Novel ALL-IN-ONE machines, robots and systems for affordable, worldwide and lifetime Distributed 3D hybrid manufacturing and repair operations

Project Information

4D hybrid

Grant agreement ID: 723795

DOI

10.3030/723795

Project closed

EC signature date 15 December 2016

Start date 1 January 2017

End date 31 December 2019

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Advanced manufacturing and processing

Total cost

€ 9 429 875,00

EU contribution

€ 4 990 000,00

Coordinated by

PRIMA ELECTRO SPA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - 4D hybrid (Novel ALL-IN-ONE machines, robots and systems for affordable, worldwide and lifetime Distributed 3D hybrid manufacturing and repair operations)

Reporting period: 2018-07-01 to 2019-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

From aeronautics to oil & gas, complex metal parts embrace major challenges across their lifecycles from the green field intensive manufacturing to the numerous maintenance and repairing operations worldwide distributed. The synergic combination of additive and subtractive processes could overcome individual shortcomings, going beyond the simple succession of steps. 'Plug and produce' modular approach is a key factor to success for such hybridization. In this scenario, 4D delivered 4 disruptive breakthroughs:
•A set of four elementary modules specifically designed for AM that embed the control and monitoring systems which can be integrated on new or existing concepts of machines
•A new concept of CNC, constituting a high level sw layer which can be integrated on the top of commercial CNCs
•A validated process model to fully exploit the synergistic interactions among elementary processes
•A dedicated 4D Engineering CAD/CAE/CAM Platform, which covers the lifecycle of the reference product family where multiple processes and hybrid resources are integrated for the (re)manufacturing stage.
Innovation was be physically demonstrated at three possible levels of hybridization:
•Modules - Small hybrid modules, integrated on new special machines, focusing on portable units for certified in-situ repair operations
•Hybrid Machines – Hybridization on existing robots and machines
•Production lines - Hybridization of a flexible production line focusing on new concepts for AM mass production

4DHybrid’s ground-breaking target is to reduce by 30% the lifecycle cost of finished components manufactured by 4DHybrid modules, compared to current market prices of AM components.

4DHybrid want to improve the European leadership in AM technologies by exploiting results from past and on-going projects (mainly Borealis and Corsair), involving leading companies in the metal working sector (PE part of Prima Industrie, Comau, Siemens), leverage innovation by European SMEs (3D-NT, Iris, Ramteid) and target the global market by involving in the consortium end users and potential customers from America and Africa (and Asia in the Interest Group) with the support in communication and dissemination by MCI-Benelux.

4DHybrid wishes to strengthen the first worldwide AM cluster where all the major players and initiatives will be partnered to promote global actions to support the industrially structured adoption of new hybrid technologies.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In WP2 the main achievement is the 4D engineering platform. This WP is decomposed in the following activities: Definition of the requirements of the reference industrial products by end users, Design by tech and description of the family of round robin parts and Parametric CAD files

The WP3 is devoted to the 4D process design. The work carried is mainly represented by:Process design for DED; Process design for cold spray and wire deposition; Process design for ablation; Process design for milling; Implementation of a CNC connector; Development of a Metal Deposition module and Process simulation

The WP4 aimed to develop a new hybrid laser processing system, capable of operating in both CW and pulsed mode to allow additive and subtractive processes

The core goals of vision centric Work Package 5 was to provide the capability to persistently monitor the process and the working environment with vision and metrology systems to reach the product requirements under the energy efficiency, productivity and process quality perspectives for the various use cases within the 4D Hybrid project.

The WP6 concerns the configuration and development of the overall automation solution for 4D which covers the control of the 4D modules, simple and hybrid, and their integration in new and existing robots and machine tools. The design and development of the 4D control architecture is organized in tasks addressing both the logic/process control (PLC) and CNC system

WP7 focused on the realization of the software infrastructure to support the seamless product-process-equipment data integration in a closed loop CAx-CNC chain which enabled a persistent monitoring and adaptation of hybrid manufacturing processes.

WP8 has foreseen and achieved the following objectives:
Integrating the 4D modules on robots and machine tools.
Efficiently managing the hybrid equipment set-up and ramp-up.
Defining of multi-level optimization and adaptation strategies.
In line evaluation of the effective material property.

The objective achieved in WP9 was to demonstrate the industrial application of 4D solutions and validate the scientific and technological benefits compared to the targeted industrial applications identified, certifying:
• The robustness of the 4D equipment during operation in industrial contexts.
• The feasibility of additive and subtractive 4D process strategies.
• 4D capability to produce medium to large complex shaped parts.
• The ability to correctly process a wide range of materials ensuring the highest mechanical and physical quality.
The demonstration process will be structured as an advancement of three main phases: the virtual prototype, laboratory scale prototypes and complete industrial solutions.

In the WP10 a strategic plan for exploitation of the results of the project in the manufacturing industry within 3 to 5 years after the conclusion of the project will be coordinated by IRIS in cooperation with related EU Technology Platforms and AM Platform, America Makes AM Platform and South African Platform.
The project results have been disseminated among researchers via technical committees, working groups, conferences, articles in journals and in special issue academic journals and, among industry via seminars, workshops trade exhibitions and demonstrators.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The expected impact:
- new generation aerospace, oil & gas complex products and power generation sector
- efficient additive and subtractive laser based manufacturing sectors
- next generation of machinery
Scientific impact:
- Introduction of a high energy efficient compact hybrid laser source module
- Integration of highly heterogeneous manufacturing technologies
- Design of 4D modules to be integrated on standard manufacturing resources with zero overhaul of the mechatronics
- Adaptive monitoring, CAx chain and control
- Intelligent behaviour and optimization strategies.
Technical impact:
- Hybrid machines
- Production lines
- Possibility to manufacture large components
- High powder efficiency
- High energy efficiency
- Higher superficial quality
- Independent regulation of each single nozzle
- Possibility to recover from mis-deposition errors and reduce number of faulty parts thanks to the innovative vision system and closed loop recovery strategy
- Reduction of reworks for the same piece, thus allowing reduction of total cycle time
Commercial impact:
- Reduction of time to market of products
- Unique Selling Point is the reduction of ramp up and of faulty parts in 4DHybrid process
- Reduction of production cost of product

publications 4DHybrid