During the first three years of the ERFTM project, main efforts were done first on the conception and realization of innovative equipment able to manufacture the two new TWT components. It was a collaborative work between public and private partners, based on process tests and exchange of complementary expertise to regularly improve the equipment to achieve an adapted and efficient equipment able to produce the two new components. At this stage (March 2020), several parts were manufactured and characterized to determine if the quality of components complied with TWT requirements. When it was not the case, further hardware and process works were performed by the relevant partners to improve the quality of the helix ribbon and the helix support rod. Moreover, a focus on the control of the components manufactured was performed and advanced controlling methods were set-up. In parallel, the qualification of machined components started by the end-users (TWT manufacturers). Due to the complex development, the extension of nine additional months allowed to finalizing the qualification of the new manufactured components and qualification plan of space and Terrestrial TWT, defined at the beginning of the project were followed.
In parallel to the technical work, two preliminary quantitative commercial evaluation studies of ERFTM technical results were presented at the end of the project and particularly described the first exploitable results carried out by the partners. These reports introduced the main potential markets of the results and products obtained by each partner after the complex and complementary manufacturing processes. They also defined the tendency of TWT in Space and terrestrial market but also in other sectors.
In conclusion, the perspective of growth is also for the ERFTM partners, they have reached a high technicality of their respective expertise and are ready to start the first steps of commercialization in agreement of the strategy to develop the core components.
