At the 8th edition of B&R Innovations Day held at JW Marriott Hotel Pune, customer insight took precedence over pure technology showcase as Nikhil Baste, co-founder and director of Technoshell Automations, shared how machine builders are redefining adaptive manufacturing for today’s packaging and printing environment.

Drawing on a relationship with B&R that spans more than two decades, Baste traced Technoshell’s automation journey to an early turning point. “We were facing some challenges with another PLC when a friend suggested trying B&R. That decision worked in our favour, and we have continued the relationship for more than 20 years,” he said. Since then, the Nasik-based company has built over 50 machines using B&R controls, progressively adopting newer IPCs, motion platforms and motor ranges.

Technoshell, a 35-year-old company specializing in high-precision machines for packaging, printing and soft squeeze tube production, operates strongly in export markets. The company ships equipment to more than 50 countries, including the United States, Germany, Switzerland, France, the UK, Japan and South Korea. With over 150 employees – including around 40 design engineers – exports account for more than 65% of its revenue.

Adaptation begins with the customer

Framing the theme of adaptive manufacturing in practical terms, Baste emphasised that the real trigger is changing consumer behaviour. “Machines can adapt to many things, but in our business, the most important adaptation is to customer requirements,” he explained.

He pointed to the growing complexity faced by converters and brand owners. Consumers are demanding eco-friendly products, faster availability, greater personalization, and consistently higher quality. Social media, he noted, is accelerating both trends and risks. “If there is any new trend, it can go viral within days. And if something goes wrong, that also goes viral,” he observed.

For manufacturers, this shift translates into SKU proliferation, smaller batch sizes, tighter regulations, and higher traceability expectations – pressures that ultimately converge on the shop floor. “Because of smaller batches, you have to do more changeovers. The operator is always running around, and planners must ensure the next job is ready,” Baste said.

Why changeover time matters more than speed

Using a simple production example, Baste illustrated how excessive changeover time can erode output even on high-speed machines. His conclusion was unequivocal: “Speed is no longer the bottleneck. More important today is the changeover time.”

This realization led Technoshell to formalize its internal NT3 philosophy – No Tool, No Time, No Talent – aimed at simplifying and accelerating format changes. “Whenever we design a changeover, we ask how it can be done with minimum time, minimum tools, and minimum operator skill,” he explained.

The objective is clear: preserve OEE in a high-mix production environment where frequent product switches are unavoidable.

Technology enabling flexibility

To support this shift, Technoshell machines increasingly rely on tightly synchronised servo architectures. Some platforms now incorporate more than 30 coordinated motors with recipe-based settings and automatic repositioning. “Earlier, every setting had to be done manually. Now you recall a recipe and the motors reset automatically,” Baste noted.

Drive performance has also improved significantly. The company has moved from earlier 400-microsecond systems to drives with response times of around 50 microseconds, enabling higher precision and product quality. “Consumers today demand a better look and feel. You can’t put anything in the market,” he said.

Vision systems have become another cornerstone. Technoshell was among the early adopters of camera-based registration in India and now deploys eight to ten cameras in many machines. These are used for registration, inspection, and process validation.

The shift to integrated vision architecture has delivered tangible service benefits. “Earlier, when cameras had separate PCs, remote diagnostics were difficult. Now, when we connect to the machine, we can access both PLC and camera together, which reduces downtime,” Baste explained.

Industry 4.0 and the data imperative

Technoshell has also embedded technologies such as PackML, OPC UA, audit trails and energy monitoring into its platforms, particularly to meet export market expectations. European customers, in particular, increasingly insist on Industry 4.0 readiness.

“With faster changeovers, planners need data very quickly to plan the next production. Otherwise, the machine will stand idle and OEE will drop,” Baste warned.

The economics of one millisecond

Perhaps the most compelling insight from the session was the financial impact of marginal speed gains. A machine operating at 250 strokes per minute runs at roughly 240 milliseconds per cycle. Improving output by just one stroke per minute requires less than a one-millisecond reduction in cycle time.

“Even that one millisecond can help the customer produce nearly five lakh additional parts annually,” Baste said. At typical product values, he estimated, this could translate into roughly INR 50 lakh of additional yearly revenue – highlighting why incremental motion improvements matter.

Looking ahead

Technoshell has already experimented with advanced transport technologies and robotics, including early work with Codian systems prior to their integration into the B&R ecosystem. While some newer track technologies are yet to be widely deployed in customer machines, the company signalled strong intent to adopt them going forward.