Innovation and Passion, Key to Success For Verdant Telemetry
Innovation and Passion, Key to Success For Verdant Telemetry http://www.acmanet.org/CM/1006/feature_g1006.cfm (Composite Manufacturing is an international magazine published in U.S by ACMA. I contributed Indian based composite material market reports as well as company profiles for the magazine between January 2006 and January 2008) By Resmi Jaimon
Two miles from the center of the city of Kochi, India, in a calm and peaceful area of Konthuruthy, close to Thevara and the backwaters, is Louis J. George’s and Kuruvila J. George’s composites plant, Verdant Telemetry. Verdant, as it is better known for short, is located in a recently constructed 5000-square foot building within a three-acre campus. The brothers, Louis J. George and Kuruvila J. George, partners of the firm, have registered Verdant as a small-scale industrial unit in the state of Kerala. After battling for making a mark in the field for nearly 14 years, they are now in the process of converting their partnership firm into a Private Limited Company. With their motto, “innovation is the key to success,” the George brothers have turned Verdant into a center of excellence for composite components, mainly with the manufacture of airborne antennae and radomes. Motivation “As young students we used to get engrossed in the activity of our father’s machine center,” Louis George, Managing partner says. “The centre was involved in making precision components in metals. This helped us develop a good understanding of processes and materials used.” However, the journey to incline towards composites didn’t begin here. “Our first enlightenment in composites came at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) exhibition we visited as students. The exciting possibilities with composites caught our attention and made our imagination ring.” Both brothers point out that these “possibilities” are an ongoing excitement for them to carry on their endeavor. With a science background, Louis George underwent training at the FRP Center under the Aeronautical Department of the Indian Institute of Technology (one of the top technology schools in India), Chennai. Kuruvila George already nurtured a keen enthusiasm for antenna design and related activities. The Initial Jump The early 1990’s marked the beginning of a new era for the George brothers. This period functioned as the launch pad for what was to come in later years. With 6 friends, the
George brothers started with the manufacture of composite dish antennas. Market instability pushed the commercial viability of composite dish antennas downward however. This forced the initial six investors to leave the enterprise in search of greener pastures in the form of jobs in India and abroad, and the George brothers were left to start all over again. That’s when the George brothers turned to their father who advised them that, “Persistence pays. So hold on, you will get there sometime.” And so, with emotional and financial support from the whole family, they held on. During this phase, the idea of developing automobile components evolved and the George brothers approached a couple of automobile giants in India. With no intuitive sense for it being the right time, they backed off the idea. However the slack was picked up with the manufacture of chairs, all weather covers for line amplifiers and mudguards, which dominated most projects. However, the George brothers were feeling the intellectual pinch to challenge themselves with a more sophisticated product line. There were just no opportunities to explore the creative world of composites. First Break The long silence broke when an inquiry from the Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) for an R&D project led to the beginning of Verdant’s airborne antenna business during the mid 1990s. As often happens with new projects, the Verdant team took a considerably long time to finish the initial contract. “We lost 6 times the project cost from our pocket,” laments Louis George. The brothers, however, made it through trying times and commercial viability was not far off. With the loss in finances came a considerable boost in name recognition and confidence. From those experimental days, Verdant has grown into India’s only commercial manufacturer (there are institutions manufacturing these products) of Airborne antennas and radomes. Verdant’s client list includes Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), one of the world’s leading Aircraft manufacturers, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), and the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Strength procured over time and innovation of technology encouraged the brothers to decide to enter higher end applications. “Passion does makes the difference,” says Louis George. “And it is this passion which keeps us moving to achieve greater heights.” Airborne Antennae Airborne antennae, mounted externally on the aircraft or on a part of the body of the aircraft as conformal antennae, are essentially composed of the metal antenna and its electronic components with a RF transplant composite dome. “Designing a dome to sustain environment severities is a major factor,” says Louis George. “Temperature difference, pressure difference, high order of vibration and effects of acceleration on the aircraft that the antennae are subjected to should be taken into consideration. The dome has to be designed to withstand all these environmental
