R&D and Technology upgradation is a continuous process in the companies of the Department. Liberalisation of industrial policies and deregulation of controls have led to greater competition from both the domestic as well as international companies. This has reinforced the need for technology upgradation to attain international levels of competitiveness and to be able to offer contemporary levels of technology. The demands of the user sectors play an important role in selection of technologies and introduction of new products. In order to meet these objectives, the development effort is being pursued by entering into suitable alliances with reputed foreign manufacturers, in-house R&D efforts and through interaction with various research organisations.

In the past, five institutes have been set up with UNIDO/UNDP assistance for research in newer technologies. These are the Fluid Control Research Institute (FCRI), Pollution Control Research Institute (PCRI), Centre for Electric Transportation Technology (CET), Ceramic Technological Institute (CTI), and Welding Research Institute (WRI).

The Fluid Control Research Institute (FCRI) has been set up as an independent national centre for providing the basic framework for technology development of flow products not only in this country but also for South East Asia. Facilities have been set up for research and development, testing and evaluation and training of manpower for flow products in the industrial sector. The Institute also provides opportunities for joint research and development programmes on behalf of the user and manufacturing industry to promote applied research.

Pollution Control Research Institute (PCRI) has been set up by Department of Heavy Industry with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) as the lead agency under Unted Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The development objective of PCRI project is to evolve industrial pollution control technologies with respect to air, water, house and solid wastes to avoid unintended side effects of economic growth. The Institute provides services to various industries and Thermal Power Stations on a regular basis.

The Project for development of Electric Transporation Technology was approved by the Govt. of India and UNDP in July 1988. The capabilities in the Centre have been developed to analyse and test all aspects of electrically powered vehicle designs to improve their performance, reliability and efficiency. The Centre will also be able to conduct both computer and physical simulations of these vehicles’ performance under all forseeable operating conditions.

The developmental objective of this project is to support the Indian Ceramic Industry in modernising its technology and to develop new products of advanced ceramics. Many ceramic products required for the industry have been developed and a few of them commercialised. Test and evaluation services have been offered to more than 50 organisations.

Welding Research Institute (WRI), the only one of its kind in the country, was set up at Tiruchy under the aegies of BHEL with funding and technical assistance from UNDP/UNIDO and Government of India. WRI is equipped with state-of-the-art welding research facilities like electron and laser beam, flashbutt, friction and plasma welding in addition to facilities for conventional arc welding. Further, it has advanced testing facilities for fatigue testing residual stress measurement, Residual life estimation etc. WRI has entered into an agreement with GTZ Germany for undertaking cooperative research projects in welding, in the second phase of the Project which is under implementation.

Some of the programmes of technology upgradation and R&D effort of the Public Sector enterprises are detailed below :

During 1998-99, Rs.61.36 cr. were spent on in-house R&D programmes, focusing on development of new products/systems, product improvement in terms of reliability / quality / costs and indigenisation. The turnover due to commercialisation of in-house R&D / technology developments resulting in new or modified products was around Rs.610 crs. during the year.

Major R&D and technology upgradation efforts include :

1. Ceramic disc insulator, indigeneousely developed for the first time in India for HVDC transmission systems, successfully passed all tests at CESI, Italy.
2. 170 MVA air cooled generator to match 159 MW ISO GT for 432 MW Faridabad Power Plant has been successfully tested.
3. Development of Rib shield winding technology for 400 KV class transformers, which is an improvement over presently used interleaved type of winding and will result in reduction of manufacturing cycle time and cost.
4. Improved high capacity dynamic braking resistor (DBR) unit for 25 KV, AC electric locomotive for Indian Railways worth Rs.6.5 crs. being executed;
5. Indigenously developed overhead equipment (OHE) recording cum test car for traction lines,
6. Design and testing of a prototype model of 2 MVAr, 11 KV model of controlled shunt Reactor (CSR) with technical consultancy from St. Petersburg University, Russia.
7. A variable Frequency Drive (VFD) for a boiler feed pump, as a part of energy saving measures. The VFD can run the pump at any speed, saving about 400 KW of power as compared to the conventional system.
8. A 3175 KW, 11 KV 18 pole vertical screen protected drip proof motor with antifriction bearings for use with circulating water pumps has been designed and is under manufacture for 2x500 MW Simhadri Project of NTPC.
9. Ultra Violet Radiation Technology based sewage disinfection system at Jagjitpur, Hardwar. The technology was developed by Pollution Control Research Institute.
10. India’s largest desalination plant of one million gallons/day capacity, for converting sea water into potable water, based on Reverse Osmosis Technology at Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu.
11. Successfully designed, developed, manufactured and commissioned "Petroleum Bulk Loading Terminal Automation System" to check large scale pilferage and wastage of precious petroleum. The company established facility for production of a long modules at its Tiruchisapalli plant used in the manufacture of Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs).

