This event will create a synergetic collaboration between R&D, Industry and Academia to identify and develop a family of affordable, competitive, reliable and high-performance materials and process technologies which are relevant for defence and aerospace applications.

Advanced materials usually outperforms other conventional materials with their superior properties such as toughness, hardness, durability and elasticity. The development of advanced materials has lead to the design of completely new products from warships to medical devices and computers.

While some advanced materials are already well known as groups like polymers, metal alloys, ceramics, semiconductors, composites and biomaterials. But future hold still more impressive product groups like carbon nano materials, activated carbon, titanium and others.

A lot of focus for applications of advanced materials is into high value markets like aerospace and defence.

Weapons Systems

Special steel grade is used for artillery gun barrel forging, known for exceptional combination of tensile strength, ductility and toughness. Breech blocks are heavy wall thickness components that require the right steel grade choice to guarantee homogenous mechanical properties throughout the component

Metal powders are used for additive manufacturing and 3D-printing of manufactured parts for armoured vehicles and artillery applications.

Missiles

Maraging or special stainless steel grades (super-austenitic), aluminum or titanium alloys are used for missile components such as casings and parts. These are supplied as tubes, fForged and closed-die forgings, rolled sheets and bars.

Critical missile components require resistance to corrosion, ductility at negative temperature, excellent weldability and mechanical properties, and extra low or high temperature resistance.

The wide operational temperature range, from cryogenic temperatures to 1100 K, enables this steel to outperform aluminium and carbon fibre structures.

Composites

Composite materials reduce weight and increase fuel efficiency while being easy to handle, design, shape, and repair. They can be used for wing and fuselage skins, engines and landing gear. Pre-formed one piece composite components - lightweight and strong - reduce the number of heavy fasteners and joints.

Ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs), which are emerging in practical use after decades of testing, offer low density/weight, high hardness and, most importantly, superior thermal and chemical resistance.

Smart Materials

Smart materials, also known as intelligent or responsive materials, are used in a variety of applications such as sensors, transducers, artificial muscles and electrically activated polymers (EAP). 

Additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing innovations are being utilized to increase the current level of capability and reduce the cost of parts, in order to deliver greater operational flexibility and further enhance the defence industrial base. Utilizing additive manufacturing technologies to improve military readiness

3D Printing

3D printing and its integration of 3D printing onto military structures and weapons systems can bolster materiel readiness. 3D printing materials and processes give military commands and defence agencies the opportunity to modernize their supply chains at scale, increase the size, weight and power (SWAP) of their platforms/weapons systems and enable efficient replacement of parts in a shorter time frame.

Indian Scenario

India continues to develop metallic and composite materials with ever-increasing performance, but there are only a few serious players. New companies are accelerating this evolution of new materials, advancements in machining and cutting technology give manufacturers unprecedented access to materials previously deemed impractical or too difficult to machine. New material adoption is happening exceptionally quickly in aerospace.

Future Scope

Aluminum alloys still lead in aerospace materials but their share in the aerospace materials is expected to decline in future owing to the increasing use of composite materials.

Some advanced materials are already well known as groups like polymers, metal alloys, ceramics, semiconductors, composites and biomaterials. Even more impressive product groups like carbon nano materials, activated carbon, titanium and others are expected in the future. Other areas of new materials research include spintronics, amphiphilic materials, superconductors and advanced engineering polymers.

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