A Visionary Approach

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Visionary Approach

Dr Mukul Saxena, Deputy GM,

Engineering Systems, Eicher Goodearth, has set out with ambitious plans to revolutionize

the manufacturing services of his company. With nearly a decade-long experience in product

design and development, including eight years at GE Corp in the US, Dr Saxena not only has

the expertise, but also a vision to take Eicher to world-class standards. In an interview

with DATAQUEST, he discusses his views on design automation. Excerpts:

What are the main areas in which IT

is being deployed in Eicher?



IT is a big thrust for Eicher in ERP, networking and engineering systems which includes
product development, product data management, PIM and CAD/CAM. Experts are actively

involved in all the three areas to keep up with global competition.

Can you elaborate on the role of

design technology at Eicher's engineering division?



The entire process of restructuring based on design technology began in April last year.
We were looking for suitable CAD/CAE packages, including high-end modules, for all our

business units. But actual implementation has started only three months ago. At present,

we are using Pro/ENGINEER solutions for most of our functions.

What was your criteria for

selection of CAD/CAM products?



The main areas of concern for us were technical features like modeling

capabilities. Commercial aspects were also considered. The overall market image of the

vendor is also important. Since we were more interested in functional simulation, we

needed a comprehensive package. It is essential that the product designed on computers can

withstand actual field environment. For this, we have to rely more on our interpretation

than the information provided by the vendors.

What effect will design automation

have on the productivity of your organization?



Earlier, when all the parts were being manufactured independently by our business units,
assembling was a major problem. But with 3D designs, this has become much easier. Product

development time has reduced by 30%. In future, we hope to reduce failure rates and

increase the durability of our products. We want to produce quality products that can last

for at least five years. Huge cost and revenue benefits are also expected.

At a time when global companies

have already designed entire aircraft and rockets through virtual simulation, Indians are

still struggling with basic CAD techniques. Why is it taking so long?



Actually, the mindset of the Indian entrepreneur needs to undergo a complete change.
Manufacturers here are more worried about the return on investment than improving

efficiency and quality in the long run. So the number of seats deployed are not enough to

achieve optimum benefits. In fact, actual designing is not really happening here. What is

produced is just a modification of the already-existing products. But the competitive

pressure from MNCs will ultimately force Indian businessmen to broaden their outlook.

What are the main challenges being

faced by the CAD/CAM users in India?



The major problem is lack of expertise and experience. Since the design

automation industry is still at a very nascent stage, sufficient field data is not

available. Infrastructure too is a critical issue. The products developed in such

conditions end up being grossly over-designed and the failure rate is very high.

What is Eicher doing to overcome

this problem? And what are your future plans?



Eicher has developed an inhouse center for excellence to tackle this. A team of experts is
available to monitor the quality of products and provide technical guidance. Later, we

plan to outsource such services to other domestic and international users.