Founded in 1994 MBN Nanomaterialia is a producer of nanostructured powder materials through a proprietary mechano-chemical synthesis process technology (Mechanomade®). With an installed industrial production capacity of more than 100 tons/range on 8 production plants, MBN is offering to the market innovative materials that are utilized in powder metallurgy, spraying, and laser deposition processes. The typical output of the process is constituted by agglomerated powders in the micron-size range (i.e. 5-100μm) constituted by aggregates of nanocrystals and nanoparticles (i.e. <100nm). The powder materials produced find application in several manufacturing chains as, conventional and fast sintering, AM laser sintering and, coating deposition. MBN main industrial products lines range from ferrous and nonferrous alloys for diamond grinding tools (construction and glass industry), ODS alloys for high temperature and oxidation resistance components (aerospace, energy), composites for braking pads (Automotive), Ti based alloys for VPS coating of the prosthesis (biomedical), high purity non-equilibrium and pseudo alloys for sputtering targets and thermal spraying powders for wear resistance coatings (green carbides for mechanical application). As far as it concerns powder used in thermal spraying and laser deposition, the engineering and development are totally accomplished in-house, without or partially resorting to powder end user’s facilities, thanks to the availability of a laser deposition MLD and spraying job-shop. MBN is an ISO 9001:2008 certified company that ensures the supply of high-quality grade raw materials for the industry. MBN is also a validated supplier of biomedical Titanium powder conforming to standard specification ASTM F1580-12. MBN is the Project Coordinator, leading WP1 and WP10 related to coordination management and ethics, respectively, as well as WP3, dedicated to the production of Al-MMC powders for casting and extrusion applications.
The ÖGI is a non-university, non-profit research organization aiming to increase the fundamental understanding of materials and processes related to castings. At the ÖGI extensive casting facilities are available on an industrial scale involving gravity, low pressure and high pressure die casting machines, and the required peripheral and downstream equipment. Its main research activity is on casting processes to obtain thin-wall castings for lightweight designs using as scientific tools integrated process control, simulation, and verification by computed tomography. The major research effort is on the characterization of materials related to their processing route. This involves a detailed study of obtained microstructures characterization of static and dynamic properties which are used in FEM to model properties of castings under different loading conditions. ÖGI is a leading European knowledge transfer center for SMEs working in the area of casting and foundry technology in particular for light metals. In the field of casting and foundry consultancy, the ÖGI offers its clients the following services: 1) Pilot-scale casting facilities, including sand casting, gravity die, low-pressure die, and high pressure die casting. 2) Simulation and modeling by measuring thermo-physical data and incorporating these into finite element simulation virtual process control can be achieved over the above casting processes. 3) Characterization. Within ISO 17025 accredited framework chemical, physical, mechanical, and microstructural properties of casting and other materials can be determined for customers. 4) Strategic support and counsel. Based on the pilot-scale casting internal and external know-how and the simulation results the ÖGI offers its clients consultancy services on how to obtain the crucial properties of casting by control of the foundry or subsequent processes. WP4 and WP5 are led by OGI related to the topology optimization and the casting methods.
Brunel University London is a university located in west London, UK. It was established in 1966 and has currently approximately 13000 students and 2,500 staff. Brunel has a strong history in engineering and in 2017 was ranked in the top 200 best universities in the world, in the field of engineering and technology. Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification and Technology, is a research center within the University that was founded in 2001. The Centre specializes in the solidification and casting of metals (especially light metals). The Centre is the home of the Constellium University Technology Centre and currently has almost 100 members of staff. Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification and Technology is recognized as a center of excellence, housing the EPSRC Centre – LiME, in liquid metal engineering. Recently more than £75M has been invested in an Advanced Metals Casting Centre and Advanced Metals Processing Centre and associated state-of-the-art equipment, creating a national scale-up facility to bridge the gap between fundamental, laboratory-scale research and full-scale industrial trials. Brunel University London (Brunel) has demonstrated its commitment to Solidification Research by injecting over £21M into BCAST in the past 20 years. Brunel also committed £6M in 2013 for a 1500m2 purpose-built laboratory for the new Advanced Metal Casting Centre providing a new building, additional state-of-the-art equipment such as High Pressure Die Caster, Low-Pressure Die Caster, and Extruder, and an additional £2M for supporting staff. The university has also committed another further £4.8M to support the EPSRC Manufacturing Hub grant with £2.4M of this earmarked for 20 Ph.D. studentships in the Doctoral Training Centre (CDT – LiME). Brunel is leading WP6 related to the extrusion production methods.
