Indigenous 10-tonne vertical mixer testament to India’s growing tech prowess: ISRO

Bilkul Online

2 years ago

New Delhi, Feb 17 : The indigenously developed 10-tonne propellant mixer for solid motors is a testament to India’s growing tech prowess, said the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The propellant mixer was developed and realised by the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, ISRO in collaboration with Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI), Bengaluru — a premier research and development organisation under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.

The 10-tonne vertical mixer weighs about 150 tonnes with a length of 5.4 metres, breadth of 3.3 metres, and height of 8.7 metres. “Realisation of indigenous 10-tonne vertical mixer is a true testament to India’s growing technological prowess, self-reliance, and unwavering commitment to innovation,” ISRO said. “Department of Space has undertaken multiple initiatives towards indigenous development of critical technologies, materials, and machinery as part of ‘Atmanirbharatain Space’,” the agency added. It is the world’s largest vertical propellent mixer for processing solid propellants — a significant technological marvel. Solid propellants are the backbone of rocket motors, and their production requires precise mixing of highly sensitive and hazardous ingredients.

The development of the vertical mixer involves collaboration with academia and industries and has successfully completed factory-level acceptance tests, ISRO said. This high-capacity mixer will enable productivity, quality, and throughput improvement for heavy solid motors production. The system also has multiple agitators which are hydrostatic driven and will be remotely operated using a PLC-based control system with Supervisor Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) stations. The mixer was handed over to the Director, SDSC SHAR by the Director, CMTI last week in Bengaluru. The key features of the 10-tonne vertical mixer include high-capacity mixing of propellant ingredients in a single batch. It also works with precision and has control for quality consistency and performance. It is safe and reliable for handling highly hazardous materials.