Objective
Injection moulding is a large portion of the EU thermoplastics processing industry. In 2008, its value was €55 bn, but fell to €43 bn in 2009. The industry continues to contract, struggling against low cost economies. While energy cost savings are welcome, cycle time dominates cost so reducing it is key & will increase productivity. Cycle time is dominated by cooling time, which depends on many factors including melt temp. Polymers are often heated well above the ideal melt temp. to aid injection by lowering viscosity. Similarly, very high injection speeds/pressures are used. But we show later that these methods have drawbacks. Our idea is to apply ultrasonic energy into the molten polymer just before it enters the cavity. This can achieve as much as 60% reduction in melt viscosity, enabling a significant reduction in melt temp. while still being able to fill the mould. Lower embodied heat reduces heating/cooling time & energy.
Key benefits are that melt temps. can be maintained and the lower viscosity used to enable easier filling of existing parts with lower internal stresses; melt temp. can be reduced significantly, reducing thermal degradation, energy consumption & cooling time. Or melt temp is maintained and much longer flow paths or thinner wall sections can be filled, offering a step change in design for thinner parts with even shorter cooling time. The ultimate goal of the Phase 2 project is to achieve market readiness of the ‘Ultramelt’ process, with follow-on Phase 3 achieving commercialisation in the EU marketplace. This technology could enable EU moulders & extruders to increase productivity by 50%, increasing competitiveness, enabling them to regain market share and capitalise on new business opportunities.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- social sciences economics and business economics production economics productivity
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.2.1.2. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Nanotechnologies
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.2.3.1. - Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-SMEInst-2014-2015
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
NG32 3LT WELBY GRANTHAM
United Kingdom
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.