Advanced metal casting lab to enhance cutting-edge research opportunities

Visakhapatnam: In a significant move to enhance practical experience and cutting-edge research opportunities for mechanical engineering students, GITAM Deemed to be University inaugurated the state-of-the-art metal casting laboratory here on Thursday.

Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) director and regional head (South) Chris Saravanan inaugurated the laboratory along with the institution’s Pro Vice-Chancellor Y Gouthama Rao in the presence of School of Technology director K. Nagendra Prasad and core engineering associate dean AK Prasada Rao.

The facility aims to support innovative development of components critical to the automobile industry, leveraging advanced technologies and sustainable practices. The establishment of the lab is a result of collaborative efforts supported by the Ministry of Mines along with Abilities India Pistons and Rings Pvt. Ltd. It will serve as a pivotal centre for conducting specialised research on aluminum recycling with a focus on environmentally sustainable methodologies.

The aluminum recycling research project head Prof AK Prasada Rao informed that automobile industries demand materials that are both light weight and extremely durable and GITAM research team is developing an undiluted aluminum recycling method that ensures unmatched purity while significantly lowering carbon emissions. ACMA regional head Chris Saravanan emphasised the strategic importance of the automotive sector in India’s economy, underlining that India ranks as the fourth largest global automotive market, with a steady increase in exports and nearly doubling industry turnover over the last decade. He pointed out emerging technological trends reshaping the industry, including electric vehicle powertrain engineering, battery management systems, autonomous vehicles, collaborative robots, and vehicle dynamics engineering.