Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - IZADI-NANO2INDUSTRY (Injection moulding, casting and coating PILOTS for the production of improved components with nano materials for automotive, construction and agricultural machinery.)

Teaser

IZADI-NANO2INDUSTRY proposing different solutions based on KETs such as nanotechnology, advanced materials and manufacturing, contributes to overcome the barriers that nano-materials are facing to get introduced in the market.The project has progressed in line with the initial...

Summary

IZADI-NANO2INDUSTRY proposing different solutions based on KETs such as nanotechnology, advanced materials and manufacturing, contributes to overcome the barriers that nano-materials are facing to get introduced in the market.
The project has progressed in line with the initial established planning. The list of initial objectives for the project is shown below:

• Environmentally health and safety Pilots:
o To develop PILOTS for the production of nano-material enabled improved performance products in industrial environment.
o Define, design and develop safe by design processes for, most efficient and environmentally friendliest nano-enabled products.
o To improve existing manufacturing processes and equipment for the control and monitoring the use of nano-enabled products.
• Nano-reinforced thermoplastics:
o To obtain B-pillars that fulfil OEM requirements and combine new asthetics with anti-scratch properties.
o To reduce the number of painted parts in automotive parts.
o Nano-textured surfaces:
o Injection moulding insert to produce structures for new aesthetics
• Nano-reinforced castings:
o To decrease the loss of power due to the friction between rotating and fixed motor parts.
o To simplify the machining process by reducing the need of lapping.
• Nanostructured coatings:
o To increase the wear resistance of metallic components.
o To increase the efficiencies of the hydraulic motor.

Figure 1: IZADI-NANO2INDUSTRY Pilots
IZADI-NANO2INDUSTRY is also supported by the governments of the regions where the PILOTS will be installed as it addresses an innovation action in line with their RIS-3 Smart Specialization Strategy.

Work performed

The activity carried out by the consortium in the full project period encompassing months 1-36, i.e. November 2015-October 2018, has fully complied with the proposed tasks described in the Document of the Action. There has not been any real deviation with regards to the foreseen planned activities. The Project Coordinator Team would like to highlight the good collaboration that the partners showed during all the project.
Within WP2, three pilot products have been analyzed in their functional system using all the information available.Current process of producing B-Pillar, Valve and Swash Plates have been defined by the end users; MAIER, BRI and FMG respectively, and a deep analysis has been performed with aim to check if the new processes chosen will have a negative impact in product functions or customer requirements.
In WP3 how to integrate nanomaterials in production in a safe way has been the main goal. High resistance castings from masterpellets has been tested and validated in the foundry environment (HardCast). Development and validation of nano-structured coatings trough cold sprayed micro-powders have been studied to improve the wear resistance (TRIBOnano). Development of highly content nanofiller polymeric masterbatches with enhanced anti-scratch performance and nanotextured inserts for new aesthetics have been validated (ESTCRACHT).
Within WP4, in order to assure the reliability of the results from a laboratory environment to an industrial one, it has been planned the “ad‐hoc” design for several production media if the conventional ones were not suitable for the purpose of the new nano based developed materials. Not special media has been required for HardCAST and ESTCRACHT pilots. TRIBOnano, instead, has been created from nothing.
WP5 has been devoted with the production of three selected prototypes. The HardCAST (Valve plate) pilot plant has been implemented in Fonderia Mora Gavardo´s (FMG) facilities. TRIBOnano (Swash plate) pilot has been mounted and calibrated to a fully operational system in TECNALIA facilities. At the ESTCRACHT Pilot, B-Pillar parts have been produced at MAIER. The validation of the whole process, focusing on the up‐scale and capacity of the technology and a cost analysis, has been accomplished.
In WP6 a deep work has been performed to ensure safe design of nano products, safe design and operation facilities and safety and health at work and safe production and products.
In WP7, an exploitation strategy has been outlined producing a realistic framework for each defined key exploitable result (KERs) by partner. A pre-exploitation plan has been defined at M12 and checked and implemented at M24 and M36. Finally, a catalogue of innovation risks has been defined to detect potential threats that may impair or delay the innovation development or prejudice the subsequent exploitation phase.
In WP8, a Dissemination Plan has been agreed by the partners to make the project known all over the European states. Partners contributed to that effort and strived to maximize use of all existing dissemination channels, such as high-quality papers containing the best scientific achievements and oral and poster contributions to topical international and European conferences. Industrial partners participated in workshops, fairs and showcases to show technical achievements and prototypes to stakeholders.

Final results

Conventional materials and injection moulding, casting and coating manufacturing processes have been in fact improved by nanotechnology and combined in three innovative PILOTS at different existing production plants:
• HardCAST Pilot (FMG/Italy): nano-reinforcements added and dispersed via master-pellets in a new, low cost and safe gravity casting process.
• TRIBOnano Pilot (Tecnalia/Spain): nanostructured powders for metallic cermet coatings and thermal spray technology for solid state deposition.
• ESTCRATCH Pilot (MAIER/Spain): nanoreinforced thermoplastic based on masterbatches and inserts with nanotextured surfaces for injection moulds.

Moving from TRL5 to TRL7, new performance-enhanced components for the construction and agricultural machinery sector and the automotive one have been produced at industrial scale, reaching:
• HardCAST Pilot: nano-added material with 30% increased tensile properties maintaining ductility in comparison with standard ductile cast iron one; possibility for lightweight concepts and subsequent consumption/emission reduction; reduction of the component (swash plate of hydraulic motor) production phases and of the related costs.
• TRIBOnano Pilot: nanostructured coatings with improved ductility, toughness and sinterability, increased strength and resistance; metallic parts (valve plate of hydraulic motor) with increased mechanical efficiency; subsequent reduction of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
• ESTCRATCH Pilot: PMMA with improved scratch resistance more than 140% compared to standard one, low colour variation of the material; reduction of parts\' (B-pillar) production phases and costs, greener manufacturing process, improved recyclability of the parts.

The main achieved goal consisted on to bring these prototypes through to full production by securing the reproducibility and safety aspects of their application.
A list of Key Exploitable Results from IZADI project has been defined stablishing different routes for exploitation, offering therefore new added-value products to OEMs and propose solutions able to generate new market opportunities for European Automotive, Construction and Agricultural Machinery sectors and others apart from the project involved ones.

Attached, Figures 2, 3 and 4: HardCAST, TRIBOnano and ESTCRACHT Pilots Sales Brochures respectively.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.izadinano2industry.eu.