New opportunities to transform test and measurement

Industry experts discuss how new T&M products contribute to sustainability and efficiency.

All electrical equipment, whether used for generation, transmission or distribution of electricity, need periodic maintenance. By regularly checking the health of the equipment, major shutdowns can be avoided.

Opportunities and challenges in the test and measurement (T&M) sector
As far as the growth interest and metering is concerned, the growth is obviously there. Good growth is expected next year as the energy demands are increasing the capacities in transmission, distribution and generation. There are many challenges in the power sector, with the government’s bulk of the procurement still being a tendering process. So, when we consider the tendering process, it comes with the several pros and cons. Many industries are complaining about the culture of element because we are not able to look at the quality and the ownership in the lifecycle of the product due to the culture of element.

Vikram Bhansali, Director, Metravi Instruments Pvt Ltd and CEM Instruments India Pvt Ltd., said, “In the test and measurement system, the major challenge right now is that there is low quality; we’re getting low quality Chinese products which is why their prices are very low. But when people get a higher end product, they are not ready to accept it as they have to pay extra. That is where the challenge comes in, as you have to teach the person the value of what they are getting right now, and what we are trying to give them to improve efficiency and accuracy of the data.”

There is a lot of potential for the growth of the industry. Now we can talk to test and measurement instruments which is driving the speed at which the country is growing. It is growing phenomenally at a GDP rate of about 5-6 percent. The electrical industry grows at about 10 percent and good companies grow at 15-20 percent. Some people complain that there is no growth in the sector. But it cannot be so because there’s so much of investment happening. Projects of about `5 lakh crore have been sanctioned; they are in the infrastructure sector, but eventually all of them need to do something with the electrical sector and with test and measurement.

Narendra Goliya, Director, Rishabh Instruments Pvt. Ltd. said, “You have to use instruments, but in addition, solar energy was not a discussion 10 years ago. It was just the beginning of the discussion. Today, it is a very big field and there are unique test and measurement instruments for solar measurement. In telecom, you have such huge investments made in the last 10-15 year that you need instruments. You need to measure all the parameters of the telecom industry, especially signals of high frequency. We were supplying to railways as well 20 kilohertz bandwidth that is good enough. Today our test and measurement instruments have at least over 100 kilohertz bandwidth. So to that extent there has been change, but the growth is stable.”

He adds, “The growth in measurement is also about 10-15 percent. But the needs of the people are changing. What was selling yesterday is not necessarily what is selling today. So to that extent people who are coming with better products with more features are winning. We can measure various parameters, including harmonics.”

Many manufacturers are assembling in India and they are tagging their products as “Make in India” although they are not, without internationally recognised type testing and certification, which is important. Those players are coming in the market and creating and disturbing the market. That is a challenge. But there are different kinds of events and seminars that are really helpful to know and understand the new technologies which are coming up in the market.”

Parag Yelegaonkar, Business Development Manager, Testo India Pvt Ltd., added, ”There are a lot of packages that are going to be added in generation, transmission and distribution. A lot of transmission line work is going on; there are several projects going on for switchyard and the equipment manufacturers and EPC players are setting up a switchyard for the high voltage lines to reduce the losses. They are making great efforts for the industry. And as far as the challenges are concerned, a lot of Chinese players sell so-called “Make in India” products when actually they are knockdown components from China. “

Yash Kulkarni, Head-Marketing, Scope T & M Pvt. Ltd. said, “You want a steady you know when commerce Minister had come this person was there as well. let’s not have any wishful thinking you know everyone will be there, but there can be some other ways and means by which we can only short with the quality product that is very probable solution comes like for example, maybe a standardisation of the testing specifications or the technical specifications or improper you know pre qualifying requirements which will ensure that the product beyond the threshold quality only can you know get shortlisted and then naturally the commercial element that that factor will come into picture.”

