Kunal Vakil, Senior General Manager, Abrasive Systems Division, 3M and Kaushik Nag, Senior General Manager, Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division, 3M, in conversation with Efficient Manufacturing Magazine
Q. How are advanced abrasives helping improve productivity and support automation in Indian manufacturing?
3M’s advanced engineered abrasive solutions are driving productivity, enhanced durability and reduced maintenance, thereby enhancing automation in Indian manufacturing through several key innovations and capabilities:
- Faster, More Consistent Cutting with Precision-Shaped Grain (PSG)
3M Cubitron™ II abrasives utilise Precision-Shaped Grain, a ceramic abrasive technology that cuts up to 2x faster than conventional abrasives. This boosts output in automated grinding, deburring, and finishing operations. These triangular-shaped PSG grains self-fracture during use, maintaining sharpness and extending tool life. This reduces downtime for abrasive changes in automated production lines.
- Optimised for Robotic and Automated Processes
3M abrasives are designed for compatibility with industrial robots and CNC machines. Their uniform grain structure and consistent performance ensure reliable results in high-speed, repetitive tasks like robotic welding, grinding, and polishing.
Solutions like the 3M™ Finesse-it™ Robotic Paint Repair System for automobiles integrate abrasives, tools, and expertise to automate paint defect repair, improving consistency and reducing manual labour.
The stiff fibre backing and resin bonding in 3M abrasives provide tear resistance and durability, crucial for high-pressure automated applications like weld grinding and stock removal.
- Cost Efficiency and Sustainability
Faster cutting with 3M belts and discs adds longer tool life, reduces per-part production costs and material waste, thereby helping manufacturers process more parts with a smaller workforce and improving ROI on automation investments.
In addition, eco-friendly packaging and long-lasting products align with India’s sustainability goals, supporting “Make in India” initiatives to boost domestic manufacturing.
Q. What role does surface finishing play in enabling Industry 4.0 readiness for manufacturers?
Surface finishing is another critical enabler of Industry 4.0 readiness for manufacturers, as it integrates seamlessly with automation, digitalisation, and quality control systems. Surface finishing is not just a downstream process-it’s a strategic pillar of Industry 4.0, enabling manufacturers to achieve higher productivity and agility. It empowers companies to meet evolving market demands and stay competitive in a smart manufacturing era. Here’s how it supports the transition to smart manufacturing:
Automated finishing systems (e.g., robotic sandblasting, CNC grinding, and polishing) rely on precision surface finishing to achieve consistent results without manual intervention. These systems use advanced abrasives and coatings to deliver uniform finishes, reducing variability and defects in high-volume production. Robotic cells equipped with adaptive finishing tools can adjust parameters in real-time, ensuring optimal surface quality even as product designs evolve.
A high-quality surface finish improves corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and aesthetics, directly impacting product longevity and customer satisfaction. This is especially critical in sectors like automotive, aerospace, and electronics, where surface integrity affects safety and performance. Coatings and treatments (e.g., PVD, anodising) applied during finishing can enhance functionality, reduce maintenance, and extend product lifecycles.
Advanced finishing processes minimise material waste and energy consumption. For example, electrochemical finishing reduces chemical usage compared to traditional methods, aligning with sustainability goals. Eco-friendly abrasives and coatings support circular economy initiatives by enabling recycling and reducing negative environmental impact.
Q. How is the shift from mechanical fastening to advanced bonding shaping multi-material design?
We are witnessing a clear shift from mechanical fastening toward advanced bonding solutions in multi‑material design. This transition enables designers to combine dissimilar materials more effectively, driving weight reduction, improved aesthetics, and enhanced overall performance.
Advanced bonding includes a wide range of solutions such as structural adhesives, epoxies, polyurethanes, and acrylics, available in various forms, including films and foaming systems. In addition to adhesives, advanced bonding also encompasses thermal joining techniques such as ultrasonic welding. While friction welding remains a mechanical process, it similarly supports multi‑material joining within the broader goal of improving design efficiency. Collectively, these technologies expand the definition of “advanced bonding” beyond traditional fasteners.
Unlike mechanical fastening, which introduces stress concentrations due to drilled holes and localised loads, adhesives distribute stress uniformly across the joint. This improves structural integrity and enables diverse joint geometries such as lap and butt joints. Adhesive bonding enhances stiffness and vibration damping, supports the use of thinner materials, prevents galvanic corrosion, and improves crash energy absorption, critical for modern lightweight structures.
Importantly, this shift supports a move toward a “joint‑centric” design philosophy, where interfaces are engineered alongside materials. Adhesives integrate seamlessly with digital design tools, simulation, and computational modelling, enabling optimised joint design and increasingly automated manufacturing processes.
Overall, advanced bonding significantly expands the multi‑material design envelope. It shifts the focus from hardware-driven assembly to engineered interfaces, encouraging more integrated design thinking while introducing new considerations for processing, durability, and end‑of‑life disassembly.
Q. In what ways are lightweighting and process efficiency emerging as competitive advantages for Indian manufacturers?
Lightweighting and process efficiency are fast emerging as real competitive differentiators for Indian manufacturers. As margins tighten and regulations become more demanding, both domestically and globally, manufacturers are recognising that reducing weight and improving processes directly translate into lower costs, faster throughput, and easier access to export markets.
Lightweighting reduces material and energy consumption across the value chain. At the same time, process efficiency, through quicker changeovers, reduced part counts, and greater local sourcing, helps manufacturers respond faster to customer needs and manage supply chain volatility. Advanced bonding technologies, particularly adhesives, play an important role here. They simplify assembly, enable multi‑material designs, and reduce reliance on energy‑intensive mechanical operations. The result is not just faster and cleaner manufacturing but also improved quality and consistency.
From a business perspective, lighter designs enable higher payloads and better asset utilisation, while efficient processes reduce lead times and operating costs. Together, these advantages strengthen competitiveness in both domestic and export markets. So, lightweighting and process efficiency are no longer just engineering improvements; they’re strategic enablers of growth, resilience, and global relevance for Indian manufacturing
Q. How can manufacturers drive sustainability through reduced waste, lower rework, and improved process efficiency?
Manufacturers can drive sustainability most effectively by focusing on getting it right the first time. Reduced waste and lower rework begin at the design stage, by engineering products and processes with proper tolerance stack‑ups, built‑in quality, and ‘right‑first‑time’ principles, we avoid unnecessary rework and material loss downstream. On the shop floor, lean waste elimination plays a major role. When these are combined with strong process controls, such as SPC and Six Sigma, the result is more stable, predictable, and efficient operations.
Digitalisation is another key enabler. Tools like MES, AI‑driven analytics, and predictive maintenance allow manufacturers to optimise processes in real time, reduce scrap, and improve yield.
From a product and assembly perspective, the use of adhesives and hybrid joining technologies also supports sustainability by reducing distortion, minimising scrap, and lowering the need for energy‑intensive rework often associated with traditional welding, while still maintaining the right balance between strength and efficiency.
Finally, true sustainability comes full circle with circularity. Sustainability goals are becoming a decisive factor for global customers. Design for repair, disassembly, and material recovery, along with supplier take‑back programs, helps extend product life and reduce environmental impact. Advances in adhesive technologies are already enabling these approaches, making sustainability not just an environmental goal, but a practical and competitive manufacturing strategy.
