Technofour, an NDT systems supplier, is currently in expansion mode, and relocating its facility to Kasurdi, Maharashtra, to scale operations and enhance delivery efficiency. The company has recently introduced its latest, top-of-the line model, ‘GX Series’- an advanced Industry 4.0 ready system offering superior accuracy in flaw detection and automated sorting capabilities. In an exclusive interview with Tube & Pipe India, Mr. Bharat Biradar, Sales Head, Technofour, revealed how Technofour is actively developing Industry 4.0-aligned solutions to enable immediate corrective actions, ensure consistent product quality, and minimize downtime in industrial application.
Tube & Pipe India: Give a brief overview of the company.
Bharat Biradar: More than 50 years ago, four youngsters from IIT Bombay, set forth a mission to design and build a range of world-class sophisticated eddy current non-destructive test systems. This led to the formation of Technofour. Established in 1972, the company provides customized cutting-edge NDT solutions. The group has three other major lines of business: Highly sophisticated metal detectors for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and other industries; check-weigher systems and mechanical handling systems and robotics.
Over time, Technofour has diversified into ultrasonic NDT systems, magnetic flux leakage systems as well as Barkhausen Emission Analyzers. We have two sister companies in Maharashtra- Technofour Electronics Private Limited and Technofour Electronics Defence Private Limited.
TPI: Please tell us about your product portfolio.
BB: Technofour specializes in advanced Eddy Current defect detection systems, metal sorting systems and in-service inspection solutions, portable instruments and test automation systems designed for precision and ease of use in industrial applications.
Our present range of Eddy Current Systems are as follows:
Flawmark family ( a Stationary encircling Coil or segment coils Technique)
The company has a series of Flawmark products for defect detection. These are advanced eddy current testing systems, designed for the inspection of ERW Round Tubes & profiles – Square, Rectangular, Hexagon, Pentagon & octagon and welded stainless steel tubes.
Carbon & alloy seamless steel tubes, Stainless Steel Tubes, Copper & Copper alloy Tubes, Brass Tubes, Aluminium Tubes, Stainless Steel Bars, and wires. The system detects various defects like circumferential cracks, pin holes, open welds, voids, inclusions, short defects,concentrated porosity, weld defects, opened-up skin lamination, deep pitting, or mechanical damage. This system can be configured for multiple lines for simultaneous operations. Our state-of the art model Flawmark-GX has featured with Industry standard 4.0.
Rotoprobe family (Rotating probe-type Technique)
For the inspection of carbon seamless tubes, Stainless Steel Bar/ tubes, Carbon & Ally Steel Bright Bars, and Hot rolled steel Bars. This technique is very useful for the detection of Longitudinal/helical cracks, Laps, seam line cracks, etc.
Defectoscope Test System Technofour developed special & complicated Eddy Current systems for defect detection of Camshaft, Ball Pin, Engine Valve, Engine Liner & various automotive components. Defectoscope Test System detects surfacebreaking cracks on finished roto-symmetrical components such as ball pins, gudgeon pins, piston rods, bearing races, rollers, cylinder liners, gear blanks, ammunition shells etc in production environment or at inward quality inspection. Complete automation support is provided along with several kinds of custom-built mechanisms for scanning and sorting.
Multifect family (an electromagnetic compactor)
Multifect EX is a versatile multi-frequency, multi-channel, multi-lines eddy current comparator for segregation of metallic components and raw stock. The system is ideally suited for stringent quality checks of crucial automotive components.
Some typical applications are: Sorting of bars or components according to alloy type, sorting of fasteners according to hardness, segregation of forgings as per heat-treat condition, evaluation of gudgeon pins for case-depth, regression readout of values (e.g. hardness), and confidence testing with known good samples.
Our latest 7th generation model Multifect-GX can test parts at up to 32 frequencies at one go. Up to nine harmonics can simultaneously be analysed for each frequency. Harmonics carry information about non-linearity of B-H curve of a material.
INSIS
Leading-edge multifrequency / multichannel eddy current test system for in-service inspection (INSITU) of steam generator tubes or heat exchangers and boiler tubes using ID bobbin probes with pusher-puller, robotics arm & cameras to meet ASME codes.
TPI: Please tell us more about your credit card sized EddyUSB, ultrasonic flaw detector UTUSB and the Bluetooth-enabled instrument EddyBLU.
