Category Archives: Science & Technologies

Hirotec in talks with OEMs to supply automobile doors

Business & Economy, Science & Technologies, World Opinion
Takahiro Hayama
Takahiro Hayama

Work on new Coimbatore plant takes off

Coimbatore :   

Hirotec India Pvt Ltd (HIPL) is in preliminary discussions with automobile original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to supply car doors that are currently produced by the carmakers themselves. While not disclosing the names of the OEMs, senior company executives said one in located in Maharashtra and another in Gujarat. If the discussion are fruitful, the production facility will be located close to the OEMs.

Speaking to newsmen on Tuesday to announce the commencement of work on HIPL’s new Keeranatham plant near here, Takahiro Hayama, Director and President, HIPL, Coimbatore, said the company is focusing on the production of closure (doors, hood and deck lid), assembly tooling and hemming systems.

The construction of the first phase of 75,000 sq ft built-up area at Keeranatham will be completed at an investment of Rs 40 crore.

Explaining why HIPL chose Coimbatore to locate the factory, he said tooling manufacture for the automobile industry is now turning local as companies look for cost efficiencies. HIPL, which is part of the $1.3-billion Hirotec Group, hopes to gain from the engineering skill available locally as its new facility becomes operational in 2014.

The company has invested about Rs 25 crore in its existing facilities and hopes to witness a three-fold increase in turnover to Rs 120 crore during the current fiscal. Geeth Narayanan, VP-Engineering, HIPL, said the facility will focus on tools for the manufacture of closure panels like car doors. The company counts almost all OEMs as its customers, Narayanan said. Apart from the first phase, the factory has space for the construction of another 1 lakh sq ft. This facility is important for HIPL as it will “get more work done out of Coimbatore”.

Senthil Kumar Parthasarathy, VP-Business Development, asked about the group’s plans for a car door manufacturing plant, said the company is in discussions with an Indian OEM on the lookout for such a supplier. But the required volume is currently low. HIPL is looking at a few other OEMs so that the cumulative volume will be higher “to leverage on the investment” (for the plant).

For achieving economy of scale, a minimum annual volume of 2 lakh units will be required, Hayama said. From past experience of the group, a global player in this product segment, he would put the investment requirement at $30-$40 million for a door manufacturing plant.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Companies /by R. Yegya Narayanan / Coimbatore – November 19th, 2013

CII-Exim Bank Commendation for BHEL

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technologies

Ninth time BHEL Tiruchi unit is awarded the commendation certificate

BHEL, Tiruchi, has won the CII-EXIM Bank Commendation certificate for “Significant Achievements on the Journey Towards Excellence” for 2013 in the category of large organisation.

Quality summit

This was announced at the inaugural session of the 21st Quality Summit organised by the CII in Bangalore recently.

This is the ninth time that BHEL, Tiruchi, is awarded the CII-EXIM Commendation certificate for Business Excellence.

Three categories

The CII-EXIM Awards are given to companies which are role models in Total Quality Management in each of the three categories (large, medium and small).

S. Dharmalingam, General Manager, Quality, J. Sankaran General Manager, Unit II and Sub-Contracting and Machining, S.R. Govinda Rajan, Additional General Manager, Quality Assurance and Business Excellence, K. Nagarajan, Additional General Manager, Valves, and M. Thiruneelakandan, Additional General Manager, Finance from BHEL, received the award from T. C. A. Ranganathan, Chairman and Managing Director, EXIM Bank.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / by Special Correspondent / Tiruchi – November 17th, 2013

Of virtual mirrors and medical images on the Cloud

Education, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Viswa Subramanian Sekar, a final-year BE (computer science and engineering) student of PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, looks forward to pursuing a career in research. Three weeks ago, she bagged the National Award for the ‘Best BTech project in Engineering 2013’ from Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) and the Government of Punjab for her work on efficient storage of medical images on cloud. “As someone who hails from a family of doctors, I felt I should do some research based on medical images,” says Viswa. “Cloud computing is a cost-efficient technique. I have also created an image compression technique that reduces the image size and also ensures that quality of the image does not get affected.”

She began her work in 2012. Viswa has also attended various national and international conferences. The research was also published in Elsevier, a reputed international magazine for science and technology this year. She was also the only UG student to attend the Elsevier international conference held in June.

Presently, she is working on her final-year project, which is about creating a virtual mirror interactive dressing room. “I was inspired to take up the project when I saw the video on the same topic by CISCO. Also, interactivity using gestures is the next-gen technology and so is augmented reality,” she explains.

In Viswa’s project, the customer can virtually try out the dress on himself/herself. Also, the sizes could be altered. “The software kinect (used to create the virtual mirror) is very expensive if installed on the system. My idea is to make the virtual mirror available to people at their homes. The project is ready but there is still scope for improvements,” she says.

