Prasad Kulkarni, TNN 17 August 2009, 02:32am IST
AHMEDNAGAR: The country's first automotive electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing centre was inaugurated by Union minister for heavy industries and public enterprises Vilasrao Deshmukh at the Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) here on Sunday.
Till now, vehicles produced in the country underwent EMC tests - for emission of electromagnetic radiation from electronic parts and its impact on other equipment - abroad at a cost of around Rs 50 lakh. With the setting up of the facility in Ahmednagar, the tests can now be carried out locally at a fraction of the cost - for Rs 3 lakh.
"The EMC Tech Centre will cater to the long-felt needs of the Indian automotive industry and the defence sector," Deshmukh said. "The proportion of electronics incorporated in vehicles has increased dramatically in recent times and the trend is rising at a faster pace. In such a scenario, this kind of a testing centre was a must."
Deshmukh pointed out that the establishment of the centre would also reduce foreign currency outflow.
Minister of state for defence M M Pallam Raju stressed the need for such units in the country to address electromagnetic interference in defence and commercial vehicles. "The number of electronic control units used in defence vehicles and equipment for controlling safety devices, ultra fuel efficiency and exhaust emissions has increased. This has led to pollution of the electromagnetic spectrum, which affects the critical control hardware and leads to malfunctioning at times. Now, this problem could be solved with the help of the testing centre."
According to VRDE officials, the centre has a semi-anechoic chamber, a chassis dynamometer on a turntable, instrumentation for radiated and conducted emission/immunity, a bulk current injection system, a generator, strip-line testing and on-board transmission testing.
With the establishment of the testing facility, automobiles can now be tested for legislativecompliance testing and also for developmental testing as per national and international standards. The facility also offers platform-level testing of wheeled and tracked vehicles as per stringent military standards
Till now, vehicles produced in the country underwent EMC tests - for emission of electromagnetic radiation from electronic parts and its impact on other equipment - abroad at a cost of around Rs 50 lakh. With the setting up of the facility in Ahmednagar, the tests can now be carried out locally at a fraction of the cost - for Rs 3 lakh.
"The EMC Tech Centre will cater to the long-felt needs of the Indian automotive industry and the defence sector," Deshmukh said. "The proportion of electronics incorporated in vehicles has increased dramatically in recent times and the trend is rising at a faster pace. In such a scenario, this kind of a testing centre was a must."
Deshmukh pointed out that the establishment of the centre would also reduce foreign currency outflow.
Minister of state for defence M M Pallam Raju stressed the need for such units in the country to address electromagnetic interference in defence and commercial vehicles. "The number of electronic control units used in defence vehicles and equipment for controlling safety devices, ultra fuel efficiency and exhaust emissions has increased. This has led to pollution of the electromagnetic spectrum, which affects the critical control hardware and leads to malfunctioning at times. Now, this problem could be solved with the help of the testing centre."
According to VRDE officials, the centre has a semi-anechoic chamber, a chassis dynamometer on a turntable, instrumentation for radiated and conducted emission/immunity, a bulk current injection system, a generator, strip-line testing and on-board transmission testing.
With the establishment of the testing facility, automobiles can now be tested for legislativecompliance testing and also for developmental testing as per national and international standards. The facility also offers platform-level testing of wheeled and tracked vehicles as per stringent military standards
----------------------------------------------------------------
