Development of a new gearbox without lubricants for low OM costs, higher efficiency, and oiless applications

Project Information

SMARTGEARBOX

Grant agreement ID: 697098

DOI 10.3030/697098

Project closed

EC signature date 9 December 2015

Start date 1 January 2016

End date 31 December 2017

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Nanotechnologies

Total cost € 1 530 418,75

EU contribution € 1 071 293,13

Coordinated by

VARVEL SPA
Italy

Objective

Located in the Bologna region in Italy, our company, VARVEL, is specialized in manufacturing of speed reducers and variators for light industry applications, such as machinery, conveyors, feeding systems, photovoltaic devices or sliding doors and so on (metalworking, chemical, textile, farming, construction industries).
From its establishment in 1955, innovation has been guiding our company in every decision and business strategy, making us a strong and reliable partner in power transmission equipment on the international scene (Production: 300,000 units/Turnover: €31 million [2013]): from product research to increasing use of automation and robotics in manufacturing, from company management by formalized processes to logistics flow computerization. All our efforts focusing on the customers’ needs and satisfaction, in terms of product uses, costs and performance.
Listening to our customers’ feedback and concern on oil maintenance and leaking risks, we have been working on new “oiless gearbox”: by eliminating oil lubricants, we can decrease the operation and maintenance costs of our products by 50% and increase their efficiency by 10-15% while making them more environmental friendly. Besides, this new product will allow us to penetrate new markets such as food processing and medical, where the use of lubricants is prohibited. This project, called Smart GearBox, aims at integrating our developments on our worm-wheel gearboxes for commercialization, achieving a long-term profitability for both our customers and our company: increase of sales margin by 11% and sales by 42%, leading to an additional 6.3 million of turnover by 2020

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › other engineering and technologies › food technology
• engineering and technology › mechanical engineering › tribology › lubrication
• engineering and technology › mechanical engineering › thermodynamic engineering
• engineering and technology › materials engineering › textiles
• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › electronic engineering › robotics

Programme(s)

• H2020-EU.2.1.2. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Nanotechnologies Main Programme
• H2020-EU.2.3.1. - Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument

Topic(s)

• NMP-25-2015 - Accelerating the uptake of nanotechnologies, advanced materials or advanced manufacturing and processing technologies by SMEs

Call for proposal

H2020-SMEInst-2014-2015

See other projects for this call

Sub call

H2020-SMEINST-2-2015

Funding Scheme

SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2

Coordinator

VARVEL SPA

• Net EU contribution: € 1 071 293,13
• Address: 2 AGOSTO 1980 9 ; 40053 CRESPELLANO ; Italy
• SME The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed. Yes:
  Region
  Nord-Est › Emilia-Romagna › Bologna
• Region: Nord-Est › Emilia-Romagna › Bologna
• Activity type: Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
• Total cost: € 1 530 418,75