In future, Viswa intends to pursue her PhD in computer vision and wishes to pursue her master’s in Germany. But for a start, she is all set to go to Technical University of Munich in Germany (her dream university) for an internship spanning over a month-and-a-half at the end of this year.

— edex@newindianexpress.com

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Education> Edex / by Janani Rajeswari – Coimbatore / November 18th, 2013

Healthy snacks on offer at corporation’s herbal canteen

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies

Coimbatore :

On the occasion of World Diabetes day, the city municipal corporation opened its herbal canteen service at the main office complex of the corporation. Specifically meant to serve healthy and nutritious meals the herbal canteen at the corporation is expected to be a great relief for hundreds of visitors and employees working at the corporation main office.

“The menu was fixed after ensuring the nutritional content of the food. Members of selected self help groups will operate the centre and our officials will monitor it,” said G Latha, commissioner, Coimbatore municipal corporation.

The herbal canteen will serve soup varieties from 11.am to 12.30 am at Rs10 per serving. Lunch time is from 12.30 to 2.30 pm during which limited meals and various variety rice would be served for Rs40 and Rs20 respectively. Evening snacks would be available from 4pm to 6pm at a rate of Rs10 per plate. Items include Navadhanya Adai, Vazhapoo Vadai and other savouries. The canteen will also serve various varieties of herbal and organic teas.

“We have supplied utensils and other facilities to the women entrusted with the canteen and they will pay us Rs750 daily. We will also fix a salary for them,” Latha added.

The corporation has spent around Rs 2.76 lakh on the herbal canteen and was reportedly planning to give it on a monthly rent of Rs5000 but now it is exploring possibility of lowering the rent. The canteen would be managed by 14 members of Sri Ganga Yamuna Womens SHG from Kurichi.

“The corporation has given us the facilities to operate the canteen. We will purchase the ingredients and other items required from the open market,” said P Pushpavalli, an SHG member.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore /  by TNN / November 15th, 2013

Chennai doctors conduct study on stem cells to treat neuro gastrointestinal disorders

Science & Technologies, World Opinion
Doctors from MMC, ICH,Egmore and Nichi-In Centre present a report on the use of polymer scaffold for stem cell study | Jawahar
Doctors from MMC, ICH,Egmore and Nichi-In Centre present a report on the use of polymer scaffold for stem cell study | Jawahar

In an attempt to treat nerve issues related to gastrointestinal disorders, Madras Medical College and the Institute of Child Health (ICH), Egmore along with Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine, have for the first time in the country, conducted a study on stem cells that have a potential to treat the disease.

The doctors have also for the first time found a synthetic scaffold that can help in the optimal regeneration of the neurons after the cells are transplanted in the affected portion of the intestine.

The four-year study is restricted to finding a treatment for Hirschsprung’s Disease, a disorder of the abdomen, in which part or whole of the large intestine lacks the nerves which are needed for movement of the stool through the intestine. The disease, which one in 5,000 children have at birth, affects the activity of the large intestine. Due to the lack of nerves, the intestine doesn’t relax, thus creating an obstruction while passing stool.

Professor Dr V Senthilnathan said ICH receives about eight to 10 cases a month and about 120 cases a year. Unlike the current treatment option where pull through surgery is performed by pulling out the normal portion of the colon, which has the nerves, to the anus, cell-based therapies can be a potential solution to the disorder, as the surgery involves single to multiple stages. “By the age of three, the child would have undergone two or three surgeries,” the doctor said.

Doctors here collaborated with Japanese researchers to isolate and culture enteric neural precursor cells from biopsy samples that are taken from the gut of patients who were undergoing surgeries for the disease. These cells, along with a novel thermo-reversible gelation polymer scaffold, are grown, divided and multiplied in a laboratory, before they can be transplanted in the affected portion of the colon, in Hirschsprung’s Disease, along with the scaffold.

Once transplanted, the scaffold can help in optimal regeneration of neurons that have the capability to restore the function of the colon. “We take the cells from the area where the nerve is normal. These are grown and multiplied, and then transplanted to the affected area,” explained Dr J Krishnamohan, Professor of Paediatric surgery, Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital.

Though several similar studies have been conducted in many countries and tested on animals, doctors here have for the first time found a scaffold that is purely synthetic as there are chances of the human body rejecting the conventional scaffold material.

“We have used Japanese laboratory to grow the cells. We will approach the ethics committee and based on their recommendation, we will proceed further. But if we need to get this therapy for public use, we need a laboratory on our own, which could cost `40 to 50 lakh,” Dr Senthilnathan said.

