Material Advantage at IIT Kanpur, a student chapter in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, in collaboration with American Society for Metals (ASM) International Kanpur Chapter, Indian Institute of Metals (IIM) Kanpur Chapter, and Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) Kanpur Chapter, organized a three-day ‘Materials Camp’ at IIT Kanpur from May 6th to 8th, 2023.
The event drew participation of 38 students and ten teachers from nine schools in Kanpur, namely DPS Azad Nagar, DPS Kalyanpur, Dr. Virendra Swaroop Education Centre, Jai Narayan Vidya Mandir, Kendriya Vidyalaya IIT Kanpur, Methodist High School, Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Sheiling House School, and Sir Padampat Singhania School.
The event was packed with activities and sessions over the course of three days. The first-day sessions involved talks on “Classification of Materials” followed by real-life demonstrations on materials in a mobile phone. Prof. Kantesh Balani delivered a talk on “Fascinating World of Materials,” which was followed by an impromptu session by Prof. Anish Upadhyaya on challenges in materials. A session on sample preparation and microscopy of various samples was also held at the physical metallurgy laboratory.
The second day session highlights included demonstrations of Electrospinning, Wetting, Lab-safety, and Scanning Electron Microscopy anda parallel session of a virtual lab on “Electron Microscopy for Beginners”.
The concluding day of the ‘Materials Camp’ focused more on mechanical testing and manufacturing processes to appreciate the utility of processing techniques in changing material shape and also attaining requisite performance. As a special highlight of the day, the students were taken on an industrial visit to Anod Plasma Spray Ltd., where they witnessed firsthand the surface preparation and coating deposition techniques, such as plasma spraying and flame spraying, on real-life components. The demonstrations were carried out by the expert team left the participants visibly thrilled and energized. The three-day program culminated with the distribution of certificates to all the participants.
Earlier, the tour was inaugurated by Pradeep Goyal, Senior Vice President of ASM International, who stressed the importance of materials in the world today. The Head of the MSE Department, Prof. Kallol Mondal, emphasized the role of material and processing in achieving the required performance, while Prof. Yogesh Joshi, Chair INAE Kanpur, highlighted the importance of the convergence of all engineering fields through research in Materials Science. Prof. Amarendra Kumar Singh, Chair, IIM Kanpur Chapter, spoke about the role of materials in civilization.
