ARAI's three day automotive material management conference 2023 begins today

The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) will host its three-day International Conference on Automotive Materials to focus on  "Shaping Progressive Mobility with Emerging Materials and Manufacturing Technology," beginning today.

The fourth edition of the three-day international conference on automotive materials and manufacturing (AM&M) 2023, at its Homologation Technology Centre (HTC) in Chakan, Pune, will end on June 2. The conference's main theme is "Shaping Progressive Mobility with Emerging Materials and Manufacturing Technology."

The automotive industry is aiming to meet several goals, including improving fuel efficiency, lightening structural components, adhering to strict safety regulations, speeding up product development, and emphasising self-reliance, informed  Dr. Reji Mathew, Director of ARAI.

Mathai believes that the government of India's PLI (Product-linked Incentive Scheme) worth Rs 28,000 crore is critical to the expansion of India's auto component industry. "Over 100 products and components have been identified by the government for the scheme, all of which will contribute to the ecosystem's expansion," Mathai told Autocar Professional.

He also discussed testing companies' initiatives to assist the component industry, such as the establishment of the Fatigue and Material Center of Excellence (FMCE) for internal material modelling.

Lightweighting, alternative materials, material characterization, creation of material model cards, forging process development, durability assessment, environment validation of specimens, and product and product optimisation will be the main areas of attention for the FMCE, ARAI Director said.  "ARAI has successfully developed this capability in-house by setting up the project of material card database development for metals which will be launched during the conference," he added. 

The apex testing agency is also focusing on the creation of material management systems for composites and polymers.

The 2023 AM&M conference will have 40 technical papers in 15 technical sessions, and host over 20 keynote addresses and plenary sessions will include famous automotive specialists offering their insights.

The highlight of the conference will be a panel discussion on "Material for Sustainable Mobility," where experts, chief technology officers (CTOs), academics, and scientists will share their perspectives on the central theme "Shaping Progressive Mobility with Emerging Materials and Manufacturing Technology".