Recently, SIMULIA introduced the 2020 SIMULIA Champions, the inaugural team of brand ambassadors whose expertise and passion position them to advance the future of simulation technology. In this series of blogs, we will be introducing some of our individual SIMULIA Champions, finding out more about their history – and future – with the technology.
Amitabha Saha is a Senior Engineer at Hari Shankar Singhania Elastomer and Tire Research Institute (HASETRI) in Mysuru, Karnataka, India. The institute is well-known in India and beyond for being a pioneer in tire and elastomeric R&D, and as a NABL (ISO 17025), testing the entire gamut of elastomeric characterization. The institute is promoted by JK Tyre and Industries Ltd., one of the largest tire companies in India and a revered name in Indian motorsports. The company manufactures approximately 35 million tires every year and has introduced several firsts in India, including radial tires; green tires; smart tires; and the largest off the road tire.
Saha leads the Finite Element Analysis simulation activities at the institute, which include new method development. He is also responsible for troubleshooting, supporting product development initiatives, knowledge creation and usability improvement, as well as mentoring the next generation of simulation engineers.
HASETRI was an early adopter of Abaqus, and the earliest user of simulation technology in the Indian tire industry. The institute has been using Abaqus for more than two decades, according to Saha, who studied engineering at the National Institute of Technology, Durgapur.
“As a young chemical engineer, just out of college, I did not have a clear picture of what I wanted…but then this opportunity presented itself,” Saha says. “It was challenging from many fronts, but the biggest challenge was because it was unknown…my director was looking for engineers who were willing to learn; we were all starting fresh, we were having a very exciting and fun time, experimenting with various things.”
It was his final semester in engineering that cemented Saha’s desire to work in the field. He describes working with a team of novices to survey, calculate, design, draw, cost, procure, fabricate, experiment and verify a final project, which showed him the value of teamwork in engineering.
“In essence, that is what engineering is all about,” he says. “We are the sum of many parts…we make things work, that’s what drives us.”
When working in simulation, he continues, the technique is both the engineer’s best friend and worst enemy, and every task is a balance between meeting the needs of the designer, manufacturer and customer. Particularly in tire manufacturing, the interplay of materials is like a symphony, and the engineer the conductor of the orchestra. The biggest challenges create the biggest successes, Saha adds, and he is driven by those challenges and day-to-day surprises.
“It’s actually the battle of wits with yourself,” he says. “Today it could be a stubborn convergence, tomorrow an unexplainable singularity, perplexing test data that is cross with the prediction on another day. The engineer now becomes a detective and the proto-simulation is first set in motion in his mind. Suddenly the solution presents itself at the oddest hour and you can’t wait to get back to your workstation.”
Saha is something of a perfectionist who likes to tune everything about his workstation for peak performance. Outside of work, he is still consumed by learning, and has assembled a digital library that he enjoys sharing with friends and colleagues. He also greatly enjoys photography.
SIMULIA is pleased to welcome Amitabha Saha into the 2020 SIMULIA Champions program and excited to continue working with him in the future. Stay tuned to the blog to learn more about our other 2020 SIMULIA Champions.
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