Please Tell us about your company and its product range and solutions.
Imaginarium is a leader in 3D printing and advanced manufacturing technology, housing the largest set up of 3D printers in the country. Having pioneered game-changing applications for over 50 industries, Imaginarium has helped disrupt the manufacturing sector by enabling enterprises prototype faster, design better and realise products in shorter time spans. We are grooming the next breed of makers and innovators for another manufacturing revolution.
With a complete ecosystem of production services, Imaginarium and its range of industry-specific verticals are a platform for ideation and execution, backed up by decades of expertise. Whether it’s manufacturing exquisite jewellery, innovating engineering applications or saving lives with patient-specific solutions, Imaginarium is committed to seamlessly transforming ideas into reality; and creating things that make a difference for an assortment of industries.
Imaginarium today caters to more than 50+ industries through its expert verticals Precious, Rapid, Life, Solutions, Academy and Ventures.
Your views about the Indian Machine Tool Industry?
India is the 10th largest consumer of machine tools and the 13th largest producer currently as per the Gardner Business Survey. Following the previous trends and increase in demands, we can easily forecast a growth at CAGR of 14%. The major driver to this growth will, of course, be the Automobile Industry which accounts for more than 40% of the machine tool industry alone. India can very well be in the top 8 producers of machine tools and top 6 consumers in coming years. The market cap size can exceed USD$ 2bn as compared to USD$1.2 bn currently (as per the Indian Machine Tool Manufacturer’s Association). Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, Germany and United States all saw a negative growth rate in their market value between 2015-2016. Whereas India had a positive growth rate. It is definitely not going to be an easy market to ignore. The statistics alone show the potential Indian Machine Tool manufacturers have.
What are the top trends you observe in the industry?
We think there are a lot of companies doing some fantastic research and coming out with innovative cutting tools. As we serve more than 15 different industries, we work with thousands of different products, designs, materials and finishes. Hence many times we use custom tools for certain jobs. The fact that you can have your own tools designed specifically for a job at such fast speeds is amazing.
What are the new machine tool technologies that are gaining acceptance in the manufacturing industry?
Metal 3D printing is definitely going to take the front row. Unlike plastic printing, which is still widely used for prototyping, metal printing is being seen as end-use production of parts. Although expensive as compared to traditional methods, it is important that metal printed parts are designed for additive manufacturing. This is the key. Weight reduction, customisation, reduction of assemblies and being on demand are a few things, which will steer metal 3D printing.
How do you see the future of the Indian Machine Tool Industry?
India’s machine tool industry is growing rapidly. The production has increased by 23% as compared to last year and consumption has increased by 12%. This shows that India is also catering to a huge demand from around the globe. Currently, India is rated as 12th in production and 8th in consumption. We foresee India in the Top 10 within 2 years of being in production. The domestic demand itself is increasing tremendously and we can already see expansions in factories to cater to this demand.
Tell us about what are you showcasing at the IMTEX 2019?
There are two aspects to participation at IMTEX, the first and most important one being to create awareness and importance of Additive Manufacturing and Prototyping in today’s fast-growing development cycles. Secondly, to identify and converse with professionals wanting to learn or use our services and see how we can help them in their applications. We will be exhibiting Rapid, an arm of Imaginarium which is a one-stop solution for all manufacturing needs and solutions, another arm with global partners to bring you the best of 3D printing products for maximum business impact.
