Hyderabad, August 30, 2013: Expanding its integrated science capabilities at the DuPont Knowledge Center in Hyderabad, DuPont has opened an Application Development Center focused on integrating advanced material science with other scientific disciplines for the automotive industry, enabling solutions for lightweighting, engine performance, comfort and safety. These capabilities also are relevant to other industries such as railways, electrical / electronic components, food processing, agriculture, irrigation and textile, among others.
"The integration of scientific disciplines in advanced materials, such as high-performance polymers and elastomers, are critical to developing cost-effective and sustainable solutions to some of the big challenges that our company is focusing on, for example, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels,” said DuPont Performance Polymers president Diane H. Gulyas. “Materials are only part of the story. The application development process is how we work with customers to get ideas into the market cost effectively. It is the engine of innovation for the polymers business and centers such as this new one in India help customers innovate and find more sustainable solutions in collaboration with DuPont scientists and engineers”.
“This latest expansion at the DuPont Knowledge Center reflects our strong commitment to deliver integrated science-powered solutions and innovations that meet market needs, in collaborations with our local customers and partners. This new facility is part of the global DuPont community of 10,000 scientists and engineers around the world, thus connecting our global science capability to local market needs. I am confident this will enhance our ability to serve customers in India and South Asia,” said Rajeev A Vaidya, president – South Asia & ASEAN, DuPont.
Leveraging capabilities
The new Application Development Center at the DuPont Knowledge Center (DKC) houses thermoplastic and elastomer processing and testing equipment and leverages existing analytic equipment shared with several DuPont science disciplines. It complements the manufacturing facilities in Savli, Gujarat, and the DuPont India Innovation Center in Pune. It expands their capabilities to support predictive engineering, including computer-aided engineering (CAE), 3D surface computer-aided design (CAD), mold-flow, warpage, structural, impact and NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) analysis. By connecting with DuPont scientists and engineers at key automotive-based laboratory sites in the United States and Europe, this new center can build on the current predictive engineering power of CAE capabilities with speed-to-market excellence to advance the growing market in India.
“Taking full advantage of the lightweight nature of plastics requires more than just metal replacement,” said Homi Bhedwar, technology director, South Asia and ASEAN. “Engaging us early in the design stage helps take advantage of integrated science opportunities to reduce cost and complexity in many vehicle components. Our aim at the Application Development Center is to work closely with customers visiting the Innovation Center in Pune, network with DuPont technical experts globally, offer products and solutions tailored to local needs, and bring them to market faster.”
The DuPont Knowledge Center is one of the four regional R&D centers of DuPont and undertakes research as well as applications development focused on science-based solutions that meet the society’s needs for more and better food, access to reliable and uninterrupted energy, better mobility and protection of people and the environment. In total, DuPont has more than 150 R&D facilities around the world.
Photograph (L-R in front): Pascal Ferrandes, DuPont Performance Polymers technology leader, DuPont Knowledge Center, and Rajeev Vaidya, president, DuPont South Asia and ASEAN, cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the DuPont Application Development Center in Hyderabad, India.