Bengaluru: A Bengaluru-based start-up is set to foray into two big ticket projects-'Gaganyaan'-ISRO's human space flight programme and indigenous production of Rafale combat jets.
Accreate Labs & Innovations, the start-up, has offered to produce 3D printed User Interface Panels for the GSLV rocket which would carry two Indians on a voyage into outer space in 2022. Using the interface, the crew members would be able to operate controls in the rocket which need to be soft, overlaid on electronic inputs devices and completely customised in form and fitment. "We held preliminary discussions with top representatives of Antrix Corporation, the corporate arm of ISRO," Mr Ravi Shankar S N, Managing Director of Accreate Labs, told Deccan Chronicle.
He said for manned missions, the inside part of rockets require a complete makeover. "This is where 3D printing fit for UX - User Interface panels makes a huge difference. We observed, for example, that Mars manned surface craft (Rover) being experimented upon by NASA has no less than 84 3D Printed parts, all done on Stratasys technology.
User interface which the crew members would use to operate controls in the space launch vehicle need to be soft, overlaid on electronic input devices and completely customised in form and fitment.
We are unique to have aerospace certified materials(FDA Approved), FDA 510K complaint Stratasys 3D print technology and aerospace designers with more than a decade of aerospace design work behind them. We see that start-ups such as Accreate Labs could help make Cubesat ejection mechanisms faster, cheaper and with more customisations important for India and ISRO," he added.
On the Rafale aircraft, he said: "We work very closely with Dassault Systemes, enjoy considerable support from the top leadership at Dassault Systemes in India. They are doing well to connect start-ups like us with production of Falcon 2000 jets in India under the defence offset contract. The current set of Rafale aircraft will be acquired in a fly away condition. We hope that and will depend on Dassault Systemes to integrate us into the production indigenisation of new Rafale aircraft."
