An Advanced Centre for Excellence in Welding Engineering was inaugurated at the PSG College of Technology here Monday by Girish Shankar, Secretary of the Department of Heavy Industries, Government on India.

The centre, worth Rs. 26.7 crore, was inaugurated after the college signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Government, which is supporting the centre financially. According to a release, the centre was sponsored under a government scheme for the enhancement of competitiveness in the Indian capital goods sector.

The college has identified three important areas where welding technology needs improvement for its application to the capital goods sector in our country, namely, welding automation, welding power sources and welding consumables.

“The centre will serve as a unique ‘Academia – Government – Industry’ endeavour that brings in synergy from three segments of excellence in a single entity,” the release said, adding that major facilities for assembly and testing of welding robot assembly and integration of robots with sensors would be installed at the centre.

Development of technologies in all the three identified areas will be implemented over a period of three years, with a total financial outlay of Rs 26.7 crore. The Government of India is giving financial support to the extent of Rs 21.1 crore and the rest will be provided by industries and the PSG group.