A Focus Incubation Centre (FIC) for Composites has been inaugurated at Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA). The FIC is part-sponsored by the Ministry of Textiles to promote technical textiles. Applications for product developments at the FIC include prepeg, phenolic, composite panels, laminates and moulded components.
“There was an era during which the funds were used to generate knowledge, more so by the Government and R&D institutions and now it is the time to utilise the knowledge for commercial success through innovation,†said Anand Parekh, member, Council of Administration of ATIRA, said during the inauguration. “The FIC is one such initiative through which the infrastructure and knowledge at ATIRA in innovative product developments in composites will be available to entrepreneurs, researchers, and industry alike,†Parekh said.
Some of the applications for product developments at the incubation centre include: prepeg, where carbon, aramid, glass, cotton, etc used as base material for processes like vacuum bagging, filament winding, and compression moulding; phenolicâ€â€cotton fabric laminate for electrical insulation; composite panelâ€â€for construction application; fabric based laminates like glass, carbon, aramid, cotton, etc using matric like epoxy, phenolic, polyester, PVC, polyurethane, etc; wood laminate; and moulded componentâ€â€corrugated sheet. The products that can be developed include application in aerospace, mass transportation, machinery parts besides host of products that can be used by various industries.