Objective The ECOFIT proposal addresses as general objective a drastic reduction of the mass of machine tools for production systems (around 70% for structural components and motion units) and, consequently, a reduction of the energy consumption (around 30% less) fo r the use of these new type of machines. ECOFIT represents a radically new approach to industrial machinery conception, aiming at the development of a radically new technology for cleaner and more efficient production, by means of a paradigm shift: changin g from current stiff and massive machinery, with high energy consumption, to lightweight elastic machines with controlled flexibility and thus much lower enrgy needs. This new approach of "lightweight elastic machines with controlled flexibility" represent s an important novelty regarding the way production systems are conceived. It is estimated that currently, approximately an 80% of the total mass of a machine tool is used to stiffen the machine for accuracy purposes, whereas only the remaining 20% is used to fulfil the kinematic requirements of the machine. With the aim of approaching this separation between mechanical stiffness and accuracy in machine tools, this project will combine mass reduction strategies in combination with new control strategies ba sed on damping considerations and new optical servoing solutions. The cornerstone of this new machine conception philosophy is that accuracy will be achieved by mechatronic stiffness against disturbances and external perturbations instead of using mechanic al stiffness to achieve that robustness. This project will reach the frontiers of current knowledge by the synergetic combination of new eco-design methodologies, innovative robust controllers for the flexible mechanism systems, optical servoing and smart materials featuring distributed actuators and sensors to the flexible components. This new approach will be exploited by the proposing industrial companies, builders of machine-tools, of piezo-actuators, Fields of science engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpiezoelectrics Programme(s) FP6-NMP - Nanotechnologies and nanosciences, knowledge-based multifunctional materials and new production processes and devices: thematic priority 3 under the 'Focusing and integrating community research' of the 'Integrating and strengthening the European Research Area' specific programme 2002-2006. Topic(s) NMP-3.3 - Optimising the life-cycle of industrial systems, products and services NMP-2003-3.4.3.3-2 - New life-cycle optimised, safety and environmental technologies for industrial production Call for proposal FP6-2003-NMP-TI-3-MAIN See other projects for this call Funding Scheme STREP - Specific Targeted Research Project Coordinator FUNDACION FATRONIK Address Paseo mikeletegi 7 - parque tecnologico 7 Donostia - san sebastian Spain See on map Links Website Opens in new window EU contribution € 0,00 Participants (9) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all INDUSTRIELLE STEUERUNGSTECHNIK GMBH Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address Rosenbergstrasse 28 Stuttgart See on map Links Website Opens in new window NICOLAS CORREA, S.A. Spain EU contribution € 0,00 Address Alcade martin cobos, s/n Burgos See on map Links Website Opens in new window D.ELECTRON Italy EU contribution € 0,00 Address Via reginaldo giuliani 140 Firenze See on map Links Website Opens in new window SEQUOIA AUTOMATION SRL Italy EU contribution € 0,00 Address Via xxv aprile, 8 Chieri See on map Links Website Opens in new window CESKE VYSOKE UCENI TECHNICKE V PRAZE. Czechia EU contribution € 0,00 Address Zikova 4 Praha 6 See on map Links Website Opens in new window ASOCIACION INDUSTRIAL DE OPTICA, COLOR E IMAGEN Spain EU contribution € 0,00 Address Nicolas copernico, 7-13 parque tecnologico 139 Paterna (valencia) See on map Links Website Opens in new window MIROW SYSTEMTECHNIK GMBH Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address Kaiserin- augusta- allee 10 Berlin See on map Links Website Opens in new window KOVOSVIT MAS, A.S. Czechia EU contribution € 0,00 Address Namesti tomase bati 419 Sezimovo usti See on map Links Website Opens in new window UNIVERSITÄT STUTTGART Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address Keplerstrasse 7 Stuttgart See on map Links Website Opens in new window