Dr J Krishnamohan said that phase one of the study was completed and that it could take another 10 years for it to be put to public use.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service – Chennai / November 13th, 2013

Chennai lighthouse open to visitors after 22 years

Business & Economy, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Science & Technologies
Vasan said the Ministry has shortlisted 15 lighthouses, including Mamallapuram, Marakkanam, Kanyakumari and Rameswaram, in the country to be made tourist attractions. | EPS
Vasan said the Ministry has shortlisted 15 lighthouses, including Mamallapuram, Marakkanam, Kanyakumari and Rameswaram, in the country to be made tourist attractions. | EPS

After over two decades, the Chennai lighthouse, overlooking the Marina beach, the second longest in the world, was today opened to visitors.

Shipping Minister G K Vasan opened the 46-metre tall heritage structure to visitors, which has been the first spot of sight for mariners approaching the commercial capital of south India from Bay of Bengal.

It was closed for visitors, following security threats during the early 90s, as the triangular structure painted in red and white, functioning since 1977 is located very close to Tamil Nadu DGP Office, Forensic Laboratory, All India Radio and holy shrine of Santhome Basilica.

Vasan said the Ministry has shortlisted 15 lighthouses, including Mamallapuram, Marakkanam, Kanyakumari and Rameswaram, in the country to be made tourist attractions. “Mamallapuram lighthouse will be opened in January next, while Marakkanam lighthouse will be opened on November 30,” he said.

Security arrangements have been made with cameras and smoke detectors installed at various spots and trained personnel being deployed in the campus on the Kamarajar Road.

Stainless steel fences have been erected on the 10th floor, till where the visitors are to be allowed.

The minister also laid the foundation for National Navtex Network intending to provide enhanced safety and security for maritime traffic. “It is a project of over Rs 20.25 crore and is expected to be completed by December 2014,” Vasan said.

NAVTEX is an international automated medium frequency direct printing service for delivery of navigational and meteorological warnings and forecast, search and rescue information and pirate warnings to ships.

The Indian Navtex Network would have seven transmitting stations including Veraval, Vengurla Point, Muttom Point, Porto Novo, Vakalpudi and Balasore — to broadcast maritime safety information to mariners up to 250 nautical miles.

An emergency NAVTEX Control Centre is also being established at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to ensure uninterrupted service to mariners.

The network would broadcast navigational warnings, meteorological warnings and forecasts for 10 minutes at regular intervals round the clock.

The Ministry would also have monitoring stations at Okha, Ratnagiri, Azhikode, Puducherrym Dolphin’s Nose, Sagar Island and Port Blair.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by PTI – Chennai / November 14th, 2013

CRI pumps extends operations to China

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

Coimbatore :

Leading pump maker CRI Pumps has opened its sixth foreign subsidiary in China.

CRI Pumps Shanghai Co Ltd would become fully operational from next month, a company release said.

CRI was the first pump manufacturer from India to have its 100 per cent wholly-owned subsidiary company in China intended for manufacturing and marketing specific products, it said.

source: http://www.ptinews.com / Press Trust of India / Home> Business / Coimbatore – November 07th, 2013

APJ Abdul Kalam explains his inspiring vision at Sharjah Book Fair

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Science & Technologies

A standing ovation, thunderous applause and loud cheers welcomed him every time he walked into a packed hall. The former Indian president A P J Abdul Kalam ignited the imagination of thousands of his young fans in the UAE, urging them to read more, plant trees and sharing his mantra of world peace: making your mother happy.

A noted scientist and prolific author, the 82-year-old Kalam addressed three separate sessions at the Sharjah International Book Fair on Thursday, liberally citing ancient Indian texts, Syrian poets and Nelson Mandela. He started the morning with a keynote address at a seminar titled Birth of an Author in You, where he said “we all have authors inside” that are yet to be discovered.

An author of several inspirational books including Wings of Fire, ­Ignited Minds and Turning Points, Kalam revealed how he had visited a few book stalls earlier with the Ruler of Sharjah, Dr Sheikh Sultan bin ­Mohammed Al Qasimi, whom he hailed as a cultural scholar who knew the importance of knowledge dissemination.

Titled Great Books are Born out of Great Minds, Kalam’s talk focused on how human beings are wired for stories, as the worlds we imagine in books let us experience what we haven’t experienced in the real world.

Saying that the first step to enrich oneself was reading, Kalam administered an oath to students and parents, which they repeated after him: “Today onwards I will start a home library with at least 10 quality books, of which five will be children’s books. My son/daughter will enrich this library and my grandchildren will have a great library with 1,000 books. I consider our library as a lifelong treasure. We will spend at least one hour every day reading books.”

Kalam also urged parents to watch less television and read more instead to inspire their children who emulate them.

He firmly believed that storytelling is a central component of leadership and cited two people who inspired him: India’s own Mahatma Gandhi and South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, who used the power of the written word to reach out to masses when there was no electronic media.

