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 hit by exhibitors and visitors alike.

Ducom Instrument’s director, Anirudh Dube, an exhibitor at the show, commented, “This is a good place for us to be, and especially to meet people from the R&D side of the Indian automotive industry. 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.”

And there’s better news yet, as it’s been confirmed that Automotive Testing Expo India will return in 2012 – this time 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," said Dominic Cundy, MD at show organiser UKIP Media & Events.

 

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 2 of the event] and tomorrow [Day 3].”
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

 

Visitor reaction

“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

Product news

Visitors flocked to the Voith Turbo booth 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 – and 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.

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’s product range 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.

Racelogic’s Vbox technology was another star attraction at this year’s 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.”

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, explained: “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 supplier 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.”

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-BandK vibration test systems and related sensors. Another leading supplier that enjoyed much traffic at Testing Expo India 2010 was FEV, with its TestCellManager (TCM) technology capturing the interest of 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 user-friendly interface due to the MS Windows environment. FEV also says the TCM technology is cost effective and future proof due to usage of PC hardware.

With more than 40 years’ experience in India, MTS Systems has become a well-known name to local car makers and suppliers. 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 truck to passenger car 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.