First Time Right: Revolutionizing the Forging Industry Through Digital Twins

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"It also goes to the culture of each of the team members that every day... the data has to be fed in and updated. The culture has come in so that the data we see in the live dashboard is correct." - Murali Shankar, Super Auto Forge

January 2026 : In the high-pressure world of Tier 2 automotive supply, the margin for error is non-existent and the timelines are relentless. During a recent roundtable hosted by Dassault Systèmes, Murali Shankar from Super Auto Forge highlighted how digital twins and live data are transforming the traditional forging industry into a high-speed, precision-driven powerhouse. For Shankar, the journey is about more than just data; it is about a cultural shift from the top floor to the shop floor.

At Super Auto Forge, the push for digitalization is not a bottom-up experiment but a strategic mandate. Guided by the CEO, every department - from manufacturing and marketing to IT incident management - operates via a live dashboard. However, Shankar warns that a dashboard is only as good as the honesty of the data behind it. This commitment to data integrity ensures that leadership isn't just seeing a "set pattern" but a real-time reflection of the business, allowing for proactive rather than reactive management.

As a global player with 80% of sales happening internationally, Super Auto Forge faces the daunting challenge of rapidly developing complex components. Traditionally, the gap between a designer’s board and the actual manufacturing line was a source of friction.

Digital simulation has bridged this gap, enabling the company to achieve a "first time right" outcome. By loading a part onto a virtual fixture before a single piece of metal is forged, the team can practically complete the manufacturing sequence in a digital environment. "What used to be months has now become weeks... within 15 days we are able to see the picture, load the part on the fixture, and see how it’s going to the machine. Practically, we’ll be able to complete the manufacturing sequence in a digital way."

One of the most striking examples of this technology in action occurred during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with an urgent need for a high-end machine and no way to send personnel for overseas training due to visa restrictions, Super Auto Forge turned to a digital twin.

Through a virtual portal, the operators were able to simulate the entire console and operation of the machine from India. The entire process - from training to final approval- was completed online in just four days. When the physical machine finally arrived, the operators were ready to run it within 72 hours.

Shankar believes that the "one size fits all" approach to technology is a mistake. To remain innovative, different departments require different levels of digitalization. While marketing and manufacturing might benefit from rigid patterns, engineering needs a user-friendly, proactive space that fosters creativity rather than stifles it. Ultimately, the success of these tools rests on two pillars: upgrading the skill levels of the operators and, perhaps more importantly, shifting their mindset to embrace a digital future.

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