Advance Mechanical Services is a technology conglomerate that provides services in automation and engineering to its customers worldwide. The company contains decades of experience within its workforce to provide technology solutions in design engineering, robotics programming, digital manufacturing and many other fields. The work is specifically applicable to the automotive, aerospace and heavy engineering industries. CEO and Director Shashidhar NC explained the nuts and bolts of the operation to Hannah Barnett.
Catering to the needs of clients across the globe, Advance Mechanical Services is a large operation. It has three design offices in Bangalore alone. The company also has marketing arrangements across India with further offices in Pune, and in Delhi. It works closely with partner companies Aut-Tech GmBH in Germany and Aut-Tech-AMS Inc in the USA.
A start in the car business
Advance Mechanical Services certainly seems to be doing well, with a turnover of £2 million in 2021 according to CEO and Director Shashidhar NC. Its illustrious his -
tory can be traced back thirty years when it started out in the automotive industry, engineering and designing car factories. Mr Shashidhar recalled: “We must have designed body shops for almost all the OEMs across the globe.”
Mr Shashidhar began his own career at a manufacturing company where he got a taste for robotics: “I was lucky to have the opportunity to work with the first robotic installation in the country. That's when my career in automation and robotics started. And from then on, I've always been in the robotics business. Robots are now used a lot in the automotive industries.”
One of the company’s key strengths comes from the variety of work it does. It offers end-to-end services in engineering design, controls, automation and robotics programming.
“Most of the automotive companies globally know us and we continue to work with them in engineering body shops,” he said. “We have been doing design work for many OEMs such as GM, Ford, VW and Volvo factories across Europe and the USA through various line builders such as ABB, Kuka, L&W, Gonzalez, Chropynska and many others. We are lucky to be a part of some portion of their design process.”
As Mr Shashidhar put it: “We're only mechanical engineers, but about seven years ago I decided to diversify. And that was a milestone, because that really helped us a lot to move up the value chain in automation and provide end-toend services.”
The R&D Machine
One of the cornerstones of Advance Mechanical Service’s diversification programme is the innovative ‘R&D machine’.
The company started manufacturing specialised 3D printers about six years ago, Mr Shashidhar recalled. The unique selling point of these machines is how they are used, as he explained: “Unlike normal 3D printers, these are designed to help in doing research and development (R&D) which is very evident in the hundreds of papers that are published using our machines. It brought us from engineering into the manufacturing area, and we now have five verticals.”
The operation is a collaboration with Hyrel3D in the USA to provide multiple operations such as additive, subtractive and laser operations on the same machine. Additive manufacturing refers to creating an object by adding multiple layers. Subtractive manufacturing removes or cuts away material to create parts.
The manufacturing facility for the machines is located in a 2,500 square-foot area in the industrial area of Peenya in Bangalore. The company manufactures four
different models and 60 different heads that can print at up to 450 degrees centigrade. The machines can also print a variety of materials including liquids, gels and resins using its modular heads categorised under hot, warm and cold flow extruders.
Mr Shashidhar explained how the R&D machine sets Advance Mechanical Services apart from its competitors: “So many people make 3D printing machines, but this is a unique machine, because it’s purely for people who want to do research and use different techniques, different trials, use different type of materials, make composites.”
Mr Shashidhar explained how innovative work on this machine has allowed the company to build a strong relationship with its network of partners and suppliers.
“We are registered as an R&D company in the GEM portal of India, and we have a good sales network, most of our customers
are scientists or professors or PhD holders. They understand our machine. It’s a unique sale to them in the Rapid Prototyping area”
Recognised for excellence
For a company which positions itself at the cutting-edge of the international mechanical engineering business, it was fulfilling to win an MSME award for export service and technological innovation. The awards celebrate India’s top micro-, small- and
medium-sized enterprises, looking for exceptional achievement in business performance and contributions to the country’s socio-economic growth.
Mr Shashidhar was pleased to receive the award from the Indian Prime Minister: “It was exciting because it was given by Mr Narendra Modi,” he said. “That motivated everyone in our company. After 30 years of working in this business, this is something to be proud of. And it gives our customers the confidence that a project will be executed properly.”
Though recognition and awards are significant, as Advance Mechanical Services continues to expand and develop as a modern company, so too is its commitment to sustainability
The procedures that the company is undertaking to implement appropriate sustainable standards, according to Mr Shashidhar: “It's the whole ZED process, to make the system sustainable.
This encompasses basically about seven or eight different standards. For example, ISO 9001 is a process standard. And there are three different levels: bronze, silver and gold. We're trying to go for the gold standard.”
Mr Shashidhar was enthusiastic about what adoption of these guidelines might mean: “We are implementing these standards and it will make the foundation of the company much stronger.”
A future in education
The future looks bright for Advance Mechanical Services. That is why the CEO is now keen to share the wealth of his knowledge and experience with the engineers of tomorrow.
A recent MoU with Alliance University created the MBA in Digital Transformation programme; a unique two-year, full-time course. Students will have resources and equipment provided by ABB Robotics, Adroitec Engineering, Systema, Hyrel 3D and Siemens, all under the aegis of Advanced Mechanical Services. Students learn various technologies including Additive Manufacturing, SAP, AR/VR, IoT/IIoT and Digital Manufacturing, helping students transform the manufacturing sectors and be more competitive globally.
The curriculum is futuristic and based on the principles of progressive learning with enhanced focus on the contemporary disciplines. Jointly delivered by seasoned industry practitioners and technology experts from Alliance University, this programme equips graduates with the necessary skills to drive business of the future.
“Most college students today are moving away from mechanical and civil engineering,” Mr Shashidhar said. “Everybody wants to go into computer science. But the world will have many problems without good mechanical engineers. To construct houses, we need mechanical and electrical engineers, they can't do everything on computers.
“We add value by working with educational institutions, sharing our experience. We have decades of combined knowledge, so we could train them in these technologies. I want to increase the spirit of research and support education departments, institutions and students with knowledge of mechanical engineering.” n
