Digitech

PN III - Program 1: Development of the national research and development system

1.2 – Institutional performance - Complex projects carried out in RDI consortium

Implementing additive technologies in order to manufacture complex and overloaded components

DigiTech

Additive manufacturing is an emerging technology that promises to revolutionize global production and will have a major impact in many areas. In Romania, this technology is just at its beginning and has great growth potential. However, considering additive technology’s uncommon qualities, there has been encountered significant challenges in determining the optimal methods of characterization and evaluation of the final components, as well as in validating and accepting these technologies in certain fields that are generating additional technical conditions: medical, automotive, aerospace, etc. A consortium consisting of INCDMTM, UTCluj, COMOTI, IMSAR and UPit proposes the realization of a complex project, structured on three areas of expertise, whose objectives are to manage experimental researches regarding the evaluation and validation of additive technology of laser sintering / melting and the adaptability of processing parameters to the specific requirements of manufacturing and testing the complex and overburdened components: In medicine, for easy manufacturing of complex, anatomic-adaptive, lighter and more resistant implantable structures designed for 3D prostheses of harsh human tissues, with the possibility of improving the technology and therefore extending the application in the field of human organs bio-prototyping; In the automotive industry, for manufacturing finished products designed to customize each car and its spare parts, with the possibility of extending the application to almost entirely manufacture cars from lightweight and durable materials. Also, a methodology will be developed with the purpose of optimizing the design process of complex products for the automotive industry by using artificial intelligence and modelling; In the aerospace industry, for manufacturing complex components, mechanical and thermal overloaded: compressor and/or turbine blades, injectors, structural elements, etc.

The objective of the project is to adapt the additive manufacturing technology to the specific requirements of complex and overloaded components, which include at least one stage of processing by the additive technology for three industrial sectors: 1.The medical industry for easy construction of complex geometric structures, allowing the construction of porous structures suitable for osteointegration and of internal structures of shock support and absorption, with mechanical properties similar to those of the bone, which would not be possible by means of manufacturing technologies traditional; 2. The aerospace industry for manufacturing components with complex and highly demanded geometries, at high temperatures, corrosion and high centrifugal forces; 3. The automotive industry for building custom finished products for each individual car and spare parts. Also, there will be developed a methodology intending to optimize the design process of complex products for the automotive industry by using artificial intelligence and providing a model. The results of the project consist of experimental researches on the applicability and optimization of 3D printing technology by laser selective sintering/melting for manufacturing complex medical devices and overloaded components designed for operation at high temperatures and in corrosive environments for the aerospace industry and finished products customized for the automotive industry. Additionally, since the geometry of the parts requires great precision, the project also contains experimental manufacturing research on shape and size control. Another perspective covered by the project is optimizing the manufacturing process by taking into account the following main actions: weight reduction, material economy, cost efficiency and less time for the entire manufacturing process.

P1 – UTCN: TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF CLUJ - NAPOCA

P2 – COMOTI: NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH - DEVELOPMENT OF TOURBOT MOTORS

P3 – IMSAR: INSTITUTE OF SOLID MECHANICS

P4 – UPit: UNIVERSITY OF PITESTI

UEFISCDI - The Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation

E1/2018 Study of technological requirements for materials, design, processing and post-processing, specific for sintering / laser melting of complex and overloaded components for medical, aerospace and automotive applications.

Involve all partners in the consortium.

Expected results:

Significant improvement of the additive processing technologies that are available to the partners, by identifying the effects of the manufacturing process on the physical properties (surfaces, dimensions, structural inhomogeneity, microstructural voids, incomplete consolidation) and mechanical (tear resistance, elasticity, fatigue, wear) and by adequate relating the processing parameters to the destination requirements for the final products specific to the three areas: medical, aerospace and automotive.
Increase the scientific and technical competencies through the exchange of experience and research internships between specialists in the field of processed materials and biometrics, designing 3D digital models, preparing the manufacturing cycle (placement of landmarks in the building volume, adding the support to the motherboard, splitting into stacks, creating building trajectories) and the additive manufacturing of the test samples, as in representative samples of the specific components of the three domains.
Assessing the effects of post-processing steps on the properties of the materials that are used, specific to the three areas.
Diversification of research services provided by partners through training specialists in various additive processing technologies available in the country.

E2/2019 Developing 3D models of representative samples for the areas: medical, aerospace, automotive, optimizing process parameters for each machine-material combined, manufacturing by additive technologies and post-processing.

Involve all partners in the consortium.

Expected results:

Adapting the parameters of the additional manufacturing equipment to the requirements specific to the final components for the three areas: medical, aerospace and automotive.
The effect of changing the parameters of the additives processing equipment on the quality of the manufactured parts.
The optimal geometry of the laser trajectories.
Set of optimal parameters for each type of material available for additive processing.
Artificial neural network validated for the design of complex parts made by additive technologies.
Increase the capacity of participating institutions to develop the project by training new employees.

E3/2020 Evaluation of physico-chemical, mechanical, gas-dynamic and dimensional characteristics of complex and overloaded components and validation of manufacturing processes by additive technologies for the medical, aerospace and automotive sectors. Involve all partners in the consortium.

Expected results:

Experimental models specific to the three areas: medical, aerospace, automotive, manufactured by additive technologies with significantly improved processing parameters.
Physical-mechanical, gas-dynamic, geometric and dimensional features, important improvements to complex and over-produced components manufactured by additive technologies for the three areas: medical, aerospace and automotive.
Increasing the performance of the component design process for manufacturing through 3D additive technologies.
New technological solutions for post-processing and improvement of precision and surface quality of components manufactured by additive technologies.

E4/2020 Validation of manufacturing processes through additive technologies of complex and overloaded components in the medical, aerospace and automotive fields.

Expected results:

Validation of technological process of manufacturing of additives for the fields: medical, aerospace and auto.
Improved research services through the use of the research infrastructure available at the participating institutions and the formation of new design and manufacturing specialists through 3D technologies.
Increase the institutional capacity of the participating institutions in the project.

Total project budget: 4.605.000 lei, out of which:

INCDMTM: 1.391.750 lei
UTCN: 1.173.650 lei
COMOTI: 693.000 lei
IMSAR: 509.300 lei
UPIT: 837.800lei

SCIENTIFIC REPORTING E1

SCIENTIFIC REPORTING E2

SCIENTIFIC REPORTING E3

Partner meetings, conferences, seminars, etc.

DigiTech 29.06.2021 Workshop (Implementing Additive Technologies in Complex Component and in Overstrained Fabrication, 29.06.2021

The meeting agenda is available: here (Romanian version only).

Consortium Meeting, 4.03.2021

Detalils on the events can be found here (Romanian version only).

Consortium Meeting 15.07.2020

Meeting agenda (DIGITECH 2020)

ICOMECYME Conference, Workshop The impact of the implementation of 3d printing technology in the medical, aerospace and automotive fields (interactive workshop), 11.09.2020

Meeting agenda (ICOMECYME 2020)

INCDMTM Presentation ( Complex Project: Implementation of Additive Technologies in the Manufacture of Complex, Subjected to High Loading Conditions, Components)

UTCN Presentation (Medical applications of Additive Manufacturing)

IMSAR Presentation ( Influence of Heat Treatments on products obtained by the application of the SLS process made from biocompatible metal powder)

COMOTI Presentation ( The influence of 3d printing technology in aerospace domain applications )

UPIT Presentation (Research on the study of the dimensional precision of the parts obtained by AdditiveManufacturing)