NEW DELHI: An Indian scientist has developed an autonomous technology for the repair and restoration of high-value components such as moulds, turbine blades and aerospace components that require minimal human intervention.
With the help of the technology, a defective component, which requires repair will be scanned autonomously for damage detection with a laser scanner, and the deposition path will be determined based on certain algorithms. The laser-directed energy deposition (LDED) technique will be used to deposit the material, followed by finishing and automated inspection of the restored product.
Existing repair techniques like welding and thermal spraying are ad hoc and do not provide accuracy and precision. Moreover, all the existing technologies are manual and the quality of repair depends upon the skill set of the person handling the job. It is expected that the technology will leap-frog the restoration and repair industry to the next level and provide a cutting-edge laser manufacturing ecosystem that will promote Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Ramesh Kumar Singh, professor in the mechanical engineering department of IIT-Bombay, has developed the technology that uses a laser for process control and ensures restoration with enhanced quality and repeatability.
The technology, developed with support from the advanced manufacturing technologies programme of the department of science & technology, has undergone validation and testing. The developed system consists of a robotic restoration system and is designed to function autonomously for all key activities like scanning path planning, damage detection, deposition, finishing and inspection, an S&T department statement said.
Singh has allied with Bharat Forge, Aditya Birla Science and Technology Company and Interface Design Associates for its industrial uptake. “The technology is very impactful, and a game-changer for the restoration and repair segment of the manufacturing industry and has huge market potential. The components which can be reconditioned via this technology are very high value. The level of accuracy and precision, which is possible through this technology, is far ahead of the current state-of-the-art methods,” he said.