Topworth Group of Companies chairman Abhay Lodha has laid forth a plan for producing steel grades for land and naval defense. “We will seek to bring world-class technology to India and build skill sets in the country so that we can supply top-of-the-line platforms for our Armed Forces, cut military product imports, and generate high-skill jobs,” Abhay Lodha says.

The defense ministry has identified specific industries from which to get industrial expertise from the private region. Among the programs are Naval Utility Helicopters, Light Utility Helicopters, submarines, and Naval Multi Role Choppers.

Abhay Lodha stated, “the indigenous Armour plate for ballistic protection is one of the Topworth’s products. Some of its goods are ground-breaking, while others are straightforward import alternatives for Indian contractors seeking to maintain their supply chains closer to home. Naval destroyers, offshore patrol boats, and floating docks will be built using the latter.

Other items will be utilized in the building and repair of Coast Guard boats and navy ships. Topworth’s materials will be employed in battle tanks, missile motor casings, combat vehicles, and artillery cannons in land defense”.

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The PMV for standard altitude should be a wheeled four-by-four drive mode vehicle with automatic transmission operable at an altitude of 9,000 feet and must have a minimum STANAG Level 2 Ballistic Protection.

It must have a speed of 80 kilometers per hour on road and 40 kilometers per hour on cross country with a seating capacity for 10 personnel excluding the crew and a payload capacity of 2 tonne.

It must have a detachable mount for 7.62 millimeters Light Machine Gun (LMG) and should have 360 degree rotation turret on roof and a minimum of 11 firing ports.

The requirement for the PMV for high altitude is also same except that it must have a higher power to weight ratio of 27 horsepower per ton and must be operable at an altitude of 17,000 feet.

The delivery of both the vehicles must be completed within 12 months from the date of signing of contract.

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Advanced materials are used in the main structure of aircraft, helicopters and spacecraft as well as and aeroengines due to their special properties in terms of their performance and applications. These include special metal alloys of aluminum, titanium, magnesium, steel, and superalloys, as well as polymers, composites and wood.

The event will focus on special materials for aerospace, shipbuilding, ballistic protection, missiles & space, weapons systems & ammunition, combat vehicles and electronics & sensors.  In addition, there will be discussions on  Smart Materials, Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing for defence & aerospace applications.

Aerospace Industry

Constant pressure for greater fuel efficiency is forcing aerospace manufacturers to find ways to incorporate new and existing materials that had once been considered impractical to machine.

Forty years ago, aluminum dominated the aerospace industry. Other new materials such as composites and alloys were also used, including titanium, graphite, and fiberglass, but only in very small quantities. Times have changed. Most of the non-critical structural material now consist of even lighter-weight carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) and honeycomb materials. For engine parts and critical components, there is a push for lower weight and higher temperature resistance for better fuel efficiency.

Aeroengines ultimately determine fuel efficiency. The challenge is to find materials that will withstand temperatures as high as 3,800°F (2,100°C). The melting point of current super alloys is around 3,360°F (1,850°C).

To meet these temperature demands, heat-resistant super alloys (HRSAs), including titanium alloys, nickel alloys, and some nonmetal composite materials such as ceramics, are now being brought into the material equation. These materials are difficult to machine. There is also a high process risk in machining aerospace parts.

Weapons Systems

Special steel grade is used for artillery gun barrel forging, known for exceptional combination of tensile strength, ductility and toughness. Breech blocks are heavy wall thickness components that require the right steel grade choice to guarantee homogenous mechanical properties throughout the component.

Metal powders are used for additive manufacturing and 3D-printing of manufactured parts for armoured vehicles and artillery applications.

Composites

Composite materials reduce weight and increase fuel efficiency while being easy to handle, design, shape, and repair. They can be used for wing and fuselage skins, engines and landing gear. Pre-formed one piece composite components – lightweight and strong – reduce the number of heavy fasteners and joints.

Ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs), which are emerging in practical use after decades of testing, offer low density/weight, high hardness and, most importantly, superior thermal and chemical resistance.

Smart Materials

Smart materials, also known as intelligent or responsive materials, are used in a variety of applications such as sensors, transducers, artificial muscles and electrically activated polymers (EAP).

Additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing innovations are being utilized to increase the current level of capability and reduce the cost of parts, in order to deliver greater operational flexibility and further enhance the defence industrial base. Utilizing additive manufacturing technologies to improve military readiness

3D printing materials and processes give military commands and defence agencies the opportunity to modernize their supply chains at scale, increase the size, weight and power (SWAP) of their platforms/weapons systems and enable efficient replacement of parts in a shorter time frame.

Indian Scenario

India continues to develop metallic and composite materials with ever-increasing performance, but there are only a few serious players. New companies are accelerating this evolution of new materials, advancements in machining and cutting technology give manufacturers unprecedented access to materials previously deemed impractical or too difficult to machine. New material adoption is happening exceptionally quickly in aerospace.

Future Scope

Some advanced materials are already well known as groups like polymers, metal alloys, ceramics, semiconductors, composites and biomaterials. Even more impressive product groups like carbon nano materials, activated carbon, titanium and others are expected in the future. Other areas of new materials research include spintronics, amphiphilic materials, superconductors and advanced engineering polymers.

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