He recited a verse from the ancient Tamil classic Thirukkural, dating back more than 2,000 years: “For those who do evil, the best punishment is to do good to them”, a principle followed by both Gandhi and Mandela.

Popularly known as India’s Missile Man for playing a key role in developing India’s missile system, Kalam’s life mission now is to meet as many young people as possible, ­instil in them values of cultural excellence and encourage them to dream big. “I have interacted with 16 million youth in 15 years,” he said with a big smile, addressing nearly 2,000 students at the Sharjah Expo Centre.

Time and again he pointed out that the starting point of a great individual was righteousness: “Where there is righteousness, there is beauty in the character.” But above all, the key to your success is making your mother happy, urging children to repeat after him: “Today onwards, I will make my mother happy. If my mother is happy, then my home is happy, if my home is happy, then society is happy.”

Asked a question on India’s mission to Mars, Kalam said: “India’s Mars orbiter Mangalyaan hopes to reach Mars orbit by September 2014 to know more about its atmosphere. It gives a lot of hope. My dream is that maybe 50 years later Earth, Moon and Mars will become a single economic entity.”

The children couldn’t stop asking him questions and finally Kalam said: “Email me your questions on apj@abdulkalam.com and I will ­reply in 24 hours.”

source: http://www.thenational.ae / The National / Home> Arts & Culture> Books / by Malavika Vettah / November 09th, 2013

IIT-M working on battery to store solar power

Education, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Science & Technologies
IITcf19nov2013
Chennai:
 Tasting success in the solar technology, the Ind­ian Institute of Techn­ology (IIT), Madras, will soon come out with a cost-effective battery technology, which could be used to store large quantity of electricity.
Speaking to DC on Satu­rday, IIT-M director Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi said that several faculty at the institute had started their research on optimisation of electricity and appropriate battery technology.
“We are working on lower life cycle cost. We are looking at bulkier, non portable, batteries, which would be used for fixed use. Centre for decentralised photovoltaic systems in our institute is working on how to handle problem of load shedding and harness solar power locally,” he said.
Prof. Ramamurthi says that India en­joys solar power for over 300 days in a year from 9 am to 4 pm with variations. Pointing out that the present solar tech had mismatch of production and storage (battery) of electricity, he said that a person had to spend Rs 14 to store one unit of power in the battery.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Politics / DC / by N. Arun Kumar / November 17th, 2013

Marakkanam lighthouse ready to guide fishermen

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technologies
The new lighthouse in Kadapakkam has been emitting light since last week ./ Photo: T. Singaravelou / The Hindu
The new lighthouse in Kadapakkam has been emitting light since last week ./ Photo: T. Singaravelou / The Hindu

It will be inaugurated by Shipping Minister on November 30

The new lighthouse at Marakkanam has started emitting light, providing safe passage for small boats in the nearby fishing hamlets.

Till recently, fishermen were being guided by the lighthouse located either at Puducherry or Mamallapuram.

The Marakkanam lighthouse in Villupuram district is located about 60 km from Puducherry and 40 km from Mamallapuram. It is also 17 km from Marakkanam towards Cheyyur.

It took nearly 12 months for the authorities to construct 110-120 feet high structure at a cost of Rs.2.20 crore. The new facility will be inaugurated by Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan on November 30. According to the sources, it is the 24th lighthouse on the east coast spanning from Pulicat to Kovilthottam.

It will be powered by a solar panel. Its light will be visible for 17 nautical miles during night and 16 nautical miles during the day. Last week, a technical team visited the spot to increase the light’s length.

As per the maritime agenda, the Centre plans to set up at least one lighthouse for every 30 nautical miles along the maritime route in the country. Currently, there are 184 lighthouses in the country, of which 33 are on the east coast. The 25th lighthouse is being set up at Vembar in Tuticorin district. Land has already been acquired and the authorities are awaiting formal clearance from the Union the Environment Ministry to commence civil works.

Lighthouse Tourism

Even as the Centre has decided to allow tourists to climb the Marina lighthouse from Thursday, there are requests from the public to have an aerial view of the city and the port from the third lighthouse building in the Madras High Court. Sources said that Chennai maritime trade saw lighthouses being operated from four sites.

The first one was erected at Fort’s Museum, the second one along the Esplanade Line in the Madras High Court and the third one at the centre portion of the High Court’s main building. The second and third lighthouses can be allowed for public viewing only after renovation. Meanwhile, the Public Works Department said it would cost about Rs.75 lakh to renovate the third lighthouse.

The court has sought details about the renovation. After getting a reply from the department, the matter would be placed before the court’s Heritage Committee for its decision.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Tamil Nadu / by N. Anand & K.T. Sangameswaran / Chennai – November 11th, 2013