severities with minimum functional (RF) losses.” The antenna shell or domes are made of glass, epoxy, Kevlar, quarts, etc. Matrix varies from epoxy to cyanate and ester to bismaleimide, depending on the type of aircraft and antenna. The size and shape of the antennae varies with the bandwidth in which the antenna operates. The criteria of selection of composite materials are based on: the type of aircraft the antenna has to fly on; the speed and altitude of the aircraft (the environmental condition the antenna is subjected to in terms of temperature, pressure, vibration shock, acceleration etc…); and the loss factor of the composite material in the frequencies to ensure minimum radio signal loss. Radome (Thin Skin Radome and Sandwich Radome) Radomes are constructed with glass, Kevlar, and quartz in thin skin formats as well as sandwich formats using various core material along with the skin. Core materials consist of foam or honeycomb depending on the application. Foam core materials include PMI and PU. Honeycomb core material includes glass, Kevlar, quarts, nomex, spectra etc. Various matrix of epoxy, cyanate ester, and bismaleimide are used. “Greater strength and low weight is achieved through the use of honeycomb,” says Louis George. The material selection criteria for composite radomes must include a minimal RF loss factor against maximum structural stability. Aerospace Composite Components (Thin Skin & Sandwich) These are predominately structural components using carbon fiber, quartz, Kevlar, glass reinforcements along with various matrix of epoxy, cyanate ester, bismaleimide, etc. . Verdant’s products are used in aircrafts ranging from super sonic fighter jets to helicopters. The George brothers reveal Verdant’s components also are used in sport aviation, such as non-pressurized aircrafts flying at low altitudes. The components used in these aircrafts are subjected to fewer severities compared to military or commercial aircraft. According to Louis George, sandwich applications go well for more demanding applications, such as altitude high flight and times when the requirement of strength-toweight ratio is high. Applying the right ratio of resin to fiber is an important aspect to determine the strength of laminates and the binding strength between the laminates. As the Verdant team points out, the trick of the trade is matching all the right components together. “Designing for the corrosive environments also calls for a challenge,” says Louis George. Vacuum/Pressure Assisted Resin Infusion The George brothers desire to perform drives their quest to develop innovative systems. They have developed their own VPM system. Vacuum Pressure Molding (VPM) is a specially designed resin infusion system. The system achieves high fiber volumes suitable for higher end composite applications and can be tuned to achieve varying levels of resin ratio to suit different needs. Pre-forms, made with the designated fiber (fiber orientated in the designed directions) are infused with resin inside the mould. The resin
and the fiber fraction requirement decide whether it is to be autoclaved or cured in an oven. Moving parts are slightly tough to design and the development cost of antennae differs depending on the antennae type and its application. Verdant also makes use of its own vacuum bagging set up and autoclave. Innovative prototyping techniques are used for hand lay-up along with a highly experienced team. Certifications A system to ensure consistency in production exists at Verdant to achieve the team’s goals of quality. Verdant is in the process of implementing ISO/AS9100. Verdant’s antennae have several certifications from CEMILAC (Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification), India to its credit. These also are cleared by DGAQA, India. The George brothers also take pride in being the recipient of a Society for Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries (SIATI) award for Excellence in Aerospace Indigenization during 2002. HR and Marketing Providing essential training, making their “hand” suitable to work on the products with an innovative and highly motivated spirit, is the core strength of Verdant. This process is an ongoing task. “We have been able to inculcate a Verdant culture early into the training of every employee, a culture of team spirit and strong desire to excel,” says Kuruvila George. As a part of this ongoing team spirit, uniform attire has been introduced for all employees. From post-graduates in Engineering and technology to those with basic skills, each employee is molded to suit the Verdant culture. Numbering only 15, Verdant plans to hire more employees in the coming months. With the field being an almost closed competitive group and the products mainly marketed to aerospace, the main method of getting the word out is through air show participation and by sending mailers to target customers. Web presence is another advantage to which Verdant clings. Composite’s Future in India Evolution is an ongoing process for every material. Steel and other metals have been evolving since the Iron Age. According to Louis George, compared to the present status of metals, composite is in a nascent stage. There is still time for composites to catch up with metal in conventional applications. In composites, innovation is the key. Evolution has not gone multi-stage. Mass production is not suitable for composites and is difficult to sustain for high levels of production. However, addition of value is necessary. From a purely commercial perspective, sustaining a level of inventiveness and production in composites is hard, asserts Louis George. Passion, however, like in other industries, is
still key to achieving success in this field. The changing atmosphere, the focus on entrepreneurialism in India, indicates that people with passion can start and sustain a composites business. Verdant is set to spread its wings to other countries as well. Interesting and notable inquiries are pouring in from the U.S., Europe, and other areas. Simultaneously, they are evolving to suit the basic demands from companies in other countries and are more than willing to follow procedures like non-disclosure agreements, generally uncommon in India. Verdant also is exploring the possibilities of spreading its wings to manufacturing composite components for automobile and marine industries. Resmi Jaimon is an international freelance writer based in Kochi (Kerala), India. She is published in 30 print and online publications including CM and has ghostwritten contents for corporate brochures and websites: www.resmi jaimon.com; [email protected]. All photos for this article were taken by Roop Shaji: [email protected].
