Q) How is Schmersal India aligning its product portfolio to meet the safety and automation needs of rapidly evolving Indian manufacturing sectors?
We, Schmersal India aligning our portfolio by strategically shifting from being a pure component provider to a System and Solution Provider. This alignment is built upon three core pillars to meet the demands of rapidly evolving Indian manufacturing sectors.
- Comprehensive Safety Consulting (tec.nicum):
In rapidly evolving sectors, the biggest gap is often not the product, but the expertise to correctly apply complex standards. Schmersal addresses this with its dedicated service division:
The tec.nicum business unit provides expert services, including risk assessment, safety concept development, engineering, and validation.
This ensures that customers receive not just a product, but a complete, legally compliant safety concept tailored to their unique automation needs, whether it’s a new high-bay warehouse or a fully automated assembly line. - Integration and Connectivity for Industry 4.0
The key to evolving manufacturing is digitization and the ability to gather data. Schmersal is investing heavily in products that are designed for connectivity.
We offer complete safety systems that integrate components, software, and safety controllers, moving beyond standalone devices.
Our portfolio includes advanced safety-monitoring modules and controllers capable of managing complex logic required for robotic cells and automated guided vehicles (AGVs). - Innovation for Advanced Applications:
Our product portfolio itself is being continuously updated to handle the physical demands of modern machinery. We maintain a comprehensive range of switches and components for EX zones (explosion protection), integrated safety solutions suitable for IIOT applications which is vital for high-growth sectors like pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and food processing, ensuring safety compliance in volatile environments. Our innovations & solutions supports our valued customers to achieve both safety and optimal operational performance.
Q) Could you highlight how these solutions improve productivity and operational reliability while maintaining strict safety compliance?
In the industrial world, the perception often is that safety compromises productivity, but Schmersal’s solutions are engineered to achieve both.
Schmersal’s integrated safety and automation solutions enhance productivity and operational reliability while maintaining strict safety compliance.
Schmersal’s modern safety components like AZM Series Solenoid interlocks, Safety Field bus (SFB), Safety light curtains with Bluetooth monitored technology, PSC1 Programmable safety controllers and systems are contributing to reduce the downtime through Enhanced Diagnostics.
These safety systems facilitate fail safe stop and sequential startup procedures. After a safety stop (like opening a door for inspection), the system can quickly and safely return to operation ,provided all safety conditions are met.
Thus, By leveraging smart components and a systematic safety approach, Schmersal allows manufacturing facilities to operate at peak efficiency with maximum assurance that all regulatory and ethical safety obligations are met.
Q) How does Schmersal support customers in achieving seamless machine safety integration without compromising on performance or flexibility?
Schmersal supports customers in achieving seamless machine safety integration without compromising on performance and flexibility through a holistic approach centered on System Solutions, Intelligent Components, and Expert Services.
We offer a wide range of Safety Controllers and Programmable Safety Systems (like the PROTECT SELECT or modular safety relays). These are highly flexible and scalable, allowing complex safety logic to be programmed for various operating modes without extensive wiring. This simplifies machine design and allows for easy modification/expansion.
Products like the Safety Field box and innovative wiring systems allow different safety switchgear (interlocks, sensors, light curtains) to be connected decentrally in the field. This significantly reduces wiring effort and installation time, which is a huge factor in system cost and flexibility, especially in large plants or modular machine concepts.
Our portfolio is aligned with Industry 4.0, using smart components to turn safety systems into performance enablers.
Electronic safety devices with the integrated SD (Serial Diagnostics) interface can transmit comprehensive status and diagnostic data to the higher-level control system (PLC) via communication protocols like PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, etc. This transparency enables Predictive Maintenance and rapid fault finding, dramatically reducing unscheduled downtime and boosting the overall performance and availability of the machine.
We uses high-coded sensors and solenoid interlocks (e.g., in the AZM series) that are difficult to bypass or tamper with. This maintains strict safety compliance (up to PL e / SIL 3), ensuring that operators do not compromise safety for perceived flexibility or speed.
We offer solutions for safe drive functions (like Safe Torque Off – STO, Safely Limited Speed – SLS) that allow personnel to work safely closer to the machine during non-hazardous motion, enhancing flexibility during setup and maintenance modes.
Apart from products ,The tec.nicum business unit provides the manufacturer-neutral expertise needed to correctly integrate complex safety requirements into a flexible production process.
Our certified Experts perform objective risk assessments (e.g., to ISO 12100) and develop customized safety concepts that meet the required Performance Level (PL) or Safety Integrity Level (SIL).
Our consulting advice is not limited to Schmersal products, ensuring the solution is the best fit for the customer’s existing equipment and specific application.
Also, We provide hands-on support in designing and integrating the safety functions into the machine’s control architecture, validating the entire safety chain to ensure compliance and functionality.
In summary, We supports seamless integration by offering interconnected, flexible, and diagnostic-rich hardware and software, backed by world-class safety expertise to correctly apply those tools, ensuring both safety and optimal operational performance.
Q) How does Schmersal’s product design or system architecture contribute to energy-efficient and environmentally responsible operations?