Constellium SE is a global leader of technologically advanced and responsibly fabricated aluminium solutions designed and produced to meet our customers’ and society’s need for lightweighting, efficiency and sustainability. The company offers aluminium rolled and extruded solutions, automotive structural components and recycling services, primarily serving the aerospace, automotive, and packaging sectors. Customers include Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Audi, BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and others. Constellium has been collaborating with Brunel University London since 2013, within the Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology. In 2016, the partnership between Constellium and Brunel was expanded with the opening of the Constellium University Technology Center, a dedicated center of excellence for the design, development, and prototyping of aluminium alloys, extrusions and automotive structural components such as Crash Management Systems, body structure components, and battery enclosures for electric vehicles. The research center has been credited for advancing technology in the field of advanced aluminium alloys. The University Technology Center is located on the campus of Brunel University London and its R&D activities enable transfer of laboratory technology to Constellium’s international operations network for mass production. With its new stronger extrusion alloy portfolio, Constellium designs, develops and delivers lightweight, high-strength aluminium automotive structures to help automakers improve fuel economy, increase range and reduce CO2 emissions to meet more stringent regulations. These new developments, based on 6000 series alloys, will help improve recyclability through their compatibility with presently used alloy grades. Constellium will be the leader of Task 6.1: Preparation of extrusion master batches in close collaboration with Brunel University London and MBN Nanomaterialia. Moreover, they are contributing to WP2, WP7, and WP8 related to the specification, design and topology optimization, properties characterization, as well as recyclability assessment.
ISQ is an independent, private, non-profit, technical, scientific, and industrial-oriented organization founded in 1965 with an international presence in 16 countries, covering 4 continents. ISQ is a leading European Technological Infrastructure of applied research, a strong and reliable long-life partner for industry contributing to its technological development. ISQ’s main activities include technical inspections, consultancy, testing, metrology, training and research and development in a wide range of technical areas such as materials, structural integrity, and risk assessment, sustainability, eco and energy efficiency, health and safety, quality assurance, production technologies, industrial automation, and robotics. ISQ provides support to different industrial sectors such as Process Industries, Energy (including renewables) and Oil &Gas, Aeronautical and Aerospace, Automotive, Construction, and infrastructures, among others. It is one of the largest Portuguese technological infrastructures. ISQ’s know-how is supported by 16 accredited laboratories (accordingly with EN ISO/IEC 17025) and by a large involvement in National, European, and International R&D projects, having participated in more than 400 R&D projects, in the last 30 years, in different funding programs (LIFE, LIFE+, RFCS, IEE, FP5, FP6, FP7, H2020), with a strong background of collaboration with a large number of Universities, Scientific Research Institutes, industrial companies, and other institutions worldwide. ISQ headquarters are at Porto Salvo, Oeiras, Portugal, with national delegations in Oporto, Castelo Branco, Loulé, and Sines. At the international level, ISQ is represented in: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, China, French Guiana, Mozambique, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Timor, and the USA. Under FLAMINGo, ISQ will lead Task 6.3 for the welding of components and Task 7.1 for the NDT characterization. They will also lead Task 8.4 related to safety and nano-safety issues.
Kampakas SA is a leading company in the production of wear-resistant alloys for use in the Mining, Cement, Power, and Defence Industry as well as in manufacturing customized metal articles. With exports to 24 countries. Kampakas SA is one of the key players in this market. By combining the long experience of the staff with the innovative technologies available in the company’s facilities, it produces high-quality products. With exports to 24 countries, Kampakas SA is one of the most competitive Large Casting Manufacturers in Europe. Advanced Simulation Techniques, State of the Art machinery, and long Experience guarantee the delivery of defect-free critical parts. Kampakas SA has experience in producing advanced hardware articles, Prototyping using cutting edge technologies, CAD-CAM software to minimize prototyping and tool making cycles as well as ensuring close dimensional consistency, Engineering Analysis, FEM analysis to study and optimize the casting configuration, ensuring the integrity of the parts and avoid time-consuming real production trials,. Kampakas SA follows Advanced Casting Process and uses top-quality raw materials, following strict observation and control of production variables. The company owns Advanced Heat Treatment facilities, Close tolerance machining, and CNC machining with sophisticated and rigid machines, while using special controllers to real-time monitor the heat treatment process, as well as Surface protection modification and Assembly. Task 2.4, related to the definition of specifications on recyclability and circularity will be led by Kampakas SA, as well as they will support Task 5.3 for the Low Pressure Die Casting and sand casting methods. Moreover, they will lead Task 8.3 on the recyclability assessment.
Alkè is a European manufacturer of professional zero-emission vehicles used for transportation, logistics, and other multifunctional or special operations. Based in the North of Italy, with 20 years of experience and thousands of vehicles on the market, Alkè is a key player at the international level in the E-mobility sector positioning its products on the high-end level in terms of quality and performance. Alkè’s vehicles are sold today in more than 40 countries worldwide covering all continents and can count among its customer’s best-in-class industry players, bigger institutions, and most prestigious locations. The development process for all Alkè vehicles is managed directly by the Italian corporate office inside its engineering department. Best Italian state-of-the-art innovations and most advanced development tools are adopted during the full designing process. Alkè has a long-term relationship with more than 200 suppliers, 90% based in the North of Italy where the most advanced Italian automotive industry is located. Such a scene can provide the best quality and fast and flexible support to any type of new product development. ALKE is the leader for WP2 and WP7, related to the design and topology optimization, as well as the validation and demonstration of components.