1. Prototype of PC based Radio Frequency (RF) monitor for on line diagnostics of turbogenerators installed at Vijayawada TPS units for field trials;
2. Design, manufacture & installation of Automatic Plant Start up & Automatic Plant Regulation System for Kayamkulam Combined Cycle Power Plant;
3. Development and indigenisation of a prototype of high pressure blower for Circulating Fludised Bed Combustion (CFBC) boiler;
4. Design, manufacturing and successful testing of two prototype boiler feed pumps for application in combined cycle power plant for Fr.6 & Fr.9 Gas Turbines;
5. Successful absorption of technology acquired from C-DOT and production of MAX-XL, a state of art digital Switching System;
6. Successful operation of bagasse fired boiler for EID Parry Sugar Plant. The boilers can also fire fuel like coal or lignite during off-season;
7. Development of prototype Digital Voltage Regulator for hydro generators based on 32-bit microprocessor which has been installed & commissioned for site trials at 6 MW unit of Bhadra Right Bank Canal power house;
8. Manufacture & testing of power converters for 6000 HP 3 phase AC Locos.

1. Development of a New Tube Nest Layout for 210/500 MW condenser with improved features;
2. Development and demonstration of improved design of Bowl Mill;
3. Design development of combined IP-LP Module E 30-25-1x10 m2 with bottom exhaust;
4. Development and demonstration of Low Nox Burners;
5. Establishment of CFBC Technology for lignite fired boilers;
6. Establishment of Tape Casting Process Technology for Alumina Substrates on a Pilot Scale;
7. Technology absorption and supply of power convertor for three phase A.C.Electric Locomotives
8. Development of 3-phase Induction Motor Type 6Fx A 7059.

(i) In the Machine Tools group of HMT, many new and upgraded products were developed which included development in the Gear Cutting Technology field, 2-axis CNC Gear Hobber H-400 and 3-axis CNC Gear Hobber H-250, development of highly productive and flexible low cost milling / drilling / tapping machine VMC-400 and HMC-500s High Speed Horizontal Machining . This group also developed, during the year, two types of CNC Head Turning and Mouth Reaming Machine for defence requirement. A bridge type CNC Plano Miller equipped with automatic tool and tool head changers required for a large engineering industry and a 2-axis CNC Surface Grinder was also developed during the year.

(ii) Tractors Divn, developed and launched a 35 HP DX Fuel efficient tractor provided with direct axle mechanical disc brakes. A 25 HP Orchard Special model tractor which is a low height tractor suitable for Orchards was also launched.

(iii) Watch business group introduced a new range of watches with International Styling under a Joint Brand name "HMT-Tennmax". As many as 176 new models with 528 variants were released during the year.

At SIL, new Test Rigs, Finite Element Study of vehicle chassis, improvement in transmission/suspension systems is being developed in association with IIT, Kanpur. Smoke Scrubber-unit has been developed in association with GAIL for controlling exhaust emission from Diesel Engine.

Project for reduction of noise & vibration is being followed up with ARAI and Thapar Research Institute. Tandem master cylinder for Vikram-410 (P) three wheeler has been developed. Floor shift gear on Vikram 750(D) has been introduced. Other design/development effort include:

• Battery operated, zero emission 3-W vehicle named VIKRAM-EV has been designed & developed in-house. A pilot batch has succesfully completed extensive techno-commercial trial run.
• Vikram-410 PG vehicle with CNG conversion kit is being developed in association with ARAI.
• Vehicle fitted with propane gas conversion kit is being developed in association with M/s YASH Propane.
• New models of vehicles developed using 4-stroke petrol engines.

In-house Research & Development activities in HEC have resulted in the development of the following :

• Hot blast valve dia 1100 mm with refractory lining and special cooling arrangement in the valve for increasing the life of the valve by 3 times approx. w.r.t. the conventional design.
• 18T automatic coil tong was developed to handle coil of inner dia 420 mm, outer dia 1100-1750 mm and height 750-1050 mm for Bokaro Steels Ltd.(BSL).
• Pressurising system for machinery house of O.B.drill.
• Improved design for separator of O.D.drill.
• Electrode lifting device for 60T ladle re-heating/refining furnace (60T LRF) was developed to operate the electrode for maintaining the temperature of 60T liquid steel in the ladle.
• Single spot coke pusher for 5m tall battery for BSL (30% completion).
• Coal charging car with screw feeding arrangement for 5 m tall battery for BSL (30% completion).
• Development of hydrolaulic scheme for 55T converter relieving device.
• Development of hydraulic scheme for Jack Car 60T.
• Development of centralised grease lubrication system for standard 5A Excavator.
• DG operated self propelled gantry crane for SHAR centre, ISRO.

