IIT-H first to introduce course on digital fabrication

Digital fabrication can be used not only in the manufacturing sector but also in healthcare, food and other segments in future

Indian Institute of Technology- Hyderabad is the first academic outfit in the country to introduce a course on digital fabrication or 3D printing technology, which, according to its director UB Desai, has wide range of applications.

Digital fabrication, also called additive manufacturing, can be used not only in the manufacturing sector but also in healthcare, food and other segments in future, Desai told mediapersons on the sidelines of an international symposium on the subject here on Monday.

The two-day symposium is being held jointly by IIT-Hyderabad, Keio University of Japan and Deakin University of Australia under the aegis of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to deepen inter-disciplinary collaboration in the development of digital fabrication.

According to the organisers, digital fabrication enables fabrication using a wide variety of materials sans tooling, assembly lines or supply chains.

This is changing the way designing and fabrication is done, from that of machine parts, concrete structures, prosthetics, electronic components to almost anything. It entails digitisation of design as well as of the process with computer-aided design tools.

“The use of digital fabrication has spread in large manufacturing facilities over the past two decades, and interdisciplinary collaboration between academics and industry is serving to make the technology inexpensive and user-friendly,” Keio University Environment and Information Studies dean, Jun Murai, said.

Dean of Engineering at Deakin University, Guy Littlefair, said advances in materials, electronics, modeling interfaces and material distribution had vaulted digital fabrication from a simple method for producing three-dimensional prototypes to a viable option for low-volume manufacturing components.