From Aerospace to Automotive: NDE 2023 Sheds Light on Tech Transformations in Pune
Pune, 9th December 2023: The 33rd Annual Conference and Exhibition on Non-Destructive Evaluation and Enabling Technologies (NDE 2023) organised by the Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing (ISNT), the Official Technical Society for NDT/NDE in India, at The Hotel Orchid in PUNE held during 7th – 9th Dec 2023.
The event was inaugurated by Dr Sameer V Kamat, Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO on 7th Dec 2023. Dr V Narayanan, Distinguished Scientist and Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Center (LPSC), ISRO was the Guest of Honour of the inaugural function. The theme of the conference was “Transformative NDE: Unleashing the Power of Advanced Technologies”.
In the keynote address during the inaugural function, Dr V Narayanan talked about the role of NDE for the success of space mission. He mentioned about the criticality of the components for the functioning of the space system and how NDE technologies are unavoidable for safety and functioning of systems. He highlighted that NDE is a critical component across various industries, ensuring structural integrity, safety, efficiency, ageing, life estimation and life assessment.
In the inaugural function of the Conference, Dr Sameer V Kamat highlighted the importance of Non-Destructive Evaluation Technologies for each industry. He highlighted how the destructive test is important for R&D but NDE is the solution for quality assurance of usable systems. He appreciated about the fact that the conference is attended by the participants from wide spectrum of industries which indicates about the large stakeholders involved in NDE. He suggested all to frame a technology road-map at the end of the conference for the NDE community. Dr S V Kamat released the souvenir and also launched NDT certification programme of ISNT named as International Certification in NDT (ICN). Dr Kamat and Narayanan distributed various National NDT awards diuring the inaugural programme.
Thet state-of-the art exhibition with about 70 exhibitors from India and abroad showcasing NDE products, technology and services was inaugurated by Dr V Narayanan. Exhibitors provided live demonstrations and give insights into the tools and methodologies driving advancements in the field.
After the inaugural function, Dr V Narayanan, Director LPSC, ISRO delivered a memorial talk on “Rise of Indian Space Programme – Pride of our Nation”. Another memorial talk was delivered by industry luminary Shri Ashish Bhandari, MD and CEO of Thermax Group on “NDT’s connect with the World of Tomorrow”.
The 3 days conference was attended by more than 850 enthusiastic delegates from India and abroad from various academic institutions; R&D Institutions such as various labs of DRDO, DAE, ISRO, CSIR; industrial public and private sectors such as from Defence, Space, Nuclear, Oil & Gas, Civil Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Aerospace, Aviation, Automotive, Power, Railways, Shipping, Chemical Fertilizer etc. The event was well supported by industries such as Reliance Industries, Tata Steel, DRDL, BDL, Bharat Forge, Solar Industries, Thermax Ltd, KSB Pumps etc. The local industries in and around Pune got greatly benefited from the conference. The conference provided firsthand exposure to innovations in the area of Non-Destructive Evaluation that will support the industry 4.0 revolution. NDE 2023 sheded light on how these technologies impact and transform sectors ranging from aerospace and automotive to energy and infrastructure.
The conference had 150 technical presentations, 4 interactive workshops, and 70+ exhibitors, both national and international, showcased the latest technologies and advancements in the field. In addition, 30+ keynote speeches from leading experts that provided insights into the current trends and future directions of NDE and in their associated domains.
ISNT launched its own skill development certification scheme “International Certification in NDT (ICN)” fully compliant with ISO 9712:2021. ICN is the only scheme from India that has been included in ICNDT Mutual Recognition Agreement that will ensure recognition of ICN certification with the partner countries. National Certification Board (NCB) of ISNT is the only NDT certification body in the country that has been accredited by NABCB, Quality Council of India as per ISO 17024. This scheme will give a boost to the industry and in line with the industrial revolution 4.0 and will meet the call of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