Two miles from the center of the city of Kochi, India, in a calm and peaceful area of Konthuruthy, close to Thevara and the backwaters, is Louis J. George’s and Kuruvila J. George’s composites plant, Verdant Telemetry. Verdant, as it is better known for short, is located in a recently constructed 5000-square foot building within a three-acre campus. The brothers, Louis J. George and Kuruvila J. George, partners of the firm, have registered Verdant as a small-scale industrial unit in the state of Kerala. After battling for making a mark in the field for nearly 14 years, they are now in the process of converting their partnership firm into a Private Limited Company. With their motto, “innovation is the key to success,” the George brothers have turned Verdant into a center of excellence for composite components, mainly with the manufacture of airborne antennae and radomes. Motivation “As young students we used to get engrossed in the activity of our father’s machine center,” Louis George, Managing partner says. “The centre was involved in making precision components in metals. This helped us develop a good understanding of processes and materials used.” However, the journey to incline towards composites didn’t begin here. “Our first enlightenment in composites came at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) exhibition we visited as students. The exciting possibilities with composites caught our attention and made our imagination ring.” Both brothers point out that these “possibilities” are an ongoing excitement for them to carry on their endeavor. With a science background, Louis George underwent training at the FRP Center under the Aeronautical Department of the Indian Institute of Technology (one of the top technology schools in India), Chennai. Kuruvila George already nurtured a keen enthusiasm for antenna design and related activities. The Initial Jump The early 1990’s marked the beginning of a new era for the George brothers. This period functioned as the launch pad for what was to come in later years. With 6 friends, the
George brothers started with the manufacture of composite dish antennas. Market instability pushed the commercial viability of composite dish antennas downward however. This forced the initial six investors to leave the enterprise in search of greener pastures in the form of jobs in India and abroad, and the George brothers were left to start all over again. That’s when the George brothers turned to their father who advised them that, “Persistence pays. So hold on, you will get there sometime.” And so, with emotional and financial support from the whole family, they held on. During this phase, the idea of developing automobile components evolved and the George brothers approached a couple of automobile giants in India. With no intuitive sense for it being the right time, they backed off the idea. However the slack was picked up with the manufacture of chairs, all weather covers for line amplifiers and mudguards, which dominated most projects. However, the George brothers were feeling the intellectual pinch to challenge themselves with a more sophisticated product line. There were just no opportunities to explore the creative world of composites. First Break The long silence broke when an inquiry from the Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) for an R&D project led to the beginning of Verdant’s airborne antenna business during the mid 1990s. As often happens with new projects, the Verdant team took a considerably long time to finish the initial contract. “We lost 6 times the project cost from our pocket,” laments Louis George. The brothers, however, made it through trying times and commercial viability was not far off. With the loss in finances came a considerable boost in name recognition and confidence. From those experimental days, Verdant has grown into India’s only commercial manufacturer (there are institutions manufacturing these products) of Airborne antennas and radomes. Verdant’s client list includes Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), one of the world’s leading Aircraft manufacturers, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), and the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Strength procured over time and innovation of technology encouraged the brothers to decide to enter higher end applications. “Passion does makes the difference,” says Louis George. “And it is this passion which keeps us moving to achieve greater heights.” Airborne Antennae Airborne antennae, mounted externally on the aircraft or on a part of the body of the aircraft as conformal antennae, are essentially composed of the metal antenna and its electronic components with a RF transplant composite dome. “Designing a dome to sustain environment severities is a major factor,” says Louis George. “Temperature difference, pressure difference, high order of vibration and effects of acceleration on the aircraft that the antennae are subjected to should be taken into consideration. The dome has to be designed to withstand all these environmental
