to all actuator technologies, including hydraulic, pneumatic and electric. Launched last year, the basic architecture of the digital controller consists of a piloting rack, a power rack, a laptop and a SCS software licence program. The power rack includes a safety loop that allows for emergency stops, while the piloting rack features three LEMO plugs (four pins) for input of +/- 10V, 24-bit and 2kHz. The advanced SCS software allows engineers to control in real time 16 actuators both independently and synchronised. The software program features a multi-axial complex endurance analysis function. It also has the capacity to launch several different tests independently and can create any given test procedure. It also monitors tests with automatic thresholds and can calibrate measurement channels, including gain and offset mode.

Yet having the likes of Autoliv, Delphi, Michelin, PSA, Renault, Valeo and Vistoen on its European customer books is not enough for SiTia and Arignon. “We have a goal to establish ourselves in new and developing markets such as India,” said Arignon. “It’s a good time to go to India – the market has big potential.” While others are being cautious, Arignon says there’s no better time for SiTia to expand into new markets: “You have to go where the market is and we think there are a lot of opportunities in India and that’s why we have a goal of establishing ourselves in that country.”

Coupling shaft technology

One of the busiest booths was that of Voith Turbo, where visitors were keen to find out more about the company’s innovative, highly flexible coupling shaft technology. Established in the Indian market over 20 years ago, Voith’s Type D couplings boast torque capacity of 700Nm and speeds of up to 10,000rpm. Internal combustion engines with one to three cylinders exhibit a low main excitation order, and test rigs for such engines require a coupling with very high torsional flexibility that shifts critical resonance frequencies of the system below the operating range. It was for this reason that Voith developed the Type D coupling. The technology allows for shifting of resonance speeds to low speed ranges, and can be used on all types of engine and dyno connections.

Material test equipment

Indian Tier 1 supplier, Ducom Instruments, used Automotive Testing Expo India 2010 to showcase the company’s wide range of material test equipment. Established 32 years ago and employing over 100 people, Ducom has a product range that includes a hub-bearing test rig that allows engineers to monitor vibration levels and make recordings in real time. Available with a slurry attachment, Ducom’s rig has a test speed of 1,440rpm and can be programmed for a start/stop cycle.

Speed and position measurement

Racelogic’s Vbox technology was another star attraction at Automotive Testing Expo India. Already used globally – as well as by the leading players in the Indian automotive market – Vbox systems provide engineers with a powerful solution to measuring the speed and position of moving vehicles. Based on a new generation of high-performance, fast update-rate GPS receivers, Vbox technology can measure acceleration, braking distances, slip angles, lap times and cornering forces with high levels of accuracy. Compact in size and light in weight, Vbox has already become a favourite with many Indian OEMs and suppliers. “Our customer base is nearly all the Indian OEMs and suppliers,” said Ashish Samant, CEO of Microsystems, the exclusive distributor of Vbox in India. “We’ve been here for nine years and we’re now expanding really fast. We are growing year on year.”

Vector seeks Indian expansion

Established less than 10 months ago, Vector Informatik India used this year’s show to promote the company and its services. Head of engineering, Koustubh Tilak, took up the story: “We are looking to expand here in India – we have plans to open offices across the country.” Already a trusted partner in Europe, Vector’s consulting services will help Indian suppliers and OEMs improve technical product development that covers the entire product lifecycle and related processes and tools. “In the short time we’ve been here, we’ve already been working with Tata, Mahindra and Ashok – to name just a few,” continued Tilak. “We will continue with growth for this year.”

NVH and durability

As well as featuring local suppliers, Automotive Testing Expo India 2010 featured leading international players. Adams Technologies, which represents the likes of Brüel & Kjær, LDS, Spectra and HBM, had one of the busiest booths. “We offer complete solutions in the field of NVH and durability,” explained Amar Kumar, area manager at Adams. The company’s vast product range includes Eckel hemi-anechoic chambers, NVH analysers, LDS-B&K vibration test systems and related sensors.

