Taking the opportunity, we at Cooling India warmly congratulate you having been recently inducted as Board of Director AMCA International Inc. Would you please detail about the responsibilities and yours engaging in activities of AMCA International particularly for Asian region.
The Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) primarily represents the interests of its members. They are manufacturers of air system components such as fans, louvers and dampers. AMCA currently has 400 members around the world and in addition to providing a platform for members on important issues; the Association also works towards developing several standards aimed at improving the industry.
Currently, the board consists of representation from different AMCA regions, with two representatives each from Asia, Middle East and Europe and eight representatives from North America. Such diversity showcases the Association’s commitment to strengthen the cooperation between regional channels.
I am delighted to represent the interests of the Asian members and the Asian market. We are eager to help drive the activities of AMCA International by supporting the development of more efficient and healthier buildings through greater transparency in the local markets.
Systemair has had a long-standing collaboration with AMCA for many years and has been a supporter of the organisation’s efforts to drive better practices within the industry. I have also played an active part in committees early on and was involved in the establishment of the very first AMCA-accredited acoustics laboratory and airflow test rig in Systemair India HQ – Greater Noida.
I believe that having strong representation from Asia in the international board will further strengthen AMCA’s position as a truly global association. At the end of the day, we look to promote sustainability and energy efficiency and ensure that the fan industry does its part in combating climate change. Through AMCA, we also want to support the efforts of manufacturers producing higher quality and higher efficiency products and highlight the importance and value of quality products through certification and regulation.
What is your perception about HVACR industry market and growth nationally and globally, in the recent times?
It is an unprecedented time for the global market, following the upheaval caused by the COVID19 pandemic. While this has unquestionably caused disruption in different industries worldwide, the HVACR sector remained resilient, largely due to the growing importance that has been placed on proper ventilation and indoor air quality (IAQ) when it comes to battling the spread of airborne diseases. This has led to an upsurge in relevant solutions in the field of ventilation as well as for multi-stage filtration, electronic filters and UVGI disinfection, which can add value to the entire chain, if applied correctly.
However, it is important to ensure that energy efficiency does not suffer in the name of achieving optimum IAQ, because we must keep in mind, sustainability as climate change is still a pervasive issue. Both are of equal importance, which should pave the way for quality products that can ensure optimum IAQ without the burden of heavy energy consumption.
When it comes to the local market, an important driver for growth is the ‘Amtanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ policy. Under this government initiative, there are Production Linked Incentives (PLI) for sunrise sectors to provide the Indian manufacturing sector with a competitive edge in the export market. The sunrise sectors include Medical Devices, APIs, Pharmaceutical Drugs, Capital Goods, Technology Products, White Goods (LED and ACs), Advanced Battery Cells, among other industries. This will create opportunities for the HVACR Industry in the coming years as India is moving towards Self Reliance. The Make in India initiative will boost the global manufacturing eco system by attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), which will greatly benefit the HVACR industry.
Additionally, the Indian government’s initiative to enhance infrastructure will help the HVACR sector in the coming years. PPP investments in public sectors like road, rail, metros, airports and seaports will further drive positive momentum in the HVACR sector. These initiatives extend to the healthcare sector, which is expected to see a growth in the coming years, following a boost from government policies and incentives.
Lastly, the COVID19 pandemic has also placed Indian Pharmaceutical companies on the international spotlight as the world eagerly awaits the development and distribution of a vaccine. Considering India is the largest producer of vaccines globally, the country is well-positioned to meet this demand. Companies are now investing in new facilities as well as warehouses for storage of the vaccines before public distribution.
In fact, Systemair has supplied all major Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers with Eurovent Certified Hygienic AHUs. Some of our customers are the front runners on vaccine manufacturing for COVID19, including Serum Institute of India, Bharat Biotech, Biological E, Pfizer from the US and BioNTech from Germany and Zydus Cadila and I believe the imminent requirement for these vaccines and growing dominance of Indian Pharmaceutical industry will affect the HVACR sector, fuelling requirement for critical precision equipment to maintain indoor climate and the cold chain.
Please elaborate on the latest range of Systemair products available for industrial and domestic usage.
The main purpose of Systemair’s products is to create a healthy and comfortable indoor climate. This may involve anything from maintaining clean air at the right temperature in schools to effective evacuation of fire gases in buildings or exhaust gases in tunnels. We also ensure that we develop products that make this possible with the lowest possible energy consumption. This, in turn, reduces both the burden on the environment and life cycle costs for customers. Simple installation, operation and maintenance of products create further value for our customers.
Globally, we have launched many new products recently. This includes the Geniox Air Handling Units which now has a Eurovent Certified Performance option for “Hygienic Air Handling Units” (HAHU), the new range of Topvex units, Aqua Blue, which is a new air-cooled chiller and heat pump with R290 refrigerant and Prio Air, which is the quietest fan in the industry and offers a new definition of silence to customers.
For the India market, we have the BA – SMART, which is a new range of AHUs featuring a state-of-the-art Access control system. Manufactured in India, BA – SMART is a plug and play solution breaking all conventional barriers of typical AHU offerings. The new range comes with enhanced Eurovent performance of Leakage class L1, Casing Strength D1, Thermal Bridging factorTB2, Thermal transmittance T2 Filter and Bypass leakage F9.
We have also recently launched the BA – Eco – Ecology Units, which is an advanced solution for industrial and commercial kitchens. The units are equipped with an ESP filter for grease filtration and an activated carbon filter for odour control. The units come with different configurations suited for different types of Kitchens specialising in different cuisines such as Italian, Chinese, Arabic and Indian.
Lastly, the BA – vent was launched as a solution for additional filtration requirements in the existing installations. The customer can opt for fine and Hepa filter and the units are equipped with EC fans to overcome the additional pressure drop requirement and suit the existing installations making it COVID-19 ready. Also, these units are equipped with UVGI filtration for contaminant filtration.
The factory in India, responsible for these products, is a top-notch manufacturing facility in compliance with the highest quality standards and managed by a large team of specialised personnel. We also want to highlight the Technical Centre in greater Noida, India, which facilitates in R&D and testing. The Technical Centre houses 12 engineers and we are proud to have the first AMCA Accredited acoustic laboratory which can measure products as per AMCA 210 and 300 standards.
BA smart – Indian range of Eurovent Certified AHU is easily downloadable from App launcher Pro by Systemair. Could you explain about this unique interactive visualization platform developed by Systemair.
The BA smart AHU is designed as a modular air handling unit, with each function placed into an air handling unit casing, consisting of one or more modules. It is available in 41 sizes with airflows from 1000-178000 CMH. It is equipped with highly efficient EC fans with inbuilt Access controls and Navi pad – touch pad to provide the customer with the benefits of advanced controls and to provide a truly plug and play solution.
Systemair constantly works to upgrade the tools available for product selection. We have created a virtual and augmented reality app in-house to give our customers a realistic idea of the AHU, its complex technical functions and components. With this application, customers can simulate different weather conditions and choose the operating mode to visualise the energy savings.
There are different modes available to simulate the control logic and philosophy enabling the customers to choose the control requirements. The application also comes with BA AHU duly installed with ESP filter and UVGI system, which can be simulated under different conditions. With the help of WebAR platform, the customer can place the product virtually at the site, to check the size feasibility before physically ordering the product – without even having to install an app, just through the web browser.
To be contd. as Part II in March issue…
