Carborundum Universal partners DRDO for 'ceramic radome' technology

Carborundum Universal Limited (CUMI), a private sector pioneer in material sciences, said on Monday that it has signed a “Licensing Agreement for Tran­sfer of Technology” with the Defence Research and Develop­ment Organisation (DRDO) for manufacturing ceramic radomes used in aerospace and missile systems.

Ceramic radome is regarded as an essential, state-of-the-art technology for ballistic and tactical missiles and high-performance aircraft. Missiles undergo extremely high surface temperatures while travelling thro­ugh the atmosphere, and while re-entering it from space. To withstand those temperatu­res, radomes located at the tip of a missile are made of ceramic.

“The design of ceramic radomes for defence activities req­uires deep expertise and stringent testing at every stage to ensure reliability and accuracy,” said CUMI in a statement.

The ceramic radomes have been developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), one of the premier DRDO labs in the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex, which has developed India’s missile arsenal. RCI spearheads R&D in a diverse range of avionics systems for missile and aerospace applications.

“With our strong legacy of being in the material sciences industry for almost 70 years, CUMI is honoured to play a part in shaping India’s destiny by co­ntributing to a strong and self-reliant defence sector. Our operations are completely made in India — from mineral sourcing and processing to research and testing,” said CUMI’s marketing head Subbu Venkatachalam.

CUMI has extensive experience in engineering lightweight ceramic ballistic solutions, such as bulletproof vests, using zirconia-toughened alumina and silicon carbide. CUMI’s lightweight ceramic materials are also used for providing high levels of ballistic and blast-proof protection for armoured vehicles.

CUMI is one of India’s first companies to produce the wonder material graphene for aerospace and defence applications. Its cutting-edge composite technology is also used for building unmanned aerial vehicles.

RCI is India’s premier laboratory for carrying out R&D in the technologies of control engineering, inertial navigation, imaging infrared seekers, radio frequency seekers and systems, on-board computers and mission software.

CUMI, established as a tripartite joint venture in 1954, is a leading materials sciences engineering solutions provider. Its consolidated revenue is ~3,300 crore and profit-after-tax is ~333 crore for the financial year 2022.

CUMI has over 5,500 employees worldwide who collaborate, innovate and develop high-quality material solutions and services in abrasives, electro minerals, ceramics, refractories and energy storage materials, serving customers in diverse industries. CUMI’s geographical presence spans six continents and its products are exported to over 50 countries.