Srinagar, AUG 23 (KNS): A week long Faculty Development Program (FDP) on 'Additive manufacturing from 3D printing to factory floor' started on Monday at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar.

The FDP was sponsored by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Training and Learning (ATAL) Academy, AICTE New Delhi and is organized by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, NIT Srinagar. The inaugural session was attended by more than 200 participants from across the country.

The inaugural session of the FDP was presided over by Director NIT Srinagar, Dr. Prof. Rakesh Sehgal, while Prof. P. M. Pandey IIT Delhi was the chief guest on the occasion. Prof. (HAG) G. A. Harmain, Dean Research & Consultancy is the Chairman of the organizing committee.

HOD, MED Prof. S. Nazir Ahmad is the convener of the workshop while Dr. Mohammad Mohsin Khan Assistant Professor, MED is the coordinator, while Dr. M. Mursaleen Assistant Professor, Dr. Abhijit Dey Assistant Professor, Dr. Dinesh Kumar Rajendran Assistant Professor and Dr. Harveer Singh Pali Assistant Professor from MED are the Co-Coordinator(s) of the event.

In his key address, Director NIT Srinagar, Prof (Dr.) Rakesh Sehgal said appreciated the department for choosing a relevant topic for the workshop. When I joined this Institute, I was surprised that NIT Srinagar had already procured Rapid prototyping costing 1.2 crore. I told HOD of MED to engage the experienced faculty to take more benefits from the highly costly RP machine, he said.

"Before any technology becomes obsolete, it is institution's responsibility to provide opportunity to everyone who are interested in exploring technologies including faculty members, students from other institutions in UT of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

Prof. Sehgal said Rapid prototyping (RP) includes a variety of manufacturing technologies, although most utilize layered additive manufacturing. However, other technologies used for RP include high-speed machining, casting, molding and extruding.

In his message, Registrar NIT, Prof. Kaiser Bukhari also appreciated the organizers for conducting workshops on a relevant theme. He said these sessions are the need of the hour and will explore more in-depth knowledge to the participants. “

In the inaugural address, Dean Research & Consultancy, Prof. (HAG) G. A. Harmain congratulated the Director NIT Srinagar, HOD MED, and coordinators for choosing a relevant theme for the workshop, which is the need of the hour.

"Now the world is looking towards digital manufacturing, 3D printing, and rapid prototyping. We all had the conventional types of manufacturing techniques like casting etc, which are there and I think that despite the fact that digital manufacturing is taking place, he said.

Prof. Harmain said this technology has also its limitations as well, for the small manufacturing units's employment problem. "We are creating employment at the high end but at the middle and lower grounds there will be employed which will come naturally and further is coming very close to the customer," he said.

HOD, MED, S. Nazir Ahmad said the department is lucky that they have the facility of Rapid prototyping, so far as its field is concerned. It is an advanced technique of manufacturing.  There are lots of challenges in rapid prototyping at present, of course, researchers and manufacturers have to overcome those limitations, he said.

Earlier, the Coordinator of the event, Dr. Mohammad Mohsin Khan said the course is designed to cater to the needs of teachers, scientists from R & D houses and Labs, and practicing engineers from industries.

"Resource persons for the course are highly experienced faculty members from reputed institutes like IITs, NITs, and research organizations.

The inaugural session was moderated and hosted by Dr. Dinesh Kumar R  from NIT Srinagar.

The FTP has been dived into 5 tracks in which each program theme c will be discussed by resource persons from esteemed institutions of the country, in track 1, Prof. P. M. Pandey IIT Delhi, Dr. S. Vinodh NIT, Trichy, and Dr. Swarup Bag IIT Guwahati would deliver their topics on Journey and Challenges. In track two, Prof. Partha Saha IIT Kharagpur, Prof. S. Kanagaraj IIT Guwahati and Prof. J. Ramkumar IIT Kanpur will deliver a lecture on Biomedical Applications.

Similarly in track 3, Dr. Sajan Kapil IIT Guwahati, Dr. Alphons GKN Aerospace, UK, and Dr. M. M.Khan NIT Srinagar will discuss their themes on Aerospace and Defense, while Prof. A. M. Kuthe VNIT, Nagpur, Prof. U. S. Dixit IIT Guwahati, and Dr. Dinesh Kumar R from NIT Srinagar will deliver their topics on Innovations and Startup in the 4th track.

In the concluding track, Dr. U. Chandrasekhar Wipro, 3D, Dr. Murugaiyan IIT Madras and Dr. Biranchi Panda IIT Guwahati will deliver their sessions on Implementation in Industry 4.0.(KNS)