EU funded ALAMO project spells high noon for steel tools in plastics processing
Using a funding instrument specifically designed to provide small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with access to innovative research, the Commission has launched a project that aims to improve the longevity of aluminium tooling in the plastic processing industry. Under the CRAFT (cooperative research) scheme, SMEs from different countries with a common R&D (research and development) needs are able to assign part of their project activities to larger research organisations. In the case of the ALAMO project, SMEs from the thermoplastic moulding sector in the UK, Spain, France, Germany and Ireland hope that similar efforts will lead to the development of anodised aluminium moulding tools for use in their industry. With 700,000 euro of EU support in a total budget of 1.4 million euro, the consortium will apply innovative anodising surface treatments to create anodic surfaces with exceptional hardness and thermal emissivity (the ability to emit heat by radiation). Using such techniques, the ALAMO project aims to produce anodised aluminium tools with superior properties to current aluminium and steel tools, thereby displacing them as the dominant tool materials. As well as their hardness and improved thermal properties, anodised aluminium tools could lead to reduced cycle times, increased product integrity and a significant reduction in energy consumption. Project coordinator Dr Gary Williams of lead partner Rapra Technology says: 'Aluminium tooling shows significant advantages such as low density and high thermal conductivity, but there are also significant disadvantages such as wear resistance, harness and scratch resistance. This technology will help to overcome some of these limitations allowing greater aluminium tool usage that will be of tremendous benefit to industry.'
Countries
Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, United Kingdom