Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory
AddressKanchanbagh,
Hyderabad - 500 058
LocationHyderabad, Telangana
Operating agency
DRDO

Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) is a research laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Located in Defence Research Complex, Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad. It is responsible for the development and manufacture of complex metals and materials required for modern warfare and weapon systems.[1][2][3]

History

As with all the labs of DRDO, DMRL started its operations as a part of the Ordnance Factory Board at its Metal & Steel Factory in Calcutta in the year 1951 as the Technical Development Establishment (Metals), later to be upgraded as DMRL in 1956.[4][5] DMRL was shifted to Hyderabad in 1963. Since then, it has developed competence in the areas of powder metallurgy based fabrication and development of alloys, armor and rocket motor steel, aerospace light alloys, and magnetic materials. The formation of other entities such as the Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd., High Energy Projectile Factory (formerly Heavy Alloy Penetrator Project), Composites Production Centre, Non-Ferrous Technology Development Centre, and the Advanced Research Centre International have followed the establishment of DMRL. The DMRL is also involved in R&D efforts to develop futuristic materials to provide advanced technology options.[1][6][3]

Projects and products

  • DMR 1700 Ultra-high-strength steel with the toughness stronger than 250 maraging steel but cost is 60% lower; this steel has been used to build rocket motor casings for the Akash surface-to-air missiles.[3][7][8]
  • DMR 249A is a low carbon micro-alloyed grade of steel with stringent toughness requirement at sub-zero temperature.grade was having the specified gas contents of hydrogen <2 ppm in final product for the avoidance of detrimental phenomenon like “Hair Line Cracks”. So the Hydrogen content of liquid steel was to be less than 3 ppm and this demand vacuum treatment of the steel.[9]
  • Jackal steel is an advanced grade high strength low alloy steel, The technology of Jackal steel has been passed on to Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Mishra Dhatu Nigam (MIDHANI) for its bulk production.[10]
  • Heavy alloy pre-fragments for Prithvi missile warheads developed for use against aerial targets.[3]
  • Oxygen-free copper for the Nag anti-tank guided missile sheets.[3][11]
  • Special magnetic materials such as samarium-cobalt ring magnets and neodymium-iron-boron magnets in collaboration with the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre for applications in the space program.[3]
  • Kanchan armour for use on the Arjun tank as well as other armoured vehicles like Sarath and Abhay.
  • Under DRDO-FICCI Accelerated Technology Assessment & Commercialization initiative, DMRL supplied its patented Copper-Titanium (CuTi) alloy technology for commercial application to Pahwa Metal Tech and has also granted an exclusive license to manufacture products using the technology and sell them aboard.[12]
  • High Nitrogen Steel (HNS), created by DMRL and Jindal Stainless Limited, will be used in armaments that will replace Rolled Homogenous Armour (RHA). It is corrosion resistant with reduced thickness that increases fuel and mass efficiency, has superior ballistic and blast protection, plus higher longevity. HNS has higher impact value, higher energy absorption level, which improves overall crash worthiness. It has passed multiple levels of ballistic tests in different calibers with 8-10 times higher impact protection.[13]
  • Developed high strength metastable Beta-titanium alloy, Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al on industrial scale for applications in aerospace structural forgings.[14] Will replace traditional Ni-Cr-Mo structural steels to achieve weight reduction. The landing gear drop link is the first component forged successfully by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and has been certified for airworthiness.[15]
  • Successfully developed Near Isothermal Forging Technology for aero engines in 2021. It can help produce all the five stages of high-pressure compressors (HPC) discs out of difficult-to-deform titanium alloy using 2000 MT isothermal forge press weighing 2,000 tonnes. The technology has been transferred to MIDHANI for bulk production. DMRL has also supplied 200 HPC disc forgings for various compressor stages to HAL for fitment in Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour that powers the SEPECAT Jaguar and BAE Systems Hawk of Indian Air Force.[16][17]
  • In 2021, DMRL achieved the breakthrough in design and development of single-crystal casting technology for turbine blades. They supplied 60 high pressure turbine (HPT) blades of nickel-based super alloy to HAL for helicopter engine applications under indigenous helicopter development programme.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 Madhusudhan Reddy, G. (2024), Divakar, R.; Murty, S. V. S. Narayana; Srikanth, S.; Gokhale, Amol A. (eds.), "Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory: Relentless Journey Towards Materials Galore", Indian Metallurgy: The Platinum Years, Indian Institute of Metals Series, Singapore: Springer Nature, pp. 179–200, doi:10.1007/978-981-99-5060-7_15, ISBN 978-981-99-5060-7, retrieved 28 December 2023
  2. ↑ "DRDO Laboratories and their Research Activities". Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence, Government of India. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory". Nuclear Threat Initiative. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  4. ↑ "Welcome to Metal & Steel Factory, Ishapore". Metal & Steel Factory, Ishapore. Government of India. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Metal and Steel Factory, Ishapore". Defstrat. South Asia Defence & Strategic Review. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "New facility opened in Midhani on its 50th anniversary". The Hindu. 27 November 2023. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  7. ↑ Gurrappa, I.; Malakondaiah, G. (25 January 2005). "Corrosion characteristics of DMR-1700 steel and comparison with different steels in marine environment". Materials Science and Engineering: A. 391 (1): 235–242. doi:10.1016/j.msea.2004.08.079. ISSN 0921-5093.
  8. ↑ Gurrappa, I.; Malakondaiah, G. (1 October 2006). "Corrosion characteristics of newly developed structural DMR-1700 steel and comparison with different steels for industrial applications". Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A. 37 (10): 3039–3046. doi:10.1007/s11661-006-0185-9. ISSN 1543-1940.
  9. ↑ Mazumdar, Rakhi (16 October 2017). "SAIL supplied defence grade steel plates for anti-submarine warship INS Kiltan". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  10. ↑ "Rourkela Steel Plant supplies parts for Agni Missile". Business Standard. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  11. ↑ Singh, Manjit. "Ammunition Systems and Warhead Technologies" (PDF). Defence Research & Development Organisation. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "Copper-Titanium alloy to be made first time in India by a Pune startup". Business Standard. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  13. ↑ Sundarajan, Priya (1 March 2017). "Jindal Stainless enters defence arena, teams up with DRDO". BusinessLine. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "DRDO develops high strength titanium alloy for aerospace forgings". The Hindu. 20 July 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  15. ↑ Rao, Ch Sushil (20 July 2021). "DRDO indigenously develops high strength beta titanium alloy on industrial scale". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  16. ↑ "DRDO develops near isothermal forging technology for aeroengines' parts". Business Standard. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  17. ↑ "DRDO develops Critical Near Isothermal Forging Technology for aeroengines". Ministry of Defence. Press Information Bureau. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  18. ↑ "DRDO develops critical crystal blade technology for aero engines". The Hindu. 26 April 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 28 December 2023.

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