Sundram Fasteners Ltd., based in Chennai, has played a crucial role in the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The firm has supplied fasteners to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). “We have been supplying very critical fasteners to ISRO since 2013 for launch pad assembly, launch vehicle and so on. The fasteners are made of alloy steel, heat-resistant stainless steel, super alloy with coatings such as silver plating, aluminium ion vapor deposition and passivation,” a company official said.
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It all started with the testing support Sundram Fasteners extended to Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and showcasing world-class fastener manufacturing capabilities in 2012. Support was provided for Torque-Tension Test.
The company said that it manufactured similar fasteners to support ISRO’s future missions and expecting further more orders. In addition to ISRO, it is associated with L&T, HAL, and Skyroot.
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On the future plans, the company said it hoped to add international players in the times to come with their role in the success of Chandrayaan-3. On research and development front, the company was exploring use of new material such as Custom465 and M250 for fastener manufacturing and new coatings. According to details provided by the company, Custom465 was a martensitic stainless steel with excellent resistance to stress corrosion cracking and M250 is maraging steel capable of 1600MPa strength.
Sundram Fasteners is in the process of developing an alternative to Jo Bolts, which are being imported.
Started in 1966, Sundram Fasteners Limited manufactures critical, high precision components for the automotive, infrastructure, windmill and aviation sectors. The company achieved the twin milestones of crossing consolidated revenues of ₹5,000 crore and net profit of ₹500 crore for the financial year ended March 31, 2023.