Objective Lay flat rubber fire hoses are a specialized product based on technology knowledge. They differentiate from lower cost alternatives in their durability, performance and their maintenance-free lifetime. Competition from low labor cost countries, presently based on lower cost alternatives, has already covered most of the building fire-fighting equipment market. European manufacturers’ technology allow them manufacture higher quality hoses so far, and this gives them the world leadership in production and exports. However, there is an important manufacturing weakness that endangers this leadership. The project will try to overcome the problems on the manufacturing of lay flat fire/industrial rubber hoses. In the manufacturing process, a NBR/PVC rubber compound is extruded through a textile jacket, and the covered (in and out) hose is vulcanized in a discontinuous process with water steam injected into the rubber hose. In the vulcanization step, blisters frequently appear on the surface of the rubber hose, leading to a very important rate of rejection. Impurities on the rubber compound, due to insufficient dispersion of the components or coming with the raw materials, could introduce surface defects on the rubber inner cover leading to the defects on the outer surface. The project will try to study, by using Case Based Reasoning (CBR), the effect of the raw materials and mixing parameters on the rejection rate to identify the cause of the problem, and new formulations will be designed. Some changes on the current discontinuous manufacturing process will also be implemented to lower the rejection rate. Current discontinuous process limits the maximum length of the hoses, and continuous vulcanization systems for this product will be designed and tested. Fields of science engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringengineering and technologymaterials engineeringtextiles Programme(s) FP7-SME - Specific Programme "Capacities": Research for the benefit of SMEs Topic(s) SME-1 - Research for SMEs Call for proposal FP7-SME-2007-1 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme BSG-SME - Research for SMEs Coordinator EUROPEAN RUBBER COMPOUNDS SA EU contribution € 288 313,00 Address PG INDUSTRIAL S LAZARO A 10 25250 SANTO DOMINGO DE LA CALZADA Spain See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Juan Diego Saenz Tejada (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (9) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all SAPIN SOCIETA APPLICAZIONI INDUSTRIALI S.R.L. Italy EU contribution € 192 490,00 Address Via Carducci 32 20123 Milano See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Andrea Chevallard (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data ELASTOMEROS RIOJANOS, S.A Spain EU contribution € 82 783,00 Address AVENIDA DE QUEL 35 ARNEDO See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Ana Vivaracho (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data LESCUYER ET VILLENEUVE France EU contribution € 48 252,00 Address LES HAUTES BRUYERES 37150 EPEIGNE LES BOIS See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Marie-Anne Labalme (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Total cost No data AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS Spain EU contribution No data Address CALLE SERRANO 117 28006 Madrid See on map Region Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Maria Del Mar Garcia (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV Germany EU contribution No data Address HANSASTRASSE 27C 80686 Munchen See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Walter Krause (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data INSPIRALIA SOCIEDAD LIMITADA Spain EU contribution € 7 965,00 Address CALLE MANUEL TOVAR 49 28034 Madrid See on map Region Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Alfredo Sanchez (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data ASSOCIACAO NACIONAL DE BOMBEIROS PROFISSIONAIS Portugal EU contribution € 9 600,00 Address AV D CARLOS I 89 R C DTO 1200 647 LISBOA See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Domingos Manuel Dias Morais (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data THE UK INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS RESEARCH INSTITUTE LIMITED Participation ended United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address PERA BUSINESS PARK NOTTINGHAM ROAD LE13 0PB MELTON MOWBRAY See on map Region East Midlands (England) Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire Leicestershire CC and Rutland Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Andrew Dean (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data MANDALS AS Participation ended Norway EU contribution No data Address NORDRE BANEGATE 26 4515 Mandal See on map Region Norge Agder og Sør-Østlandet Agder Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Oyvind Bernsten (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data