OMRON’s ‘Image Sensor’ will hit Indian market by 2020
Japan-based OMRON,, manufacturer of automotive o motive electronics, reveals that its flagship product Image sensor/Human Vision Component (HVC) will hit the global market in a few months and will figure out its path to the Indian market by 2020. The company renders components and system or modulebased solutions to the automotive industry. The component division includes products like relays, switches, connectors, and micro sensing devices. It gives plug-in relays, PCB relays and DC high power relays to the automotive industry. The relays find their applications in body control modules, engine control unit, junction boxes, wiperer control, steering and indicators. Similarly the switches are used in hood latch, door llatch, seat belts, and on and off indicators.in
The HVC incorporates 10 different image sensing functions and alerts the driver with signals. Expressions like eye lid movement, sleepiness are some of the crucial attributes the image sensor captures and warning signals/alarm are thrown accordingly to alert the driver. The product is in ready-to-use stage and the company is waiting for tthe customers to trialrun it.
Vinod Raphael, Country Business Head-India, OMOMRON, told Auto Components India that, “Safety with comfort has taken the centre stage with electronics being the only solution. Electronic component makers are accorded with profuse opportunities to code the hardware which gives out disruptive innovations. We are utilising the same and HVC is one of the products which is a key for both safety and comfort. With the ability to identify the aforementioned attributes the product is setting a stage out in the global market”.
“The emission norms have become tighter now. This opens the gate for electronic manufacturers like us to exhibit our special relays and switches which are lead-free. DC power relays find their wide range of applications in electric vehicles during charging and discharging. Though Indian market is slow
towards electric vehicle adaption, the developed markets have realised their potential with the electric vehicles have started proliferating,” he said.
Underlining the emission norms, Thendral HR, Automotive Specialist, OMRON, said, “Carbon content is directly proportional to the weight of the component. Our smaller relays address these issues and fuel efficiency will increase with our lightweight relays but we are not able to quantify the efficiency increase and OEMs could slate the same.”
PCB and Plug-in relays are the 2 variants and plug-in relays are used in the cars. The infrastructure has become too indispensable to ignore especially for electronic-fit. Plug-in relays will encounter failure with bumpy roads. Rough drives in bumpy roads will make the relays plug out from the socket and result in failures. PCB relays are soldered in PCB and these relays will sustain in rough terrains too. Indian market is still at a nascent stage in adhering to PCB relays. The challenge is to change the entire layout to make the vehicle compatible with the PCB relays. But with no options in hand, the transition is taking place and in a year or two PCBs will surface the entire market. New generation PCB relays helps in increasing fuel efficiency too.
The company has R&D functions happening from Japan and it works on various innovations. “We have in-house made Electronic Control Unit and a team of engineers are working on multiple ECUs in a single platform, However it is too early to comment on the progress in that area. The R&D activities are now focusing on the world’s smallest relay, new generation PCB relays and Body Control Modules (BCM through PCB relays). High proportion of electronics is involved and this requires disruptive innovation and our R&D is capable of it. We have control modules in place which takes care of sudden failure nonetheless the failures will not be a life threatening issue though it happens,” Thendral said.
The company has its manufacturing facilities in Japan, Korea, Indonesia, China, Italy and Chicago. “India is becoming a safe zone for investment owing to cheap labour and highly skilled professionals. Global Tier-1 companies are investing in the country. We are digging grounds to increase the supply chain with these companies. Also we are in the process of enhancing our local designing activities in India to serve our best for two-wheeler and fourwheeler markets. Just in time being our core strength, we are planning to increase the supply chain management also in the country,” Raphael said.