Periodic Report Summary - ROTOFAST (Development of an efficient heating and cooling technology system for rotational moulding, which will dramatically reduce cycle time, product cost ...)
Project context and objectives:
The purpose of the Rotofast project can be divided into a number of technical objectives:
1. To develop an induction heating system to optimise heat generation and to enhance energy efficiency reducing 70 % of energy consumption per unit manufactured.
2. To develop a multilayered mould made up of thermal insulation material and magnet flux concentrator with overall density in order to get homogeneous heat at all points of the mould decreasing heat losses up to 80 % with respect to radiant heat ovens.
3. To find the ionic liquid coolant for internal cooling containing a special cation and counterion and able to produce a cooling curve 20 % shorter in time than present internal cooling without any losses.
4. To develop a rapid prototyping protocol (RPP) based on CAE software tools, able to simulate for a certain mould design, the electromagnetic fields in the system, induced heating, temperature distribution in the mould and heat exchange between the mould and the polymer.
5. To achieve total cycle time savings up to 50 % with respect to the average current rotational moulding processes, and heating/cooling cycle timings that make the process available for other raw materials (nylons, polypropylene and polycarbonate) as well as for multiple layers of different materials, namely ethylene-vinyl alcohol and foams.
Project results:
During the second year period, the ROTOFAST project has gone through technical as well as managerial and financial work. In this section we present a review of the current state of the project. The work done, the scientific approaches selected, as well as the difficulties encountered and deviations from original planning are described in the following sections with different level of detail for each work package.
From a technical point of view, we may state work is progressing according to planning. The exploitation and dissemination work package (WP6) is running according to expectations. The work package will remain open until the end of the project, but the deliverable D6.3 has been completed already and sent to the EC. Finally, WP7, focused on technical and consortium management, is also running according to planning and will remain open until the end of the project.
Potential impact:
The need that has motivated the project has different sources. Three separated issues converged in time and challenged a sector very much dominated by SMEs. Therefore this need has three clearly differentiated components:
- current sector threats,
- environmental component,
- economical component.
Current sector threats:
Different internal and external factors are currently threatening European SMEs in the rotomoulding industry:
- relatively small market,
- low productivity / low technological development,
- technological ceilings reached,
- long thermal cycle times,
- relatively high energy consumption,
- eastern competence (logistics versus personnel costs),
- fuel costs increasing (oil and gas),
- polymer costs increasing.
Environmental component:
ROTOFAST project is aiming to improve workers health and safety as well as environmental impact of rotomoulding industry by:
- using 20 % less raw material,
- 100 % coolant will be recovered,
- 0 % natural gas used in the process,
- 70 % more energy efficient process,
- safer process (no risk of fire or gas explosion).
Economical component:
The consortium foresees a positive economic impact on different sectors by using ROTOFAST technology:
- Supply chain: Newly developed heating / cooling systems will create an increased demand on induction heating systems industry and on ionic liquids manufacturing sector.
- Rotomoulding machine manufacturers: A completely new product will be developed during the project. Big potential demand for this product is foreseen (see description of work for exploitation plan details).
- End-users: More efficient and faster machines will be at plastic manufacturer's hands. Lower costs and higher margins are expected, and higher success in the competition with other plastic manufacturing techniques is also expected.
- Consumers: European consumers would profit from this project by being able to buy plastic manufactured parts at lower prices and with an enhanced degree of quality.
Project website: http://www.rotofast.eu
The purpose of the Rotofast project can be divided into a number of technical objectives:
1. To develop an induction heating system to optimise heat generation and to enhance energy efficiency reducing 70 % of energy consumption per unit manufactured.
2. To develop a multilayered mould made up of thermal insulation material and magnet flux concentrator with overall density in order to get homogeneous heat at all points of the mould decreasing heat losses up to 80 % with respect to radiant heat ovens.
3. To find the ionic liquid coolant for internal cooling containing a special cation and counterion and able to produce a cooling curve 20 % shorter in time than present internal cooling without any losses.
4. To develop a rapid prototyping protocol (RPP) based on CAE software tools, able to simulate for a certain mould design, the electromagnetic fields in the system, induced heating, temperature distribution in the mould and heat exchange between the mould and the polymer.
5. To achieve total cycle time savings up to 50 % with respect to the average current rotational moulding processes, and heating/cooling cycle timings that make the process available for other raw materials (nylons, polypropylene and polycarbonate) as well as for multiple layers of different materials, namely ethylene-vinyl alcohol and foams.
Project results:
During the second year period, the ROTOFAST project has gone through technical as well as managerial and financial work. In this section we present a review of the current state of the project. The work done, the scientific approaches selected, as well as the difficulties encountered and deviations from original planning are described in the following sections with different level of detail for each work package.
From a technical point of view, we may state work is progressing according to planning. The exploitation and dissemination work package (WP6) is running according to expectations. The work package will remain open until the end of the project, but the deliverable D6.3 has been completed already and sent to the EC. Finally, WP7, focused on technical and consortium management, is also running according to planning and will remain open until the end of the project.
Potential impact:
The need that has motivated the project has different sources. Three separated issues converged in time and challenged a sector very much dominated by SMEs. Therefore this need has three clearly differentiated components:
- current sector threats,
- environmental component,
- economical component.
Current sector threats:
Different internal and external factors are currently threatening European SMEs in the rotomoulding industry:
- relatively small market,
- low productivity / low technological development,
- technological ceilings reached,
- long thermal cycle times,
- relatively high energy consumption,
- eastern competence (logistics versus personnel costs),
- fuel costs increasing (oil and gas),
- polymer costs increasing.
Environmental component:
ROTOFAST project is aiming to improve workers health and safety as well as environmental impact of rotomoulding industry by:
- using 20 % less raw material,
- 100 % coolant will be recovered,
- 0 % natural gas used in the process,
- 70 % more energy efficient process,
- safer process (no risk of fire or gas explosion).
Economical component:
The consortium foresees a positive economic impact on different sectors by using ROTOFAST technology:
- Supply chain: Newly developed heating / cooling systems will create an increased demand on induction heating systems industry and on ionic liquids manufacturing sector.
- Rotomoulding machine manufacturers: A completely new product will be developed during the project. Big potential demand for this product is foreseen (see description of work for exploitation plan details).
- End-users: More efficient and faster machines will be at plastic manufacturer's hands. Lower costs and higher margins are expected, and higher success in the competition with other plastic manufacturing techniques is also expected.
- Consumers: European consumers would profit from this project by being able to buy plastic manufactured parts at lower prices and with an enhanced degree of quality.
Project website: http://www.rotofast.eu