ICERP 2002
A Report on International Conference and Exhibition on Reinforced Plastics (ICERP-2002) held at Chennai, INDIA during February 7-9, 2002
The International Conference and Exhibition on Reinforced Plastics (ICERP-2002) was held at the picturesque campus of Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), Chennai, South India during 7th to 9th February 2002. It was the first Techno-Commercial event of the Indian FRP Industry and was jointly organised by FRP Institute, a non-profit making registered professional society based in Chennai and the Composites Technology Centre (COMPTEC) of I. I. T. M, a centre of excellence with 26 years of experience in Teaching, Research and Consultancy. The event was co-sponsored by J. E. C. S.A., France, organizer of world’s largest show on Composites. Considering the modest size of Indian Composites industry (55,000 tonnes reported for 2001-2002) the whole programme has been a tremendous success with requests from attendees to repeat the programme every year.
The programme was inaugurated by Dr. C. G. Krishanadas Nair, in the afternoon of 7th February and this was followed by two days of Conference and Exhibition on 8th and 9th February 2002. The weather was the best and pleasant at this period of the year in Chennai.
There were 226 attendees in the conference and 30 exhibitors. The attendees included 28 were from abroad including 3 from USA, 8 from Russia, 4 from UK, 2 West Asia from 4 from Malaysia. The attendees from India were from all parts of the country representing glassfibre, resin and pigment and chemicals manufacturers, FRP manufacturers, scientists, engineers and consultants.
Dr. C. G. Krishnadas Nair, Retired Chairman, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), Bangalore, and the founder President of FRP Institute inaugurated the ICERP 2002. HAL under the stewardship of Dr.Nair has pioneered several developments in aerospace involving composites. Dr. Nair who is well worsed with the development in the composite materials industry focused his presidential and inaugural address on the industrial scene. He urged the industry to collectively work for the growth of FRP industry.
While delivering the keynote address, Mr. Peter J. Garforth, President, Systems Thinking and Strategy Planning, Owens Corning Worldwide Operations, Toledo, Ohio, USA gave an inspiring speech highlighting the global scenario of the composite materials industry. He highlighted that the customer awareness of the composite materials and its potential capabilities are still lacking. While mentioning that there was a great potential for the Indian composites industry, improvement of product quality and mechanisation by way of technology up gradation and developing marketing innovation are urgently required. He further went on to say that compared to gigantic Steel, Aluminium and Wood industries, FRP composites industry is diminutively small in size globally. In order to develop the market and promote growth, FRP composites industry has to collectively develop cost effective solutions for competing with these traditional engineering materials. Instead, he remarked, that FRP industries tend to compete amongst themselves most of the time forgetting the real competitors namely steel, aluminium and wood.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Shri.Soumitra Biswas, Advisor to the Dept. of Science and Technology, Govt. of India and Director,Mission on Advanced Composites, Dept. of Science and Technology, Govt, of India, New Delhi. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has contributed immensely to growth of the R&D activities in India. Mr.Biswas highlighted some of the innovative products developed under the technology mission of Advanced Composites of which he is the Mission Director. This mission piloted by Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) a unit of DST has executed several product developments in Indian Railways, rehabilitation of handicapped people, energy, etc.
A banquet dinner at GRT Grand Days hotel followed the inaugural function and the opening of the Exhibition. Owens Corning India Ltd sponsored this banquet dinner. The Banquet dinner provided a great opportunity for the delegates, exhibitors, speakers and special invitees to get together and exchange pleasantries.
