In the food processing industry, precise measurement is crucial to ensure quality, safety, and efficiency. Measuring instruments play a pivotal role in monitoring and controlling variables such as temperature, pressure, and flow, which are essential for maintaining the integrity of food products throughout the production process. Accurate measurements help in preventing contamination, ensuring compliance with safety standards, and optimizing operational efficiency. In this exclusive interview, Shweta Kumari from Food Infotech engages with Mr. Prashant Sinha, Head of Marketing & Sales Excellence at WIKA India. Mr. Sinha provides an in-depth look into WIKA’s evolution, their cutting-edge innovations, and their strategic vision for the future. With a focus on advancing measurement technology and enhancing the food processing sector, Mr. Sinha illuminates WIKA’s commitment to delivering comprehensive solutions and driving industry excellence.
To start, could you please tell us about WIKA Instruments India?
WIKA Group, founded in 1946 and headquartered in Klingenberg, Germany, is a leading global provider of measurement solutions. Since establishing its first plant in Pune, Maharashtra, India in 1997, WIKA India has now built a robust presence with four state-of-the-art plants in Pune, Chennai, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad. The company excels in manufacturing a wide range of measurement instruments, including those for pressure, temperature, flow, level, force, and calibration. Its WIKA comprehensive suite of products and solution, supports various industries like food & beverage, oil & gas, and various others, in maintaining quality and operational efficiency, which, in turn, helps in attaining better measurement results.
Can you elaborate on the recent solutions WIKA India has introduced specifically for the food sector?
As a leader in instrumentation market, WIKA India has been delivering a wide range of products and solutions that cater to the needs and demands of different sectors. Talking specifically about the food sector, we have an existing range of solutions that are designed to meet various needs of the customers. Recently, owing to the varying demands of our customers, we made a significant investment at our Pune facility. This was aimed at enhancing our capabilities in force measurement and weighing technology. The focus was on precision measurement instruments crucial for processes in the food industry, such as bottling and dairy products.
WIKA India is known for its extensive range of measurement solutions. Could you tell us more about your key innovations and solutions?
One of WIKA’s distinct advantages lies in its comprehensive measurement solutions. Unlike many competitors who provide only partial offerings, WIKA offers a wide spectrum of measurement solutions and products. This has helped WIKA to establish itself as a one-stop solution provider for flow, force, pressure, level, and temperature related measuring instruments. .
Our in-house R&D team is integral to this capability, consistently driving innovation. For instance, in 2023 we introduced the FSFD—a sophisticated fire-detecting switch specifically designed for critical building applications, including firefighting. This product represents a significant advancement in safety technology and is one of the few of its kind available, highlighting WIKA’s unique position in the market.
How does WIKA’s R&D team contribute to developing new solutions and meeting customer requirements?
Our R&D team is at the forefront of innovation, committed to anticipating market trends and addressing customer needs proactively. We maintain a vigilant eye on industry advancements and actively seek feedback from our clients to inform our development efforts. By integrating this valuable input, our team is adept at customizing existing solutions and pioneering new products that align with evolving market demands. This approach ensures that we not only meet but exceed the expectations of our customers, positioning us as leaders in delivering cutting-edge measurement solutions that adapt seamlessly to industry changes.
In such a competitive market, how does WIKA Instruments India differentiate itself from other players?
WIKA India sets itself apart in the competitive instrumentation market through several distinctive advantages. One of our major differentiators is our substantial manufacturing footprint in India. Unlike many players that primarily import components and reassemble them locally, WIKA takes pride in producing approximately 80% of its product range within India. Additionally, each of our facilities is equipped with an accredited calibration laboratory, a feature that significantly distinguishes us from our competitors. The presence of these in-house calibration labs allows us to perform precise, reliable calibrations and maintain the highest standards of accuracy and performance for our instruments.
Could you share some of WIKA India’s major clients and the solutions provided to them?
We are proud to work with several major clients, including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Amul, and Pepsi. For instance, we recently provided our advanced double diaphragm seal to one of the major food producer This Product is designed to minimize contamination in food products, ensuring adherence to stringent quality and safety standards. The double diaphragm technology offers enhanced protection by providing an additional layer of security, which is vital in maintaining the purity and integrity of food items throughout the production process. Our solutions are tailored to meet the specific needs of each client, underscoring our commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable measurement instrumentation.
Can you describe how the double diaphragm system works and its benefits?
The double diaphragm system is engineered to enhance safety and prevent contamination in liquid transfer processes. It features two diaphragms working in tandem within a pump or flow measurement device. The primary diaphragm isolates the process fluid from the internal components, while the secondary diaphragm serves as an additional barrier. If the primary diaphragm fails, the secondary one prevents leakage and contamination, thus safeguarding the integrity of the fluid and the system. This dual-layer protection is crucial for industries like food and beverage, where maintaining product purity and safety is paramount. By minimizing the risk of contamination and equipment failure, the double diaphragm system ensures higher reliability and quality control in sensitive applications.
What are WIKA’s expansion plans, both within India and internationally?
We are strategically expanding our presence both domestically and internationally by enhancing our manufacturing capabilities and embracing cutting-edge technologies. In India, we have recently inaugurated a new state-of-the-art plant in Ghaziabad in 2021, and we continue to grow with additional production units dedicated to specialized manufacturing, such as skid systems. Looking ahead, we are focusing on integrating advanced automation and IoT solutions to revolutionize our production processes and offer enhanced remote monitoring capabilities.
On the international front, we plan to leverage our advanced technology to strengthen our global footprint. Our emphasis will be on deploying IoT solutions and remote monitoring systems to meet the increasing demand for intelligent, connected solutions in the industry.
Speaking of IoT solutions, Could you tell us more about your plans in this area?
IoT (Internet of Things) is central to our vision for the future of industrial operations. Our goal is to harness IoT technology to revolutionize plant management through advanced remote monitoring and predictive maintenance capabilities. By embedding IoT solutions into our systems, we enable users to access real-time performance data from anywhere in the world, providing comprehensive visibility into plant operations.
This integration supports proactive management by predicting maintenance needs before they escalate into critical issues. Such foresight minimizes unplanned downtime, enhances operational efficiency, and ensures the smooth running of processes. Additionally, IoT facilitates data-driven decision-making by offering detailed insights into plant performance trends, allowing for continuous optimization and better resource management. As we advance in this field, our focus on IoT will help our customers achieve superior productivity and operational reliability, driving innovation and efficiency across their operations.
Before we conclude, do you have any final messages for our readers?
With years of experience in this domain, we believe that WIKA India is competent and strengthened to deliver the desired products and solutions that exactly meet your needs. As WIKA continues to innovate, transform, and expand its solutions, we feel ourselves empowered with each passing year to meet the diverse needs of the customers even if they are only from F&B sector.
WIKA will remain committed to help businesses optimize their processes with precision instrumentation. Whether it is about ensuring the highest levels of hygiene in production processes or improving their efficiency, we make sure that we are able to strengthen this journey toward excellence. Together, it is possible and easier for us to improve the set industry standards and meet the growing demands of consumers for quality and safety.