RailEnquiry

The first short-term course initiated on Thursday by the newly-started Centre for Excellence in Corrosion and Surface Engineering (CECASE) at National Institute of Technology-Tiruchi (NIT-T) has attracted overwhelming industry participation.Of the over 200 participants, about 40 represented various industries, including BHEL, Golden Rock Railway Workshop, Neyveli Lignite Corporation, Integral Coach Factory, and High Energy Batteries.The CECASE will be further strengthened through networking amongst academic institutions and industries by working together in focussed areas in the area of corrosion.Controlling corrosion was now a big business internationally, NIT-T Director S. Sundarrajan said at the inaugural session.Be it in the course of manufacture, storage or ensuring extended life of machinery, corrosion control was of vital importance, he said, referring to high career prospects for students in ship-building industry.Relating the topic of the short-term course: ‘Corrosion Control and Surface Engineering to the Indian Railways’, chief guest P. Mahesh, Chief Workshops Manager, Golden Rock Railway Workshop, spoke in the various initiatives being undertaken for corrosion prevention in passenger coaches, freight wagons and locomotives, as also rail tracks. For cost-effectiveness, the Railways converts specifics into generics.

The results of using epoxy paint, seamless stainless steel pipes, carbon steel, poly-ethylene pipes, shielded gas welding technology, and sodium nitrate based water cooling system were encouraging, he said.

S. Natarajan, convenor of CECASE, spelt out the initiatives taken by the centre in collaboration with CECRI, Karaikudi.

S.P. Kumaresh Babu and S. Raman Sankararaman, co-coordinators, also addressed the participants.

Be it in the course of manufacture, storage or ensuring extended life of machinery, corrosion control is of vital importance, says NIT-T Director