Midhani signs tech transfer pact with NAL  

HYDERABAD: Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), a Hyderabad-based Defence Public Sector Alloy Manufacturing Unit (DPSU), has signed a Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreement with National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL), a Bangalore-based premier R&D Laboratory for processing of Nickel -Titanium Shape Memory Alloys (NiTi-SMAs) on exclusive basis for engineering and bio-medical applications. 

Dr D K Likhi, chairman & MD of Midhani and Jitendra J Jadhav, director, CSIR-NAL inked the agreement, a release by Midhani said.

NiTi Shape Memory Alloys belong to a class of Shape Memorial Materials (SMMs), which has the ability to ‘memorise’ or retain their previous form when subjected to certain stimulus such as thermo-mechanical or magnetic variations.

Known by various other names such as smart metal, memory metal, muscle wire, intelligent material, NiTi-SMAs are one of the most prominent functional metallic materials which have the unique capability of restoring their initial physical shape when subjected to heating after undergoing deformation. Bent and twisted into any orientation SMA wire, when heated to a threshold temperature, springs back to its original shape. 

Midhani has been manufacturing special grades of steels, stainless steels, titanium alloys and other special-purpose alloys to meet material requirement of various strategic programs of the country.

 To provide quality healthcare system within the reach of common man, Midhani has already ventured into development and manufacturing of world class Titanium Implants using the spin off technologies for 
defence applications, and now to tap the huge emerging potential of Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloys in Bio-Medical Sector (medical devices), especially the stent market, the company will manufacture shape memory alloys and market the products for the first time in India with the process technology from CSIR-NAL.