The Steel and Industrial Forgings Limited, a public sector company owned by the State government, has developed Alpha titanium alloy hemispherical forgings for cryogenic stage (C25) of GSLV –MK 3 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle – Mark III) for the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Challenging task

“Alpha Titanium Alloy is one of the difficult to forge materials due to its high flow stress coupled with tendency of cracking. With modified processing parameters and design innovation, the problem was eliminated. Due to this effort, direct pay load gain advantage is achieved. Thus more Transponders can be loaded in satellite,” said P.K. Mansoor, Senior Manager, Steel and Industrial Forgings Limited (SIFL).

M.K. Sasikumar, SIFL managing director, handed over the technology development document to K. Sivan, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, who visited the SIFL recently. VSSC Deputy Directors P.V. Venkata Krishnan and S. Aravamuthan were also present.

The SIFL has been associating with the ISRO for the last 25 years for its projects, including PSLC, GSLV, Chandrayan, Mangalyaaan, relaunch vehicle and indigenously developed a number of forgings, Mr. Mansoor said.

The SIFL has supplied gas bottle forgings of different sizes with a material titanium alloy, pure titanium, and inconel.

An aerospace standard AS-9100-Rev-c certified organisation, the SIFL has indigenised many works for the HAL, BrahMos missile, Arjun battle tanks, DMDE and Railways, he added.