- A new platform for advanced manufacturing: IITRAM inaugurates its Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Laboratory to expand practical learning and research.
- Laser-based DED moves centre stage: Hands-on sessions introduce participants to metal additive manufacturing, machine architecture and process parameters.
- From classroom concepts to industrial applications: Live demonstrations cover machine setup, safety, digital workflows and toolpath generation.
- Vikas Saptah–2026 promotes technology-led skills: Government of Gujarat and KCG support the broader programme on advanced technologies for societal and strategic applications.
NE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, OCT 10
Can engineers move beyond designing a component on a screen to building it layer by layer in metal — and understand the process well enough to take it into industry? IITRAM, Ahmedabad, is strengthening that bridge between engineering knowledge and practical manufacturing with a new Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Laboratory and hands-on training in laser-based Directed Energy Deposition (DED), a metal additive-manufacturing technology.
The Institute of Infrastructure, Technology, Research and Management (IITRAM) organised the training programme under the National Seminar Programme on “Advanced Technologies for Societal and Strategic Applications”, as part of Vikas Saptah–2026, with support from the Government of Gujarat and the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG). The national seminar programme ran from October 1 to 10 at IITRAM. The laboratory’s inauguration was a major highlight of the initiative.
A laboratory designed to make innovation tangible
The Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Laboratory was inaugurated by Prof. P. K. Jain, Director General, IITRAM, in the presence of Ashwin S. Patel, President, Ahmedabad Engineering Manufacturers’ Association (AEMA); Jitendra Panchal, Member, AEMA; Prof. M. K. Barua, Director, IITRAM; Dr. Ajit Kumar Parwani, Dean (R&D), IITRAM; and Dr. Pramod Bhingole, Dean (OAA), IITRAM.
The new facility is intended to strengthen the institute’s capabilities in advanced manufacturing and materials research while giving students, research scholars and faculty members greater practical exposure to emerging technologies.
For engineering education, such facilities can be important because understanding a manufacturing process requires more than knowing its underlying principles. Learners must also understand equipment, material behaviour, process settings, safety requirements and the constraints that determine whether a design can be manufactured reliably.
IITRAM’s existing laboratory infrastructure includes advanced manufacturing processes and materials-science facilities. The institute has also listed a laser-based Directed Energy Deposition metal 3D printer among its procurement initiatives, reflecting its focus on building capabilities in this area.
Laser-based DED: Building metal components layer by layer
The hands-on training focused on metal additive manufacturing, with particular attention to laser-based Directed Energy Deposition. In this process, material is deposited and fused layer by layer using a focused energy source, enabling the manufacture or repair of metal components.
The technology’s practical value depends on understanding the interaction between equipment, material and process parameters. Participants were therefore introduced to the fundamentals of laser-based DED, the architecture of a DED metal 3D-printing system, material selection and process settings.
The programme also included a live demonstration and practical training covering machine setup and safety, digital workflows and toolpath generation — the instructions that guide the machine’s movement during manufacturing.
By combining technical explanations with demonstrations, the programme offered participants an opportunity to examine the process beyond its theoretical foundations and understand the practical considerations involved in applying it in industrial settings.
Industry–academia collaboration gets a practical test
The programme was coordinated by Dr. Navneet Khanna, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, IITRAM; Dr. Ajit Kumar Parwani, Dean (R&D); and Dr. Pramod Bhingole, Dean (OAA).
Its broader objective was to promote technology awareness, skill development, interdisciplinary research, innovation and industry–academia collaboration. Laboratory demonstrations, technology exhibitions and hands-on training were intended to strengthen the connection between engineering concepts and real-world applications.
The presence of Ahmedabad Engineering Manufacturers’ Association representatives at the laboratory inauguration also underscored the relevance of connecting academic capabilities with the needs of the manufacturing sector.
As advanced manufacturing technologies continue to evolve, the challenge for engineering institutions is not simply to introduce new equipment, but to equip learners to use it safely, understand its limitations and explore its industrial potential.
Through the new laboratory and laser-based DED training, IITRAM is seeking to strengthen that practical dimension of engineering education under the wider Vikas Saptah–2026 initiative.