BB: EddyUSB is an incredible credit-card-sized feather-weight instrument that interfaces with a Windows tablet or laptop via USB. The multi-frequency test solution has applications in various industries, such as in aircraft inspection for cracks and corrosion damage, for material sorting, bolt-hole inspection, and heat exchanger tube examination. EddyBLU is the world’s first Bluetooth Eddy current tester, which has a Bluetooth interface with a Windows laptop/tablet or Android phone/tablet. UTUSB is a full-featured ultrasonic flaw detector that literally fits in the shirt pocket. Its advanced bipolar square wave pulsar maximizes the acoustic energy in the trigger pulse, resulting in as much as 30dB gain advantage over conventional spike pulse instruments.
TPI: Can you tell us about the recent development in your company?
BB: Our latest, top-of-the line model is the GX series, which represents Industry 4.0 ready system and is available across both Flawmark and Multifect systems.
Flawmark-GX is Industry 4.0 ready system for inspection of surface defects in metal tubes, bars and wires. Its simultaneous multi-frequency option and proprietary D3 signal processing make it useful for enhanced/deeper inspection. Mutifect-GX is a multi-channel electromagnetic comparator with real-time harmonic analysis at each of up to 32-test frequencies.
The GX series incorporates advanced detection technology, offering superior accuracy for flaw detection and enhanced capabilities for metal sorting. Additionally, the systems feature a touchscreen interface, data logging, and LAN connectivity. The GX systems can also be connected directly to Technofour, allowing for fast and efficient remote troubleshooting, minimizing downtime and ensuring smooth operation.
We also support data integration via an OPC Client, allowing all information or data to be aggregated from all mediums at a single location, thus streamlining operations and rapid responses.
TPI: Industry 4.0 is an emerging trend in the manufacturing and machinery sector. How do you incorporate Industry 4.0 features into your technology?
BB: At Technofour, we are actively developing solutions aligned with Industry 4.0 focusing on real-time monitoring and intelligent automation across production lines.
We support data integration via an OPC Client, allowing all information or data to be aggregated from all mediums to a single location, thus streamlining operations and ensuring rapid responses.
For our system Eddy current parameters, settings are available as an array of integers. So is the Record tag, which contains a serial number, statistics and a ‘strip chart’ of test signal with a time stamp. Any change in parameters is captured with user name and a time stamp.Provides a list of its capabilities and functionality to interested clients and it provides notifications of different kinds of events. OPC Client can acquire this data or conduct supervisory control.
Technofour can also supply an optimized OPC Client running on Windows platform. Thereafter, other applications can connect to the SQL server and process the data for local analysis or onward transmission to the corporate cloud. The data can also be used as one of the key inputs to any digital twin implemented in the plant.
TPI: What are your USPs that sets you apart from your competitors?
BB: We are India’s leading brand in high-performance Eddy Current defect detection Systems and metal sorting systems. Technofour is not just delivering efficient and lasting products but setting industry standards with its cost-effective and durable solutions, with fewer breakdowns.
The company has completed 51 years in innovation and technology. Over the years, our consistent year-on-year growth in turnover is a testament to our strong presence in the industry. This upward trajectory is driven by our commitment to exceptional service support and effective performance by our systems.
We supply and install equipment that continue to deliver reliable, high-quality results in the field. As a result, we receive a high volume of repeat orders and appreciation from existing customers, reinforcing our position in the industry.
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TPI: Can you tell us about your market footprint? Are there any new regions that you are eyeing for expansion?
BB: We are currently supplying our technologies and equipment majorly to the Indian market and in the Middle East. In addition, we plan to expand our footprint, European countries, and the United States.
Our first system is being supplied to Italy, which we believe will serve as a benchmark installation for the region. Establishing a presence in the European market is a significant milestone for us that will strengthen our credibility in international markets and help us build a strong market presence in Europe.
TPI: What are your future growth plans?
BB: We are currently in expansion mode and optimistic about the opportunities ahead. At present, we are facing some space constraints, which limit our ability to scale operations. To address this, we are in the process of relocating to a larger facility in Kasurdi, Maharashtra alongside Technofour Electronic Private Limited which will provide us with adequate space to enhance our productivity, streamline our workflows, and improve our deliveries. This move marks a significant step forward in our growth journey and will enable us to better serve our customers in the future.
