The International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) opened its new state-of-the-art and modern test facilities installed as a part of the National automotive testing and R&D infrastructure project (NATRiP) on May 29.
Mr. Anant G. Geete, Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, inaugurated the facilities in the presence of Mr. Vishwajit Sahay, Joint Secretary, Department of Heavy industry, Mr. Abhay Damle, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Mr. Kenichi Ayukawa, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., Ms. Neeti Sarkar, CEO & PD, NATRiP, and Mr. Dinesh Tyagi, Director, ICAT, and various dignitaries from the Indian automotive industry.
The NATRiP project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in July 2005. ICAT was set up in 2006 and is the first of the new world class centres established under NATRiP. The Government has recognised ICAT as one of the accredited ‘Type Approval and Homologation’ agencies in India under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) 126. It has also been recognized as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR).
With a capital investment of over Rs. 1,100 crores and the facilities spread over 8 acres at ICAT Centre-I and over 46.6 acres at ICAT Centre-II, the centre is rendering valuable services to the automotive industry in the country.
ICAT has emerged as a comprehensive technical partner of the automotive industry and currently undertakes homologation and certification as per Indian regulations, testing as per various Indian and global regulations, developmental projects and automotive R&D projects.
The new facilities being inaugurated at ICAT include:
Noise Vibration & Harshness Lab
ICAT has been identified as a Centre of Excellence in the field of Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH) under the NATRiP architecture. Through NATRiP, the Government has invested about Rs. 153 crores to create this facility to support the Indian and global automotive industry for product development and R&D activities in the field of NVH.
The NVH lab is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities such as semi-anechoic rooms with dynamometer capabilities for passenger cars and heavy commercial vehicles, modal analysis room and coupled acoustic rooms & listening room. The Passenger Car Semi Anechoic Chamber has capability to simulate external Pass By Noise test for development of vehicles to meet the present and future regulatory requirements.
Electromagnetic Compatibility Lab
Electromagnetic Compatibility is the ability of a vehicle or electrical/electronic component to function satisfactorily in its electromagnetic environment. Through NATRiP, the Government has invested Rs. 70 crores to create this facility to support the Indian and global automotive industry for certification and R&D in the field of EMC.
The EMC lab is NABL (ISO 17025) accredited and is specially designed to carry out testing and development activities related to automotive EMC applications. It has a Vehicle Semi – Anechoic Chamber (VSAC) (30m x 20m x 10m chamber with a 11 m diameter turntable with 4X4 chassis dynamometer) for accommodating all types of vehicles ranging from two-wheelers to heavy commercial vehicles for electromagnetic emissions and immunity. It also has a Component Semi – Anechoic Chamber (CSAC) (8.5m x 7m x 6m) for testing of electromagnetic emissions and immunity for electrical / electronic components of a vehicle. It has a General Instrumentation room for component level tests like Conducted Immunity, Conducted Transient Emissions and Electrostatic Discharge.
Passive Safety Lab
ICAT’s Passive Safety Lab (PSL), NABL (ISO 17025)-accredited, is capable of performing crash tests, pedestrian protection tests and sled tests as per various Indian, international and NCAP regulations. Through NATRiP, the Government has invested about Rs. 68 crores to create this facility to support the Indian and global automotive industry for certification and R&D in the field of passive safety.
This lab is equipped with world-class test facilities, including full-fledged crash test facilities to conduct full frontal, frontal OBD, side impact, rear impact, etc., crash tests as per Indian and international regulations. It has all types of instrumented crash dummies with dummy calibration facility, high-speed cameras, specialized lightings, onboard data acquisition system, soak room, pedestrian protection test facility, deceleration sled test facility, airbag test facility, etc.
Tyre Test Lab
ICAT’s Tyre Test Lab (TTL) is NABL (ISO 17025)-accredited and approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). It is providing services related to Type Approval & Conformity of Production of Tyres as per AIS: 037 (CMVR). ICAT has transformed this lab into a Centre of Excellence (CoE) by developing new capabilities, including the installation of dual station endurance test rig and tyre rolling resistance test rig as per ECE R117 & AIS: 142.