CHENNAI: The manufacturing ecosystem in Tamil Nadu is poised to undergo a sea change with the inauguration of three Centres of Excellence set up by Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation next month at TIDEL Park in Taramani.
The three CoEs - Tamil Nadu Centre of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing (TANCAM) set up with the help of Dassault Systems, Tamil Nadu Smart and Advance Manufacturing (TANSAM) set up by Siemens, and Tamil Nadu Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence (TAMCOE) set up with the help of GE Aviation - will help Tamil Nadu industries equip themselves with cutting-edge global technology tools and efficient and innovative manufacturing practices.
The services provided by these centres include expert consultancy services for creative problem solving and advanced upskilling, reskilling and skill training for individuals in emerging sectors such as rapid design, analysis, simulation software and additive manufacturing.
Companies can also use complete suite of software and tools developed by these global majors on a nominal user-fee basis, said B Krishnamoorthy, Project Director, Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor. The support of global industrial partners will be a crucial value addition for our MSMEs, he said.
These hubs of research and development will focus on providing industries access to state of the art world class facilities in additive manufacturing, industry 4.0, rapid prototyping and many more, Krishnamoorthy said. The concept of Centres of Excellence has been developed under the aegis of the Tamil Nadu Defense Industrial Corridor (TNDIC) with TIDCO as the nodal agency.
According to sources, additive manufacturing - considered one of the biggest innovations of last century - has been given prominence with each centre housing a unique 3D printer. The facility will help Tamil Nadu industries utilize 3D printing facilities in rapid manufacturing of complex parts and explore the advantages of 3D printing.
The objective of skill training at the centre is in consonance with the 'Naan Mudhalvan' scheme's vision to develop technical skills of school and college students for a successful career and life. The skill training methodology is based on immersive augmented reality and virtual reality based experience, Krishnamoorthy said.
The new CoEs will provide Tamil Nadu an edge over others in emerging technology areas, said former chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry M Ponnuswami. Currently, MSMEs and local industries face the challenge of having to upgrade themselves constantly by purchasing expensive equipment and software.
They do not have expert guidance or support system required to efficiently use latest technologies. The centres have experienced guides and faculty who will ensure that the MSMEs get trained on these latest platforms, understand latest problem solving techniques, use software optimally, and also get their personnel trained on using these systems.