Schmersal’s product design and system architecture contribute to energy efficiency and environmental responsibility through a multi-faceted approach, focusing on Digital solutions like energy management system (tec.ems), Digital Lock Out & Tag Out (tec.dloto) & IIOT Solutions with integrated safety systems.
Schmersal tec.ems is an IIoT-powered energy monitoring system (EMS), a modular digital solution designed to provide comprehensive visibility and control of a facility’s energy consumption. It is part of the broader IIoT platform offered by Schmersal’s service division, tec.nicum. The primary function is to track and visualize energy consumption data from various systems and their development over time using a dashboard. The primary function is to track and visualize energy consumption data from various systems and their development over time using a dashboard. Thus tec.ems energy management systems helps companies optimize their energy efficiency, reduce operational costs, and meet sustainability goals by leveraging industrial IoT technology and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Also,Schmersal commits to sustainability throughout the product lifecycle, from development to disposal. Our Research and development design engineers are tasked with minimizing the “environmental footprint” of new products, considering the impact from production, use, and end-of-life disposal. This includes the responsible use of resources.
The Schmersal Group has implemented an Energy Management System certified to DIN EN ISO 50001 at Our production sites with a view to gradually increasing our energy efficiency in line with a continuous improvement process, reducing energy costs and protecting Environment.
Q) What role does Schmersal India play in educating and supporting OEMs and end-users in understanding and implementing global safety norms such as ISO 13849 or IEC 62061?
Schmersal India plays a pivotal role in educating and supporting OEMs and end-users by positioning itself as a Knowledge Partner and Certified Service Provider, bridging the gap between complex global safety standards and practical implementation in the rapidly evolving Indian manufacturing sector.
Schmersal’s dedicated consulting division, tec.nicum, acts as the primary educational arm, focusing on building local competency in functional safety.
We regularly conducts free online webinars and in-house seminars for customers, focusing on the latest updates to core standards like ISO 13849 (Performance Level – PL) and IEC 62061 (Safety Integrity Level – SIL), as well as foundational concepts like risk assessment (ISO 12100).This provides accessible, non-commercial education, raising the overall awareness and technical literacy of engineers, designers, and maintenance staff on how to design and validate compliant systems.
Apart from this, Schmersal offers formal, globally recognized training, such as the TÜV Rheinland-certified MCEEXPERT Course and Functional Safety Engineer course. These courses professionalizes the safety function within customer organizations, providing them with certified experts who can independently handle complex design, calculation, and validation tasks for their machines.
Schmersal publishes technical articles and literature that translates complex regulatory changes into clear, actionable advice.
Beyond education, Schmersal provides hands-on, manufacturer-neutral support to ensure the standards are correctly applied to the customer’s specific machinery through Machine Safety Risk Assessments (MSRA) .
Our Certified safety consultants from tec.nicum assist OEMs and end-users in performing mandatory risk assessments. This step determines the required safety performance (PL or SIL) for each safety function.This is critical for compliance, as the consultants guide customers through the systematic process required by the standards, ensuring the correct level of risk reduction is achieved.They help develop the actual safety control concept, selecting the appropriate components, designing the safety architecture, and performing the required calculations (to prove compliance with ISO 13849 or IEC 62061.
By participating in machinery exhibitions and trade shows, Schmersal physically demonstrates its latest innovations—such as intelligent Fieldbus Gateways and advanced optoelectronic devices—and how they are explicitly designed for compliance with current safety norms.This provides a visible platform for customers to interact with safety experts, see the products in action, and understand the practical benefits of using certified, integrated safety systems.
In summary, Schmersal India’s primary role is to empower the Indian manufacturing industry with the knowledge (through education) and the methodology (through consulting) required to achieve and sustain globally compliant machine safety.
Q) Are there upcoming product lines, digital safety platforms, or partnerships aimed at strengthening your presence in the Indian and global markets?
We actively strengthening Our market presence globally and in India through significant investments in digital platforms and regional expansion/localization.
Schmersal India is being strategically strengthened to serve as a hub for both the domestic and broader Asian markets. We recently announced the expansion of Our operations with a strategic move to a new office in Pune (AP4 Tech Park). This is a move designed to strengthen regional operations, enhance client engagement, and attract a deeper talent pool for innovation.
Schmersal India aims to double production in the country and achieve 100% localization of many products in the coming years. We are also planning to start electronic product assembly at Our Indian plant.
Schmersal established a Global Competence Centre in India focused on IT, software, and engineering services, with a focus on Embedded Development and IoT. This centre acts as a key R&D and support hub, ensuring Schmersal can develop digital platforms and solutions relevant for global and Asian markets directly from India.
Apart from this Our company is pivoting from simple hardware components to advanced, data-rich digital solutions with Our latest innovations to drive future growth, often branded under the concept of “Safety 4.0.”
The continuous innovations of devices like the SD Fieldbus Gateway (SDG),Safety Field box(SFB),ATEX certified components, Schmersal Safety 4D model and lot more products & solutions to come, emphasizes Our commitment to innovations and connectivity.
In Summary, Our Goal is to meet the “Make in India” demand, reduce lead times, and make products more cost-effective for the local market, while maintaining global quality standards and to serve clients better and support their long-term growth objectives in the rapidly accelerating Indian manufacturing sector.