Descrizione del progetto
Sfidare i limiti e innovare per forgiare una nuova era nel settore della fusione dei metalli
È tempo di prepararsi a un cambiamento epocale nei settori della fusione dei metalli e della produzione. Alcuni ricercatori stanno affrontando le sfide di lunga data del processo di fusione a cera perduta. Il progetto SkyLight, finanziato dall’UE, è alla guida del loro sforzo per superare i limiti attuali e spingere il settore in territori inesplorati. In particolare, il progetto dovrebbe consentire di ottenere una complessità geometrica senza precedenti, ridurre i difetti di un incredibile 50 %, ottimizzare la rigidità e garantire un risparmio di peso compreso tra il 15 % e il 30 %. AMRC Castings, il dipartimento della prestigiosa Università di Sheffield che coordina il progetto, installerà un forno colossale per la fusione di componenti aerospaziali in titanio, consolidando ulteriormente la sua posizione di leader nel settore.
Obiettivo
Project SkyLight is proposed by AMRC Castings (which evolved out of Castings Technology International). AMRC Castings, a department of the University of Sheffield (USFD), is part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult. AMRC Castings’ mission is to develop and disseminate casting technology to the benefit of the cast metal and manufacturing sectors.
Based on the Topic Description, and on AMRC Castings’ long experience of similar projects, we believe that project SkyLight would enable the investment casting process to deliver greater geometrical complexity, reduce defects by 50%, optimise stiffness, and deliver weight saving of 15% to 30% and cost saving of 30% compared to conventionally fabricated multi-piece assemblies, along with significant environmental benefits for both the manufacturing and the use phase of the component.
AMRC Castings helped Sulzer to achieve an improvement in pump absorbed efficiency - saving 10% on the power demand. AMRC Castings’ Patternless® process helped Rolls-Royce reduce the time from CAD model to prototypes from 6 months to 6 weeks, and developed more accurate naval propellers for the VT Group that are seen as setting a new standard for others to follow. AMRC Castings’ MEGAshell® process enables ceramic moulds with dimensions of up to 2m3 to be manufactured so that heavy section valve castings weighing several tonnes can be manufactured 34% lighter than the sand cast equivalent and reducing machining costs by over 50%.
This year, AMRC Castings is installing what is believed to be the largest furnace for casting titanium aerospace components in Western Europe - a 1000kg titanium melter - to complement its existing state-of-the-art casting facilities.
AMRC Castings has participated in 21 EU-funded collaborative research projects including 8 projects as coordinator - including research projects such as FASTCAST and events to achieve the greater participation of the castings sector in EU-funded research programmes.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
CS2-RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinatore
S10 2TN Sheffield
Regno Unito