PEC hosts workshop on innovative approach to materials research

CHANDIGARH: A four-day workshop on Innovative Approach to Materials Research (IAMR 2016) was inaugurated here on Wednesday at PEC University of Technology. This workshop is an initiative under the Design Innovation Centre (DIC), MHRD sponsored project with hub as UIET, Panjab University and spokes as PEC, CSIO, HJIDS. Dr Renu Vig, project in-charge DIC & Director UIET inaugurated the workshop and emphasized the significance of material research in various disciplines of engineering.She also focused that research needs to be carried out among bigger groups of all the institutions in and around Chandigarh. Dr Uma Batra, Head, MMED, PEC, Chandigarh was appreciative of the CRIKC knowledge cluster initiative which is helping institutions to work in a collaborative manner in different fields of science and engineering.
Dr JD Sharma, Coordinator of the workshop discussed in detail about the aims of this workshop and how participants will learn about different types of materials and their applications. Dr H K Sardana, Chief Scientist, CSIO, Chandigarh addressed the audience by emphasizing the importance of material science and that the global materials technology market is extremely competitive nowadays. Prof Mahajan, MMED, PEC, Chandigarh educated the audience on how the materials science research can be made more meaningful to the common man by producing low cost solutions to fabricate high quality spectacles, implants, guns etc. Dr Naveen Aggarwal and Dr Y P Verma from UIET also shared their design and innovation projects related to traffic sensing & acoustics and energy storage applications respectively.
Dr Rakesh Tuli, Coordinator DIC was the keynote speaker in the opening session and introduced the term make more from less for more. His talk laid major thrust on producing ecologically sustainable products in the country. He also mentioned about the lack of indigenous technological developments in India and how participants in this workshop can think on new design & prototype developments. He enlightened the audience regarding Advanced Materials being a disruptive technological area as per McKinsey (2013).
Dr Uma Batra delivered an expert lecture on bio-materials being the most important area of the future and how its development will help the common man in leading a better life style.
Dr Prashant Jindal, Principal Investigator, Medical Devices & Restorative Technologies, DIC talked on the modern applications of advanced composite materials and 3D printing. He discussed with the participants on how novel prototypes can be developed using 3D printing for developing various dental prosthesis that are affordable and useful to the common man of India.