Test cell management

Another leading supplier enjoying much traffic at this year’s Automotive Testing Expo India 2010 was FEV, with its TestCellManager (TCM) technology attracting great interest from visitors. Designed to optimise test sequences and data acquisition, TCM boasts numerous design features, including high reproducibility and quality measurement results, efficient test operation by automation, and a user-friendly interface due to the MS Windows environment. FEV says the TCM technology is also cost-effective and future proof due to usage of PC hardware.

Force transducers

With more than 40 years’ experience in India, MTS Systems has become a well-known name to local car makers and suppliers. However, it was the company’s Spinning Wheel Integrated Force Transducers (SWIFT) that caught the eye of many at Automotive Testing Expo India 2010. Developed to meet the demands of road load data acquisition and laboratory testing, the broad family of SWIFT wheel transducers can cover a wide range of applications, ranging from trucks, to passenger cars and motorcycles. The lightweight MTS SWIFT sensor has the capacity to withstand very harsh environments and can be installed – ready for use – in only a few hours, compared with the days it takes to strain gauge and instrument a test vehicle.

The future of the expo

Having been deemed a success by everyone, Automotive Testing Expo India 2010 ended on a real high note when Dominic Cundy, MD at UKIP Media & Events, confirmed Automotive Testing Expo India 2012, which will take place in the country’s automotive hub, Chennai. “Automotive Testing Expo India 2010 has been a great success so far, and with India being one of the fastest-growing automotive markets, I am looking forward to building on this year’s event. Automotive Testing Expo India 2012 in Chennai promises to be bigger and even better,” enthused Cundy.

Exhibitor reaction:

“It’s been a busy start and we have received information that more of our customers will be visiting the show both today [day two of the event] and tomorrow [day three].” Ashish Samant, CEO of Microsystems, the exclusive distributor of Vbox in India

“Our parent company, Vector GmbH, has exhibited in Automotive Testing Expo Europe, and so we were aware of what opportunities this show provides – which is why we’re here. We think this is the correct forum to introduce ourselves to the Indian automotive market.”
Koustubh Tilak, head of engineering, Vector Informatik India

“We’re here to reach out to the Indian automotive industry, which is currently doing really well. This is where the potential lies and we want to demonstrate what we’re all about. We’ve had a good response. We were sceptical about the Hyderabad location, but we’ve been pleasantly surprised with the turnout – quality visitors.” Rujuta Jagtap, executive director, SAJ Test Plant/Renk

“It’s been a good show and it’s only day one, so I’m really excited that there are two more days.”
Takeshi Takeguchi, general manager, Horiba India

“Automotive Testing Expo India is a good forum to launch Kistler Instruments India. We’ve had a lot of traffic and lots of people asking us lots of questions.”
B Prabhaker, technical adviser, Kistler Instruments India

“It’s a busy show and well organised.” Fabien Arignon, SiTia general manager

“Most of the industry already uses our products, but shows like this give us the opportunity to find new buyers.”
Sameer Naik, director, PT Instruments

What visitors said:

“I’ve come here to find out more about testing and development – especially simulation systems and on-road analysis systems. It’s been a good experience for me and worth the visit.”
Raja Sekhar Kaipa, research engineer, Hyundai

“This is a really good opportunity for us to get information about the latest technologies for development. I work in Tata’s crash test facility and I’m looking for all the latest equipment in this field. I’ve come from Pune and it’s been worth the trip – I’ll be here for three days. It’s great to see our suppliers here, as well as meet new people – this show provides us with a direct link to these key companies. I’m definitely impressed with this show.”
Virendra Wayanl, testing development, Tata Motors.

“I’m here to make contacts with new people. It’s a really well-organised show and the response in terms of exhibitors is very impressive.”
Kanuri Gautham, design and development, Tata Elxsi

“It’s a good show. I see it as a knowledge-sharing platform for the Indian automotive industry – I really like it. I’ve found out new developments in the test area, especially with respect to the new players in this market.”
Prashant Priya, deputy manager, global purchasing and supply chain, General Motors India

“From a vehicle manufacturer’s perspective, it’s great to have the equipment suppliers all under one roof.”
N Prabu, deputy manager, engineering, Renault Nissan

“I have come to this show to talk to more companies involved in testing development. It’s been good and I’ve seen lots of new technologies.”
V Sampath, product development officer, Ashok Leyland