Aimil Ltd Increasing Productivity With Instrumentation & Technology

Aimil Ltd, a pioneer in the instrumentation sector, has made rapid leaps in Civil Engineering instrumentation & services by adopting new technologies and collaborating with global technology leaders to expand its skill-set and bring the latest solutions into India, reveals Aimil Ltd., Managing Director, Arvind Verma in an interview with Maria R.

How has the industry evolved over the years and how has Aimil geared up to meet the challenges?

Aimil Automatic Compression Testing Machine

The industry has evolved considerably with time. There has been more technological revolutions in the last 80 years than in perhaps the previous 800! Aimil has risen to the challenge by making continuous improvements and by upgrading its skills and capabilities through training of its workers and through collaborations with renowned companies.

It is true that in India people are reluctant to adapt to changing technologies, but this is true of the Civil Engineering industry worldwide. What has prompted the change has perhaps been due to increased legislation, which has prompted companies to become compliant, but more than that it has been the increase in productivity and need for lowering of costs, which has encouraged the industry to adopt change. India has always had a tremendous wealth of scientific talent, R&D and innovation, which have kept the Civil Engineering industry abreast of world developments.

In fact, Aimil has collaborated with the world's best companies in USA, UK and Europe to enhance its manufacturing, applications, customer support, and technical services. Our joint ventures and partnerships have brought cost-effective cutting edge technologies to the country. The company will continue to upgrade its skills and knowledge base so as to leverage the advantage India has by way of a highly skilled and trained manpower. Using our strengths to the best advantage is critical for the road ahead and for us to become a global player with worldwide reach.

How challenging has it been to convince people to adopt new technologies, high-end instruments and products?
It has been a challenging task to convince people to move to high-end products, but the thrill for us has always been the challenges and how to overcome them. The driver behind Aimil has always been technology and how to improve human lives as opposed to short-term gains in profit. So, we have worked closely with the R&D community to adopt new technologies and encourage development of applications by propagating it at forums. The next step has been to get it specified by selling the idea to consultants and advisers before looking at any commercial gains.


Dynatest FastFalling Weight Deflectometer	Aimil Triaxial Test Apparatus

We believe that profit is a consequence of creating value and that is what we have tried to do at Aimil. As a result, we have been selling both the conventional equipment and also the high-end equipment. We have successfully brought global technologies to India through our global partners. I feel there is still scope for acceptance of newer/advanced technologies, provided purchases are not decided primarily on their price factor. Legislation also needs more teeth so as to enforce the need for better quality instrumentation.

Aimil has been present in the instrumentation industry of India since 1932. What is the inspiration behind the evolution of Aimil and how has its journey been so far?
The inspiration behind Aimil was its mission to which its captains and its team devoted to, with passion that of being a leader in providing optimal quality and customer service by integration of leading edge global technologies. This along with our guiding principles to set standards and our core values which include Continual Improvement, Pursuit of Excellence and Learning and Self-improvement, has made our journey so far very pleasant and rewarding.

Which sectors is Aimil catering to?
Aimil is essentially involved in offering Quality Control and Research Instrumentation for various sectors such as Infrastructure, Pharmaceutical and the Electronics industry. Our entire range of product groups cover pan industry instrumentation requirements. In the field of Civil Engineering, we manufacture state-of-the art equipment conforming to Indian standards like BIS and International standards like ASTM, BS, EN and DIN. What we don't manufacture, we represent.

GDS-Hardin System

What is the importance of instrumen- tation in civil engineering projects?
There is tremendous importance of instrumentation in Civil Engineering Projects because safety is a critical factor as well as quality as these projects have to last more than a few lifetimes and it is essential we pay due attention to what goes into them. We offer the most simple building material test equipment to the most sophisticated equipment that demand high levels of accuracy and ability to acquire data and analyse it.

Instrumentation in Civil Engineering Projects is provided for two primary purposes: first, to obtain in-situ parameters of soil and rock properties, for example, strength, compressibility and permeability. These are required for design purposes. The second is to monitor the performance of the structures, normally during the construction or operation phase of the project, and may involve measurement of ground water pressure, total stress, deformation, load or strain.

What products does Aimil offer for the Civil Engineering sector?
Our complete range of instrumentation in Civil Engineering can meet all project requirements from conception to the completion stage, including for pre-construction, post-construction and also during the construction processes. We also provide consultancy in this field, which gives a hands-on experience to our people. Our highly qualified personnel collect and analyze the data to produce meaningful reports. Sometimes, there are legal or insurance related requirements to provide instrumentation on projects, and we can cater to these as well. Our product range also includes Structural Monitoring Instrumentation.

What is the importance of Non Destructive Testing (NDT) in rehabilitation and repair of concrete structures?
It is necessary to find the root cause of distress in any structure before any remedial measures can be suggested. Non Destructive Testing of Concrete Structures tells us the existing condition of the concrete structure, the strength of the residual concrete, the status of corrosion of steel and other related matters without damaging the structure. The importance of Non Destructive Testing in Rehabilitation and Repair of Concrete Structures cannot be over emphasized because taking cores for Destructive Testing in distressed structures is not an option. In several ways, it is similar to a detailed diagnostic examination and pathological testing before a proper course of medical treatment could be recommended.

What kind of training are you providing to your operators to operate the systems effectively, efficiently, and safely?
The role of the operator is absolutely crucial for the successful implementation of techniques. Some of the instruments like Ground Probing Radar, High Resolution Video cameras with software and Instruments for Thermography are very sophisticated and need highly skilled operators.

Presently, we provide in-house training to our personnel and to those who purchase instruments from us. However, we are considering to invite other people as well, who want to pursue a career in this field. We will provide them training and will issue them a certification on completing the course.

This will be in tune with the Honorable Prime Minister's Kushal Bharat Program.

Training is an essential part of sale of instrument as are its after-sales and application support that we provide. This is a critical part of our value add to our customers. We also provide consultancy for interpretation and analysis. Our Technical Training Program in the field of Civil Engineering is designed for both working professionals and students (professionals in the making) under our program called ACETOP (Aimil Continuing Education Training & Operations Program). The training can be tailored as per customer specific needs in the Instrumentation field and beyond.

How do you view your business in the current tough economic and competitive environment?
When the going gets tough, the tough get going! Aimil has a strong base and a group of dedicated and loyal long-serving employees who work as a team, and they are one of our greatest strengths. People work and stay on at Aimil not for the monetary benefit, but for the satisfaction they get, and because it is a way of life. So, no matter how tough the environment, we will continue to grow. We have and will continue to invest in newer technologies of the future, in training our people, and in developing world class infrastructure. So we are well-equipped to deal with any challenge the market may have.