Axia Innovation offers services specialized in accompanying and supporting companies in all phases of business development and product commercialization. Located in Germany the company offers a comprehensive approach, responding to customer needs in the most effective way, from strategic thinking to project implementation. AXIA is built from the synergy between four main service lines: Project Management, Innovation Management, Knowledge Transfer, and Communication & Design. AXIA offers services and technology transfer targeting business development, coordination, and implementation. This is achieved by offering a full-service concept to develop projects and networks that build a sustainable European community. AXIA provides insightful, timely, and focused research on Engineering solutions and services. Liaising with stakeholders, companies, and public institutions in the implementation of technological innovations, AXIA is enabling them to strengthen their competitive position over the long-term. This is achieved in collaboration with well-established European Universities and Research Institutes as well as with a large network of industrial partners. In particular, AXIA offers to its client the following services in the field of marketing: Strategic Marketing Plan Creation, Messaging Matrixes, Brand Creation & Definition, Strategic Support, and Counsel. Moreover, AXIA has experience in planning and developing all the digital and social media (website, the media networks and videos) including printed project dissemination materials (brochures, flyers, posters, and roll-ups), as well as progressing, designing, and communications strategies bridging the gap between inventors and stakeholders. AXIA is the Leader of WP9 related to the Exploitation and Business Plans, as well as all the Dissemination and Communication activities of the project and they will work closely with the consortium.
European Welding Federation (EWF) is a European organisation established as an international non-profit association that acts as a representative of the manufacturing community in Europe, providing the exchange of scientific and technical information and contributing to the removal of technical barriers. EWF, was created in 1992 by all the welding institutes of the European Community with the aim of harmonization training and education in the field of welding technology. The EWF network is composed of 31 European + 16 Non-European members – the national Welding Institutes. Members of EWF, in each European and EFTA country, are organizations active in Training, RTD, and transfer of technology and cover a wide range of industrial sectors in its membership which includes automotive, aerospace, metalworking, naval, appliances, etc. EWF also manages a harmonized system for training, qualification, and certification of personnel, with more than 260.000 diplomas awarded and covering the different levels of qualification and different industrial requirements. Current EWF membership includes approximately 50,000 companies where around 75% are SMEs (approximately 37,500). Through its members, EWF aims to technical issues and needs, improving quality and stimulating competitiveness, disseminating the opportunities created by the results of RTD projects to potential users, and by training professionals in the use of the new technologies developed. EWF provides world-class, European focussed, value-added products, and support services to its members and their communities in the field of joining, welding, and related technologies on an international basis. EWF is also a member of EFFRA and one of the founding organizations of the Joining Sub-Platform to ManuFuture. EWF is also a liaison member to CEN and ISO with involvement in standardization activities at the European and International level. Task 9.5 and Task 9.6 related to the standardization and regulatory issues, as well as the training activities are led by EWF. Additionally, they will contribute to WP2 and WP8.
In 2004, a group of young professionals started a new initiative, Factor CO2. More than a decade later, we have consolidated as a global organization, focused on providing ideas and services against climate change, through a broad international network of offices and collaborators. Currently, we are part of the Factor group (www.wearefactor.com). Factor CO2 has provided support to numerous public institutions for the development of their environmental policies at a local, regional and national level. In this sense, some of their main clients are the European Commission, the World Bank Group, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, the Development Bank of Latin America, and several regional and local governments, of developed and developing countries, among others. Nowadays, Factor CO2 is a leading organization in climate change, with more than 1,400 projects developed in more than 40 countries. Factor CO2 has calculated more than 400 carbon footprints for organizations, events, products and services, for a wide variety of clients including governments, events, energy, industrial, food, services and transport, among others. In addition to that, we assist those entities in the development of GHG emission reduction strategies and compensation projects, at national and international level. As a complement of our expertise, we position in services related with auditing processes, capacity building and training on several international carbon footprint standards for certifying companies such as BSI and TÜV Rheinland. Factor CO2 is the leader of WP8 related to the circularity and environmental sustainability of the final products.
EXELISIS is a Greek-based company focusing on the development of marketing strategy, market studies, and analysis, development of marketing and dissemination material (printed material, websites, videos) as well as consultancy on business development and exploitation of results. EXELISIS consists of a mixture of business analysts, economists, and engineers with a business development background, with over 15 years of experience. Specifically, EXELISIS services include: Innovation and IPR Management, Business Management, Technology Transfer services, Marketing and Event as well as Engineering Studies. Our services target the fields of Business, Engineering, Energy, Waste and Recycling management, Sustainable agriculture and the Circular economy. EXELISIS expertise and activities are complementary to that of AXIA as a third party. In particular in providing holistic solutions for companies’ business development, business planning and marketing strategy. EXELISIS is contributing to WP9 in activities related to the exploitation and dissemination of the project, supporting AXIA Innovation.
Project Title: Fabrication of Lightweight Aluminum Metal matrix composites and validation In Green vehicles Topic: LC-GV-06-2020 Advanced light materials and their production processes for automotive applications.
This Project has received funding from the European Community’s H2020. Programme under the Grant Agreement No. 101007011. The material presented and views expressed here are the responsibility of the author(s) only. Funding Scheme: H2020-LC-GV-2020