• Non-Ferrous Screw box Nuts for Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) were successfully developed in phosphor Bronze throgh chill casting process. The finish weight of casting is 1685 Kgs.

• Hot strength Cast Iron Grate for Neelanchal Ispat Nigam Ltd.(NINL).

• Modified feed system on Surface Wheel Lathe, Model LW140 B4.
• Boring and Facing Head for Horizontal Boring Machine Model BH 160.

NEPA has changed its operations from forest based to waste paper based mill by altering its process on the basis of experimental trials and has been able to produce newsprint from recycled fibre found suitable, economical and acceptable to the market. After series of experimental trial, product range has been widened up to cater to needs of all categories of Newsprint consumers.

In order to improve quality of newsprint, following waste paper process equipments have been installed :

1. Turbo-separator for cleaning of pulp.
2. "Plastosort" for removal of Plastic impurities from Waste Paper Pulp.
3. "Centrisorter" shifted from Chemical Pulp Mill to Waste Paper Processing Plant.
4. Slotted Pressure Screen (Imported) for removal of stickies from Waste Paper Pulp.

At BSCL, following R&D activities were undertaken during the year:

1. Magnesite benefication through Biotechnology.
2. Electrical Power Generation and Manure from Municipal Solid Waste.
3. High Power Magnets for separation of Silica from Magnesite.
4. Microwave induced biomethanation from Jute Waste and MSW composite.
5. Non-conventional energy generation from Jute Mills and Jute Colony Waste.

R&D activities were focussed on New Products Development. Product/Process improvement, Technology upgradation, Import Substitution and Cost Reduction. Know-how for synthesis of 3 chemicals used in manufacturing process was developed. Improved prototypres were developed for Medical X-Ray (Ortho), Medical Imaging Film (Ortho), Graphic Arts Red Laser Scanner Film, Industrial X-Ray film and Screen Printing film.

Extensive field evaluation is under way for Medical X-Ray Film (Ortho) and Medical Imaging Film (Ortho). Modified technology for Mass Miniature Radiographic Film was tried out for Bar Coating and found suitable.

Future agenda for R&D covers development/improvement of know-how for

• Medical X-ray Film (Green Sensitive)
• Medical Imaging Film (Red & Infrared Sensitive)
• Laser Scanner Film (Red & Infrared Sensitive)
• Resin Coated Bromide Paper
• Mammography Film
• Cine Radiographic Film

The Bar coating technology and emulsion formulation for polyester based Medical X-Ray and Graphic Arts Films under the collaboration agreement with M/s Du Pont, USA had been absorbed and assimilated by the Company and it is being absorbed in respect of Industrial X-Ray Film.

The company has been able to absorb successfully the technology for construction of Cable Stayed Bridge. Besides, the usual technology base, i.e.construction of steel bridges and suspension bridges, the company had developed an effective erection scheme to replace the existing girders by steel girders in a very short time. This newly developed scheme had been successfully applied in Gauge Conversion Project in the State of Assam.

• Computer Aided Design for manufacture of transmission Line Towers has been developed in-house, taking into consideration latest procedure followed for checking dynamic resonance effect of wind on structures and foundations by Nagpur Unit of the company.

• At Nagpur unit, technology upgradation is being attempted by modernising and expanding test bed to facilitate testing all types of towers upto 800 KVA and beyond with 9 mtrs expansion.

• The Byculla unit has also recently acquired know-how and design drawing for manufacture of Sugar cane Mills of 33" x 66" and 36" x 72" from M/s Stork, Netherland.

• Chennai Unit is attempting diversification by developing products for Railways, such as Roof Mounted Air Conditioning Packages for AC Coaches and composite Brake Blocks for rolling stock.

• Byculla Unit received ISO-9002 Certificate for quality management system covering Railway, Paints and Crossings, equipment fabrication. Nagpur Unit also received ISO-9001 certification in March, 1999 for design, manufacture, testing, supply and erection of TV Towers and other steel structures.

The company’s R&D set up has been recognised by the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research. Some of the R&D activities carried out and future plans of the company’s various units are detailed below :

1. Kalyani Works of Engineering Division has developed higher capacity conventional drier for Tea Industry which is under field trial.
2. Kalyani Works has also developed a more efficient heater for Tea Industry and this has been successfully commercialised with minor modifications.
3. Electrical Division developed intrinsically safe wall mounted type Yule Intelligent Communication System and also AVR with On Load Tap Changer (OLTC)

1. The Switchgear unit of Electrical Division is in the process of developing Indoor VCP Panel 12 KV 2000A 25K.
2. Electrical Divn is in the process of developing Industrial page phone.
3. Transformer & Switchgear Unit is in the process of developing 11 KV Vaccum Ring Main Unit.