IIT students showcase innovation at manufacturing exhibition

The Central Workshop at IIT Delhi on Thursday organised a ‘manufacturing innovation show’ to exhibit creative products developed by first-year undergraduate students across all engineering disciplines.

Over 150 projects were displayed in the Lecture Hall Complex under eight thematic areas: Mechatronics, Mechanism, Machines, Smart Devices, Sustainability, Agriculture, Automation, Electronics & IoT and Robotics.

Working in teams of five, the students developed their ideas and built functional prototypes over a span of 10 weeks, using various resources and tools. Among the standout innovations were automatic seed-sowing and irrigation machines, as well as robotic systems for agricultural applications.

Several projects reflected strong awareness of sustainability problems. Notable prototypes included humidity-controlled air coolers, energy-efficient escalators, river-cleaning boats, on-road power generation systems and speed monitoring devices, according to a statement issued by the institute.

The IIT Delhi Director, Prof Rangan Banerjee, urged students to continue developing their prototypes and turn them into products that could benefit society.

Course coordinator Prof Sagar Sarkar, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering said, “The students engaged in hands-on learning of key manufacturing processes such as machining, welding, sheet metal forming, digital manufacturing and electronics manufacturing in the central workshop’s state-of-the-art laboratories.”

He added the practical exposure before students begin their core engineering disciplines in the second year offers invaluable experience in manufacturing processes and machine tools.

“When the country is envisioning a manufacturing-led economy, such immersive experiences will help attract more young engineers and technologists to the field of manufacturing and inspire them to develop more innovative products in future,” said Prof Sunil Jha, head of the central workshop and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Delhi. — TNS

Delhi