AGS Ties Up With Australia's Arel

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AGS Ties Up With Australia's Arel

Strategic location and a sound joint venture with Arel gave Advanced Graphic Systems a new edge this ITMA. The confidence we saw is definitely worth a mention, when we occupied a nice cosy corner at the AGS stall. In conversation with Rajesh Shah, Advanced Graphic Systems.

What new was in store for Advanced Graphic Systems at ITMA?

Just before ITMA we joined hands with Arel Controls, an Australian company. Arel is a 40 year old company with an active hardware factory in Israel and a strong software support from Australia. The JV gives us the opportunity to bring to our customers automation from Australia, directly from Arel.

Which segments of the industry are going to benefit from this association?

We are aiming at the processing industry, dyeing as well as the printing industry. Dyeing machine controllers, dyeing central systems, transfer systems, control systems, etc. The benefits of these machines are immense and they directly automate the path of processing by reducing the occurrence of problems during re-dyeing and completely cut the wastage and health hazards arising with the usage of hazardous chemicals, which till now were handled by human hands. Automation reduces human intervention to the minimum. Also one of the other important benefits is definitely the virtual report system. Consumption of chemicals, working factors of the machines, etc will now be available to the management at one click.

Do you see automation as a long term solution for the industry?

Yes definitely! Automation is bound to reduce the dependence on manpower to a great extent and will help in keeping the health hazards at bay, as chemical usage is bound to get a lot controlled in this automated process. Optimisation of the overall processing methodology will be extremely beneficial for the industry in the longer run. Accuracy will be improved, water usage will also reduce at every step of processing. Big process houses have already installed completely automated processing units today but the systems they operate with are expensive and can't be afforded by the entire industry. Our aim is to bring automation to that rung of the industry which can benefit similarly by paying a lower price. The modular, customised operations of Arel will help the industry to a great extent.

Did the deal prove lucrative for you at ITMA?

The industry has been quite positive about the tie-up and we are not really looking for a booming market for us in the coming year. This is a recent development, so it will surely take some time to seep into the minds of the people. However, ITMA has been good. Just after we signed the deal with Arel, we had a big order from Welspun. The unit set-up will take some time. But definitely this leverages our confidence level.

How cost effective will this automation system be for the industry?

Extremely cost effective. Our range is value for money and we are beginning work at a level where we are focusing on re-engineering or retro fitting and customising the processing plant's needs. And most of our system works on software, hardware usage is quite low. This prevents maintenance problems in the longer run. This shift to automation is definitely going to be a blessing for the industry in every way.