Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CLASCO (Climate Neutral and Digitalized Laser Based Surface Functionalization of Parts with Complex Geometry)
Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-06-30
In the coming years, the European industry must assume the challenge of adopting clean and climate-neutral industrial value chains, producing sustainable products. Adopting digital systems will radically change the industry with products and services through innovative production processes. In particular, fully digitalised laser-based additive manufacturing methods are very versatile and thus can be implemented in different industries. Furthermore, energy saves against conventional manufacturing and material waste but also by design optimization can be achieved. However, these parts also required of additional surface treatments, which are nowadays energy and material-consuming, increasing costs and harming the environment. In addition, new concepts for increasing the added value of AM parts must be developed, for instance, by producing advanced surface functionalities in critical applications. The main objective of the CLASCO project is to develop a universal and digitalised laser-based post-process route for creating functionalised AM parts with complex shapes. While the complex parts will be produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion, Laser polishing and laser surface micro-structuring using Direct Laser Interference Patterning will be combined in a unique manufacturing system. This route will substitute several resource-consuming processes, reducing the environment's negative impact. The implementation will allow substituting standard environmental non-friendly methods and even obtaining a better performance. In addition, different in-line monitoring methods, specifically plasma sensors and infrared cameras will be implemented. In this way, a virtual representation of the process for each part will be possible (digital twin), creating an entirely digitised product. The project's impacts will be analysed to optimise the sustainability of processes and products across the entire life cycle. The project brings together 13 partners from 6 countries, including Spain, France, the UK, Austria, Ireland, and Germany, to combine 3 laser technologies to create advanced parts. CLASCO has six main objectives, including the development of optimized designs, laser-based treatments for advanced surface functionalization, in-line monitoring processes, data acquisition and control feedback loops using machine learning and AI, product demonstrators with high-performance requirements, and validation of resource and energy savings.
The main objectives of the project include:
Objective 1: Development of optimised designs based on additive manufacturing.
Objective 2: Development and implementation of laser-based treatments for advanced surface functionalisation.
Objective 3: Development of in-line monitoring processes.
Objective 4: Development of effective and efficient data acquisition and control feedback loop driven by novel machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Objective 5: Processing of product demonstrators with high-performance requirements.
Objective 6: Validation of lower consumption of resources, energy, and gender dimensions.
The main objectives of the project include:
Objective 1: Development of optimised designs based on additive manufacturing.
Objective 2: Development and implementation of laser-based treatments for advanced surface functionalisation.
Objective 3: Development of in-line monitoring processes.
Objective 4: Development of effective and efficient data acquisition and control feedback loop driven by novel machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Objective 5: Processing of product demonstrators with high-performance requirements.
Objective 6: Validation of lower consumption of resources, energy, and gender dimensions.
In the first 18 months of the project, different tasks have been performed, including the preparation of relevant documents for the realization of the project, the CLASCO project handbook, as well as several developments regarding the project objectives. For instance, the design and manufacturing plan for test samples have been developed, including the processing routes for the selected alloys as well as mechanical test, that permit to obtain first experimental results on the target materials for CLASCO. The same was realized regarding the structural and surface requirements of the demonstrators. Furthermore, all coupons have been already fabricated by AM.
Laser polishing has been used to treat both Ti and Al-alloys. In both cases, the surface roughness could be significantly reduced. In case of Al (Scalmalloy) some porosity was detected, probably due to the presens of alloying elements with low atomic number that are easily evaporated. In case of the surface functionalization treatment, the target materials have been processed using ns and ps pulses. The first configuration of the DLIP optics was completed and evaluated for processing 3D materials with very promising results due to the huge process window that will facilitate their treatment.
Regarding monitoring, the definition and architecture of monitor and control systems have been defined, including the sensors’ architecture. These sensors have been already implemented to process 2D parts determining the possibility to control in real time the proposed laser-based technologies for polishing and functionalization. Furthermore, the IR-camera has been already integrated into the CLASCO machine. The plasma sensor showed promising results for determining indirectly the quality of the produced surface textures.
Also, an intensive analysis related to the sustainability assessment and materials safety was performed for each use case, including the overall functionality of the product, life cycle map and hotspot analysis.
Finally, the initial communication kit was developed as well as the visual identity. The social profiles have been very active and the project partners have been communicating and dissemination the first project results. Also the CLASCO video was successfully done.
Laser polishing has been used to treat both Ti and Al-alloys. In both cases, the surface roughness could be significantly reduced. In case of Al (Scalmalloy) some porosity was detected, probably due to the presens of alloying elements with low atomic number that are easily evaporated. In case of the surface functionalization treatment, the target materials have been processed using ns and ps pulses. The first configuration of the DLIP optics was completed and evaluated for processing 3D materials with very promising results due to the huge process window that will facilitate their treatment.
Regarding monitoring, the definition and architecture of monitor and control systems have been defined, including the sensors’ architecture. These sensors have been already implemented to process 2D parts determining the possibility to control in real time the proposed laser-based technologies for polishing and functionalization. Furthermore, the IR-camera has been already integrated into the CLASCO machine. The plasma sensor showed promising results for determining indirectly the quality of the produced surface textures.
Also, an intensive analysis related to the sustainability assessment and materials safety was performed for each use case, including the overall functionality of the product, life cycle map and hotspot analysis.
Finally, the initial communication kit was developed as well as the visual identity. The social profiles have been very active and the project partners have been communicating and dissemination the first project results. Also the CLASCO video was successfully done.
In the first period of the project, significant achievements were reached that go beyond the state of the art. For instance, in metallic coupons treated by laser polishing, it was possible to determine combination of parameters that permitted to reduce surface roughness by ~ 90 %. Here, some findings are related to the used manufacturing strategy in the additive process. Regarding surface structuring and functionalization, the target materials could be successfully structured using both ps and ns pulses. The initial structuring test on the polished samples are also very promising. Also, the first design of the structuring optics was completed and the optical head was used to treat first 3D parts, showing a very large process window which will facilitate its integration into the CLASO machine. An important part of the work was also dedicated to the evaluation of the sensors systems (thermal cameras and plasma sensors). Both have been tested using different laser sources and monitoring strategies have been developed. Furthermore, the IR camera was already integrated into the CLASCO machine. The captured signals from the sensors have been already implemented in AI models, and promising results have been obtained. Sustainability analysis of conventional as well as the new process routes are also showing a significant reduction of material waste, and material end energy consumption.