Jitendra Agrawal, MD, The Motwane Manufacturing Co. Pvt. Ltd. said, “Testing and measurement is now getting reshaped to form of digitisation, where people are expecting beyond test and measurement. Through test and measurement, data comes and the customer is expecting to provide the data analysis and data analysis. Therefore, resulting into benefits to the customers at various level for decision making. Maybe for improving productivity, improving design, better management of doing work. Lot of I would say changing processes at providing extended services to the customers, etc.

But T&M is now going beyond just a test environment. It’s getting associated or extended with data with data analysis deriving a lot of benefits to the client. And with this change in transformation or the shape of the T&M of industry, it is expected that in this ad on digital there is a big potential and the potential is available in India as well as outside India, this digitisation journey is like the whole world is together.”

Somewhere the utilities are coming up with this kind of standard specifications that can be one step ahead which can eliminate the major challenge and constraints, which also may make companies look at the quality and the durability aspect.

T&M products contributing to sustainability and efficiency
Sustainability is a long-term phrase; we should ensure that long-term sustainability is preserved and accept you know where you are. Again, if you’re to know where you are in gold base current frequency power, you have to know what the parameters are today and where you want to reach, then you have to make a decision on how you want to reach and where you want to reach. So I think measurement is the key for improvement in any sustainability project. See regarding energy efficiency, the whole world is saying two things. One is energy generation, with which we all function, but the other side is demand side management. If you can use efficient air conditioners for general conditioning in the country that must cost millions. Even if you can reduce 10 percent and function, it means a lot for carbon emissions.

Goliya elaborates, “So, to that extent people have become very conscious, that’s why we have the star rating Macys machines. Now, recently I saw somebody saying about fans you know, we have AC fan who make DC fans, AC fan uses about 80 watts of electricity a DC fan using only 28 watts of electricity power saving of 61 percent in multiply by number of fans in the country, mind will go you can probably shut off two generating stations probably. So to that extent we have to measure and then see how we can be efficient in every field.”

He adds, “This is where we are consuming electricity, but even lights from the lamps to the today’s LED lamps, there’s been a quantum jump in the amount of lumens per watt of electricity.“

So, this is more for example 600 lumens like it is too much than it is thousand pounds for coil lumen how much worse you consume has been a very big change. Actually the endgame is always very, you know, very technical and a niche area and with the kind of technologies which are being available in Laos, you know, a lot of things are becoming not possible which are hitter to not possible.

Kulkarni said, “If you look at the opportunities, you know, there are a possibility for opening up technologically in an area, you know, which is about continuous monitoring, the IoT enabled testing and measuring instruments, where continuous monitoring will be possible.”

That change today is reflected in the efficiency of the LED lights and so on every you know what we’re talking about electric car, how much pollution it will decrease. Again you can measure by saying that so much as the emission electricity is polluting plus the pollution that we stay in the city.

Even if you are polluting and you are generating electricity with coal. The coal station is far away from the place of consumption. That accent you should be pollution from one place to another extent, energy efficiency needs all measurements about TMI production.

The challenge comes when you have to teach the person difference of what you are getting right now, and what we are trying to give you to improve efficiency and accuracy of the data.’
Vikram Bhansali, Director, Metravi Instruments Pvt Ltd and CEM Instruments India Pvt Ltd

Today our test and measurement instruments have over at least 100 kilohertz bandwidth. So to that extent this change but the growth is stable.
‘Narendra Goliya, Director, Rishabh Instruments Pvt. Ltd.

As far as the challenges are concerned, a lot of Chinese player so-called Make in India when I say so called Make in India There are people buying knockdown components from China.
Parag Yelegaonkar, Business Development Manager, Testo India Pvt Ltd.

Standardisation of the testing specifications or the technical specifications, pre qualifying requirements will ensure that the product beyond the threshold quality get shortlisted and then naturally the commercial element factor will come into picture.
Yash Kulkarni, Head-Marketing, Scope T & M Pvt. Ltd.

T&M is now going beyond just a test environment. It’s getting associated or extended with data analysis deriving a lot of benefits to the client.
Jitendra Agrawal, MD, The Motwane Manufacturing Co. Pvt Ltd