Project description
A novel powder enhances additive manufacturing of moulds
Many parts are made from metal moulds into which liquid material is poured and then solidified into the desired shape. The metal moulds are often made by removing material from a solid stock, resulting in more than 90 % scrap. Additive manufacturing has significant advantages. Selective laser melting forms a product by selectively melting successive layers of powder with a laser beam. Reducing the excessive cost of the powders and the long production times will enhance uptake. The EU-funded POWDER project is addressing these limitations with an atomised metal powder combined with optimisation of the laser system. The combination will slash the time and costs of mould building while enhancing performance and re-usability.
Objective
Conventional material removal machining in mould making is wasteful of material. Moulds machined from solid stock cut away >90% of the original material, thus >€1.1B is wasted annually in Europe. Selective Laser Melting (SLM), has been demonstrated to be more effective in injection mould making. However, SLM still represents <1% of all products in Europe because of limitations to its application. Chief is the high cost of the metal powder and the time of realisation of the parts. Powder costs €135/Kg with a single mould requiring >250 kg. The powder, once used, can only be re-used 5 times, thus >50% is thrown away. In a case study, 30Kg of powder was added to an SLM machine and the following results were obtained: -1.6 Kg used for the part - 1.4 Kg complete waste – powder sucked by filters - 27 Kg powder removed – 90% of the initial amount With the current powder, a single part may take >24 hours to complete, increasing the total cost of ownership of the moulds. Another concern is the inefficiencies in the laser systems of the current 3D printing machines. POWDER seeks to revolutionise 3D printing through development & certification of an atomised metal powder. We will use advanced Materials Science and specialised binding materials that will speed binding, reducing development time. To improve the wear resistance of the moulds, we will use a specialised ceramic coating with high hardness and low friction characteristics. To optimise the laser system, we will lower the cross-section parameters of the gain fibre by using a high saturation glass matrix. POWDER eliminates all barriers shielding clients from enjoying the benefits of SLM and provides the following benefits: » Reduce mould building time by >400% » Reduce moulding cycle time by 55% » Reduce TCO of the moulds by 30% » Enhanced re-usability factor >50% POWDER will play a vital role in RB’s growth, generating a cumulative turnover of €16.8M by 2025.
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.
- engineering and technology materials engineering coating and films
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering manufacturing engineering additive manufacturing
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics
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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.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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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-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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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.
41037 MIRANDOLA
Italy
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.