“This is the first phase of the research. We now plan to go further and figure out details on the stresses and stability of the pillar as well as the manufacturing technology used,’’ said PP Deshpande who was Head of the R&D centre at the department of mechanical engineering of Sinhgad Institute of Technology when he carried out the study last year and is now at the College of Engineering Pune (COEP).

According to Deshpande the overall findings would be of considerable significance as it could help in both modern day manufacturing and designing techniques. “The pillar is more than 1,600 years old, yet the corrosion is very low because of the phosphorous content. Also, it’s made by forge welding - all these revelations can greatly help our own designing and metallurgy skills,’’ said Deshpande.

Along with Deshpande, AP Kulkarni of the Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune was involved in the conception and execution of the project. The researchers used the available dimensions of the pillar to simulate a computer image of the pillar using feature-based modeling software -CATIA V5R16.

“It took us about 20 days to model its shape and structure. The top part, the bell shape, was particularly difficult to model. This is for the first time that this improved technology has been used for archeological work in India,” said Kulkarni, expressing hope that the computer modeling studies will be extended to understand the composition, weight and forging of other such historical objects like cannons.

On what made them choose the iron pillar as the object of their attention Deshpande said he was inspired by the work done by Dr R Balasubramaniam of IIT Kanpur who has done some pioneering work on the iron pillar in New Delhi. “Also I am a metallurgist who’s interested in ancient Indian history,” he said.

Balasubramaniam himself, who has written many papers on the iron pillar described the study as both “significant and commendable.” Adding that it was a new way of looking at the structure, he said that the next step now should be to use a laser and get a three-dimensional contour of the pillar, which is a far more complicated task. “It’s also heartening to see people like Deshpande do this on their own steam in a country that unfortunately has such scant respect for its historical monuments and heritage. This technique can now be put to good use in the future too,” he added.