severities with minimum functional (RF) losses.” The antenna shell or domes are made of glass, epoxy, Kevlar, quarts, etc. Matrix varies from epoxy to cyanate and ester to bismaleimide, depending on the type of aircraft and antenna. The size and shape of the antennae varies with the bandwidth in which the antenna operates. The criteria of selection of composite materials are based on: the type of aircraft the antenna has to fly on; the speed and altitude of the aircraft (the environmental condition the antenna is subjected to in terms of temperature, pressure, vibration shock, acceleration etc…); and the loss factor of the composite material in the frequencies to ensure minimum radio signal loss. Radome (Thin Skin Radome and Sandwich Radome) Radomes are constructed with glass, Kevlar, and quartz in thin skin formats as well as sandwich formats using various core material along with the skin. Core materials consist of foam or honeycomb depending on the application. Foam core materials include PMI and PU. Honeycomb core material includes glass, Kevlar, quarts, nomex, spectra etc. Various matrix of epoxy, cyanate ester, and bismaleimide are used. “Greater strength and low weight is achieved through the use of honeycomb,” says Louis George. The material selection criteria for composite radomes must include a minimal RF loss factor against maximum structural stability. Aerospace Composite Components (Thin Skin & Sandwich) These are predominately structural components using carbon fiber, quartz, Kevlar, glass reinforcements along with various matrix of epoxy, cyanate ester, bismaleimide, etc. . Verdant’s products are used in aircrafts ranging from super sonic fighter jets to helicopters. The George brothers reveal Verdant’s components also are used in sport aviation, such as non-pressurized aircrafts flying at low altitudes. The components used in these aircrafts are subjected to fewer severities compared to military or commercial aircraft. According to Louis George, sandwich applications go well for more demanding applications, such as altitude high flight and times when the requirement of strength-toweight ratio is high. Applying the right ratio of resin to fiber is an important aspect to determine the strength of laminates and the binding strength between the laminates. As the Verdant team points out, the trick of the trade is matching all the right components together. “Designing for the corrosive environments also calls for a challenge,” says Louis George. Vacuum/Pressure Assisted Resin Infusion The George brothers desire to perform drives their quest to develop innovative systems. They have developed their own VPM system. Vacuum Pressure Molding (VPM) is a specially designed resin infusion system. The system achieves high fiber volumes suitable for higher end composite applications and can be tuned to achieve varying levels of resin ratio to suit different needs. Pre-forms, made with the designated fiber (fiber orientated in the designed directions) are infused with resin inside the mould. The resin
and the fiber fraction requirement decide whether it is to be autoclaved or cured in an oven. Moving parts are slightly tough to design and the development cost of antennae differs depending on the antennae type and its application. Verdant also makes use of its own vacuum bagging set up and autoclave. Innovative prototyping techniques are used for hand lay-up along with a highly experienced team. Certifications A system to ensure consistency in production exists at Verdant to achieve the team’s goals of quality. Verdant is in the process of implementing ISO/AS9100. Verdant’s antennae have several certifications from CEMILAC (Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification), India to its credit. These also are cleared by DGAQA, India. The George brothers also take pride in being the recipient of a Society for Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries (SIATI) award for Excellence in Aerospace Indigenization during 2002. HR and Marketing Providing essential training, making their “hand” suitable to work on the products with an innovative and highly motivated spirit, is the core strength of Verdant. This process is an ongoing task. “We have been able to inculcate a Verdant culture early into the training of every employee, a culture of team spirit and strong desire to excel,” says Kuruvila George. As a part of this ongoing team spirit, uniform attire has been introduced for all employees. From post-graduates in Engineering and technology to those with basic skills, each employee is molded to suit the Verdant culture. Numbering only 15, Verdant plans to hire more employees in the coming months. With the field being an almost closed competitive group and the products mainly marketed to aerospace, the main method of getting the word out is through air show participation and by sending mailers to target customers. Web presence is another advantage to which Verdant clings. Composite’s Future in India Evolution is an ongoing process for every material. Steel and other metals have been evolving since the Iron Age. According to Louis George, compared to the present status of metals, composite is in a nascent stage. There is still time for composites to catch up with metal in conventional applications. In composites, innovation is the key. Evolution has not gone multi-stage. Mass production is not suitable for composites and is difficult to sustain for high levels of production. However, addition of value is necessary. From a purely commercial perspective, sustaining a level of inventiveness and production in composites is hard, asserts Louis George. Passion, however, like in other industries, is
still key to achieving success in this field. The changing atmosphere, the focus on entrepreneurialism in India, indicates that people with passion can start and sustain a composites business. Verdant is set to spread its wings to other countries as well. Interesting and notable inquiries are pouring in from the U.S., Europe, and other areas. Simultaneously, they are evolving to suit the basic demands from companies in other countries and are more than willing to follow procedures like non-disclosure agreements, generally uncommon in India. Verdant also is exploring the possibilities of spreading its wings to manufacturing composite components for automobile and marine industries. Resmi Jaimon is an international freelance writer based in Kochi (Kerala), India. She is published in 30 print and online publications including CM and has ghostwritten contents for corporate brochures and websites: www.resmi jaimon.com; [email protected]. All photos for this article were taken by Roop Shaji: [email protected].
