During this reporting period, the project has progressed well following the work plan. The materials for machining tests and demonstration has been procured and delivered to the workpackages leaders for the development and test of S&T heat controlled Hy-HSMill, Hy-WJM and Hy-LaWG processes. The machining setups for S&T heat controlled Hy-HSMill, dynamically erosion controlled Hy-WJM and dynamically controlled material removal Hy-LaWG have been validated. Standard features have been selected for each process. Mathematical models have been developed and validated for controlling these processes. The pilot StdFs and their quality assessment including surface integrity, geometrical accuracy, residual stress, and fatigue life have been generated as the proven working procedure. Based on these evaluations the process parameters have been optimized for all the proposed hybrid machining process.
Within STIMULANT, three novel hybrid machining processes, namely Laser-Assisted Milling (LAM), Abrasive Water Jet (AWJ) machining and Waterjet-Guided Laser (WGL) machining, have been successfully developed to reach the demonstration stage (TRL6) for feasibility of implementation in safety-critical components for the aerospace industry. These novel technologies have demonstrated the ability to produce a step-change in material removal rates and reduction of costs while maintaining a high level of quality (i.e. surface integrity) of the workpieces after machining compared to conventional machining techniques.
Moreover, the high impact of the results achieved during the project can be clearly seen in the successful publication of 6 peer-reviewed research papers in the top journals of their areas, as well as in the interest and attention raised among professionals during the exposition of results in the most renowned international conferences. In the future, it is expected the continuation of the development of the technologies of STIMULANT by the individual partners of the consortium, as well as by other institutions, for introduction into production environments. Additionally, the universities and research centres will continue to offer practical workshops and demonstrations to postgraduate students and industrial professionals to further promote the reach and scope of the achievements and results arising from the novel manufacturing technologies investigated in STIMULANT.
