DRDO’s R&DE(E) works on Complex Composites

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 07:09:55 +0000

Composite materials have been in use in aerospace & missiles for a long time especially where high strength to weight ratio, directional properties, corrosion resistance, stealth and ease of manufacturing are pre-requisites. Composites normally use glass or carbon fiber & epoxy resins for bonding. In the Agni-V the third stage was made of composites. Pune based Research & Development Establishment (Engineering) or R&DE(E) has pioneered the application of composites in design, development of structures for army & naval applications such as all composite single span bridges, armour vehicles with integral ceramic composite hull etc. In the process they have developed special manufacturing process like Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Moulding (VARTM) and Resin Film Infusion (RFI).

Composites on bridge Laying Tank, R&DE(E), DRDO

Composite Bridges. Using carbon fibres & epoxy a 5 m long and 4 m wide bridge has been successfully developed which is 30 per cent lighter than Aluminum Bridge, and at similar cost. The bridge weighs 1.2 tons and is designed for MLC 70 load class. Each tread way of the bridge with a deck-I girder configuration is monocoque without joints. VARTM process has been used to manufacture the bridge. This bridge is smart as it can monitor itself through fibre optic sensors embedded in the bridge.

Sonar Domes. The domes made of FRP for the destroyers of the Indian Navy are being developed. The sound waves are attenuated much less while passing through such domes & resulting in better target detection apart from being cost effective.

Ceramic Armour. Most exciting in defence application is the successful development of composite integrated hull section of an armoured vehicle. It consists of ceramic tiles and rubber sandwiched between two fibre reinforced plastic layers. The ceramic tiles provide protection against ballistic/kinetic impact; the FRP provides covering & structural strength while rubber provides cushion for the ceramic tiles. The structure along with the armour is fabricated in one go with no joints using VARTM process. Such armour is 40% lighter than steel providing similar protection with much ease of manufacture.

Nano technology. Nano materials can improve material properties quite dramatically. As such R&DE (E) is working on nano silica filled epoxy resin blends and carbon nano tube in epoxy resins. Influence of addition of nano materials on flow properties is being investigated. Modified resins are being produced for processing glass epoxy composites by RFI technique. The nano filler modified composites have shown promising results.

Bridging the barriers – The Sarvatra way

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 03:25:40 +0000

[section_title title=Bridging the barriers - The Sarvatra Way]

Amidst doubts about our defence readiness & imported heavy duty trucks & armour recovery vehicles being in news for the wrong reasons – it is quite creditable that our Army has been virtually self-reliant in combat engineering since long-thanks to the pioneering work by Pune based Research & Development Establishment (Engineering) or R&DE(E). While Ballistic missiles provide deterrence- war is fought by conventional systems. In any conflict the sappers or the engineers with their mines & bridges are the first to lead during advance & last to retreat on winding the show. Bridging the natural or manmade obstacles is one of the most important roles of the Sappers. Over the years R&DE(E) has developed many assault bridges to enable to our forces much needed mobility during wars where each moment counts. Notably it’s Sarvatra Bridge Laying Tank on T-72 chassis stand out magnificently amongst the peer group while providing cutting edge to our own forces.

Sarvatra trestle-cum-span bridge on Tatra truck Platform

Big is Beautiful. Sarvatra holds the place of pride amongst the largest mobile assault bridging systems in the world over and it was developed in record time using innovative design techniques & special materials. It is a wheel based universal bridging system to overcome obstacles of varied nature at remote/hostile locations and is capable of carrying heaviest of the tanks providing our forces & battle tanks a quick crossing over canals and rivers that come in their way. The Sarvatra Bridge system manufactured indigenously is qualitatively superior to its precursor – the imported bridge systems AM-50 bridge set.

Facts & Figures. Basically the Sarvatra is a trestle-cum-span bridge where a single span covers a gap of 15 meters and by multi-spanning it can go upto 75 meters with 4 m wide roadway having load carrying capacity of 70 tons. Each bridging system of 15m span consisting of a bridge superstructure, launching mechanism, hydraulic actuators and piers is mounted on 8×8 Tatra vehicle. The bridge can be launched/recovered from either end in 15 to 20 minutes each and the entire bridge of upto 5 spans of 75 m in less than 100 minutes. It is able to carry the heaviest of the tanks & can be launched even on very weak soil of our sub-continent. The pier system forms the bottom support for the superstructure.

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DRDO’s R&DE(E) works on Complex Composites

Bridging the barriers – The Sarvatra way