Corporate Profile AVG Electronics Private Ltd, division of AVG Automation, Chicago, USA ANG Group is a Chicago based multinational group of companies involved in many facets of electronics industry with particular emphasis on industrial automation. The group has world wide operations with its European headquarters in Germany and Asian headquarters in Bangalore, India. It also has franchise operations all over the globe. AVG was founded in 1975 and has over the years acquired many other companies. It is @ mini-conglomerate of electronics companies operating world wide, with a total installed base of over one billion dollars. AVG i into automation controls, semiconduc- tors, telecommunications, thick-film hybrids, electronic component manufacturing and distribution. AVG remains a privately owned company incorporated in USA. AVG Automation is a division of AVG and is a world leader in the design and manufacturing of automation controls sold to Fortune 1000 companies. In fact, its Uticor division is the original inventor of PLCs back in 1968 and held eight funda- mental patents on PLCs. It also invented the first Touchpanel HMI in 1992. It is widely recognized as one of the top three companies in the US for programmable message displays. In 2008, it won the most coveted “oscar” of automation controls, that is Engineer's Choice Award for its innovative HMIs. 30 | Industriol Automation | July 2009Corporate Profile AVG Electronics Private Limited operating from Bangalore is « wholly owned subsidiary of AVG. Automation and has recently introduced a new line of automation controls including PLCs, HMls, Integrated HMls, Industrial PLCs, and Marquees that are specifically designed for India. Ambient temperature on the Indian subcontinent can eas- ily reach 45 degree C and the humidity in ci like Mumbai can get up to 95%. As most of the automation controls in India have come from the west or Japan where the ambient temperature is 20 deg lower and accordingly designed to operate at those temperatures, these products have major environmental problems in India. With its “Made for India” Tough Series of Automation products, and an American consumer oriented Customer Care policy, with local stock and local technical/application support in 75 major industrial cities in India, AVG is planning to be a major player in the Indian automation market. Meet Mr. Shalabh Kumar, Founder of AVG: ‘Mr. Shalabh Kumar, Chaiir- man and CEO of AVG group ‘of companies is an NRI from Punjab. He is an inventor, holds more than 10 US patents and has created many new industries in North America. He is also a philanthropist. Born in an Aryasmaji middle class family, Mr. Kumar along . with his older brother and two younger sisters quickly realized the value of good solid education. He ranked 2nd in Punjab University in 1965, and through the grant of a merit scholarship, proceeded to get his Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, in 1969. He scored a record 100% in his final project whi involved design of a phase meter using transistors which had to be transported from Delhi overnight, on numerous occasions (as they were not available in Chandigarh dur- ing those days). As a result of this project and some special attention from the Head of the department, Dr. Bajwa, his passion for circuit and product design grew dramat- ically, in which he still rematins actively involved, even 40 years later. Immediately after gradvation, through another scholarship grant, he enrolled for his, ‘Masters in Electrical Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL, USA. 32 | Industrial Automation | July 2009Corporate Profile He is famous for arriving in the US with a negative account balance of $3000, that is his tuition even after the scholarship, exceeded what he was able to borrow from family and relatives. ‘Mr. Kumar was able to obtain his masters in a record 9 months and proceeded to work for a very small high technology com- pany called NanoFast where he is credited to Fist microprocessor based have designed a Radar Pulse Generator and incstiuis saniime ster lax | 2 ‘Measurement system used in the 1971 Lunar microseconds for 20,000 mission by NASA. setpoits In 1972, Mr. Kumar joined a very entrepreneurial company called National Controls Corporation, where he designed a new product almost every two weeks, including the now world famous French Fry Computer for McDonalds. Here he was also credited for the first use of the very first microprocessor, Intel 4004, in an Automation control device. In 1975, he invented the first microprocessor based replacement for a rotary cam limit switch used in the metal forming presses of General Motors. He named it Programmable Limit Switch or PLS for short, which created a brand new industry which is still a major industry today. This was the start of Autotech, the ‘a” of AVG. The PLS was able to solve 20000 three digit set points in an unbelievable 57 micro- seconds, as a result of which, AVG still controls more than 70% of world's two piece can manufacturing lines. Mr. Kumar is one of the top most electronic hardware design- ers in the world specializing in high speed operations. He is also known as “Dr. Noise” for his knowledge in the field of conducted and radiated radio frequency interfer- ‘ence more commonly called “electrical noise”. ‘Mr, Kumar became a citizen of US in 1981 and was honored by the citizens of Chi- cago as the “Most Outstanding New Citizen” of Chicago and for his “Outstanding Service to the US". He was also honored as Entrepreneur of the Yea the years, he has made significant financial contributions to Indian charities particu- larly to Arya Smaj in Chandigarh, as well as sponsored educational scholar: his old alma mater, Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. You might have heard of HANDs-ON-CEOs, but none like Mr. Shalabh Kumar. You just might meet him during a personal company presentation in the 3 next year or so, as he is currently focused on the fast growing Indian J ters jtomation market. ‘Maepoiten erica seman mann Sait Faun 34 | Industrial Automation | July 2009