EEPC plans casting clinic

Engineering Export Promotion Council's eastern region office would be planning to open a 'Casting Clinic' by December 2008 in Kolkata to develop and test products for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The clinic would initially cost Rs 50 lakh, said R P Sehgal, chairman of EEPC-ER.

"We plan to open a casting clinic in Kolkata, and unlike other labs this will similitude virtual reality where users can design products to be manufactured in the foundry", claimed Sehgal.

The product could be developed and designed in the clinic using electronic tools, simulation and software without actually manufactuing it in reality, at a minimal investment of Rs 5000-10000 depending upon the product.

This would save on costs and minimize losses as product defects could be rectified before manufacture.

The cost of the clinic, which would mainly be the software cost, was approximately Rs 50 lakh.

EEPC recently tied up with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Mumbai and was in talks with Jadavpur University for expertise.

EEPC would be establishing a support office for SMEs to provide solutions and guidance as and when required.

EEPC held a joint awareness session with Suprabha Protective Products on corrosion protection and sea worthy packaging.

P R Bantwal, manging director (MD) of Suprabha, said the products provided solutions to various companies in preventing losses so that exported products reached the destination untarnished.

Its products included Restofilm, vpour corrosion inhibitors (VCI) and rust preventive oil developed to prevent rusting and corrosion during transport and storage.

The Pune based company had a turnover of Rs 50 crore last fiscal and expected sales of Rs 100 crore this fiscal.