Automation

The Indian automobile industry is growing at a rapid rate along with its ancillary
industries. As per a latest report, the Indian automobile component industry is
expected to grow at a CAGR of 17%, from 38 billion to 115 billion USD in 2021. In
order to support this increase in production, automation is expected to be
ramped up by the manufacturers. This will help to deliver high quality products
and reduce operating costs and improve delivery timings.

The major obstacles faced by the automobile industry include high capital
expenditure, lack of adequate skilled labour and increasing operational
expenditure. Therefore, it is essential that higher levels of automation are used
to meet global standards of quality and productivity. As India is a volume driven
market, high degree of automation will allow better utilisation of the assets.
Automobile component manufacturers have to supply just in time and hence
automation plays an important role. Although it is not suitable for all stages of
production, it is now used in the entire function of welding of the parts and
painting the automobiles. Along with that, lifting of heavy parts and vehicle
bodies is also envisaged to be handled by robotics.
High precision repetitive jobs or jobs involving safety hazards, like furnace door
operations can be better handled by robots as they are more accurate, and do not get
fatigued.

The benefits of automation can be utilised by the automobile component manufacturers.

For example the stamping process of automobile parts can be fully automated using
robotised stamping presses. The input material will be a sheet of steel and the output will
be finished component like a door panel. Similarly, robots can be used to pick, flare and
drop bumpers from the moulding machine.
An excellent example of future automation in the two wheeler industry can be derived
from the Mokumono bike (ie, a two wheeler fast paced bicycle) being developed in
Netherlands. Earlier, tubes were cut in pieces and placed in a jig, welded together, and
for most bikes, the welds or brazing have to be finished. But in the Mokumono bike, a
robot inserts an aluminum sheet inside a stamping press, stamps out the shape of the
frame in two halves, and then a laser cutter trims the edges. A laser welder is used to
jointhe two halves. Presently, some of the pieces are hand welded, but that step will
soon be automated as well. This vehicle is designed for city use and requires only one
hour to manufacture. With all the smart cities coming up in India, Hero can utilise this
opportunity to manufacture vehicles like these. It can also apply this knowledge and
modify its other two wheeler operations.

OPTICALLY GUIDED VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR 2 WHEELERS IN

INDIA
These systems are being researched in western countries like USA, France and
Japan. In these systems, the acceleration and brake controls are controlled by
the driver whereas the processing system is in charge of the the steering and
acts as a collision detection mechanism. All the tasks related to driving are
automated with the following advantages:
1) Unimpeded flow of traffic due to lane driving.
2) Constant speed of 30 kmph is maintainedwhich is good enough for covering
distances and allows the rider to remain unhurt in an accident.
3) Driving for the physically challenged.
5) Tireless driving devoid of the stress involved in long distance driving.
6) Accident prevention due to automatic collision control.
8) Extremely cost effective.
9) Easily implementable as the parts required are available in any garage.

The current challenges are as follows:

It is only available for gearless 2 wheelerrs, but ib thd In dian market all vehicles
have gears.
Also , it requires infrastructural support from the govt because two parallel white
strips are to be painted on all roads where these vehicles will commute.

FINANCIAL SERVICES
Currently the financial services are focused on providing the financing the
purchaser. But as the industry moves from buying vehicles to using them, the
financial services industry is also bound to undergo a paradigm shift. As people
use more online platforms for hailing automobiles, the online payment platforms
are gaining more importance. The adoption of standardised platforms and
improved sensors enables insurers to create app-based telematics offerings that
customers can easily sign up for. Through these apps, customers can purchase
additional coverage for specific events. Say for example in the future, customers
can use their smartphones for buying parking space for a few hours, book one
time or annual servicing requirements or opt for infotainment inside the vehicle.
In the future, consumption will be the focus of recording, pricing and taxation.
This consumption will take place simultaneously as the delivery of the service or
good, not at the moment of purchase, and the financial part of the transaction
will be integrated in the consumption transaction. Say fro example, if a person
books a ride in a Google car or equivalent driverless vehicle, this will be
automatically deducted from the persons bank account or an equivalent ability
to pay provided (e.g. credit extended). Meanwhile in the same time the records
and status of the payment and the provider are updated, and taxation payments
are deducted and sent to the relevant government authorities.

REFERENCE
http://www.eucar.be/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/EUCAR_Message_2008-2.pdf
http://www.worldautosteel.org/projects/future-steel-vehicle/phase-2-results/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-lock_braking_system
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-lock_braking_system_for_motorcycles
http://www.autocarindia.com/auto-news/radar-based-safety-could-be-in-india-
soon-398855.aspx

http://www.theicct.org/sites/default/files/publications/India%20BS%20VI
%20Policy%20Update%20vF.pdf
https://cs.jhu.edu/~habib/project/AutomatedVehicle.pdf
https://www.ericsson.com/industry-transformation/wp-
content/uploads/sites/7/2014/11/ict-and-the-future-of-financial-services.pdf