B'luru to get cryogenic engine facility

Bengaluru’s reputation as a science and aerospace City got a new boost with the setting up of an engine facility for space missions right here, opposite the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) complex.

A cryogenic engine has been planned at this facility, a complex engine that only very few countries in the world have been able to build as yet.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) Chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan laid the foundation stone for the Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing (ICEM) facility on the HAL land in the presence of HAL Chairman Dr R K Tyagi, here on Monday. The facility is being set up over a built-up area of 5,560 square metre, opposite the HAL’s Aerospace Division and will be manned by the HAL. The Isro is said to be funding the facility with Rs 139 crores.

“Our plan is to establish the ICEM facility in the next two years and we are proud to come out with a strategy on indigenous engines for our space missions in the future,” said Dr Tyagi.

Dr Radhakrishnan hailed the HAL’s contribution to ISRO. “We remember HAL every time we succeed in our missions, the Mars Orbiter Mission being the latest. We have been partners in progress and will continue to be so in future too,” he said.
Dr Tyagi recalled the success stories of Isro and assured the space agency their continued support in all its missions. “Together, we will work to ensure that the make-in-India efforts succeed in the space sector,” he said.

“HAL is now transforming itself from being a manufacturing company to a technology driven company. We have identified 111 technologies which we need to master in the next few years,” he added.  He also pointed out that HAL has now registered over 500 patents as against the single digit figure two years ago.

The major facilities planned at this upcoming ICEM unit include, a rotary vacuum brazing facility, machineries for sheet metal forming, CNC machines (mainly 5 axis) for complex geometry machining, tungsten inert gas/metal inert gas welding, the heat treatment facilities for special materials and testing facilities. The new facility is expected to have a turnover of nearly Rs 9 crore per year.

HAL has partnered and supported Isro throughout its journey by providing hardware for satellites SLV, ASLV, PSLV, GSLVMKII and GSLV MKIII (LVM3). K Naresh Babu, Managing Director, HAL’s Bangalore Complex, V Natarajan, General Manager, Aerospace Division and senior officials of Isro also spoke on the occasion.
DH News Service