The design of an industrial atomizer, incorporating the novel INNOPOWDER technology, has been carried out, the documentation and drawings required for the upscaling of the production process elaborated, and the construction and commissioning of the equipment performed. The designs of the auxiliary operating systems have also been elaborated, and the equipment manufactured and tested. Based on best value for money criteria, suppliers for the construction of required elements of the atomizer and required auxiliary equipment have been evaluated and subcontractors contracted. Physic-chemical, rheological, morphological and PSD characterizations were continuously performed to ensure the high and distinctive quality of INNOPOWDER through the corresponding adjustments of production processing parameters and alloy compositions. As part of the homologation process of INNOPOWDER, powder samples were processed by way of different MAM technologies, and in particular for the determination of processing parameters using SLM and other fine-powder-based AM technologies. By means of mechanical testing (including non-destructive inspection/testing) and validation, the advantages of INNOPOWDER for MAM processing in transport industries in terms of quality of the components and production costs under real industrial scenarios have been successfully demonstrated. Dimensional, tolerance and defects controls have been performed on samples made with INNOPOWDER, including defect control by means of industrial X-ray computer tomography. For quality control purposes, corresponding characterizations of the thermal, mechanical and microstructural properties, density, structural integrity and surface finish have been carried out. Additionally, mechanical structural simulation of the optimized designs was performed using specific software for design, topology optimization and simulation to ensure the functionality and high performance of components additively made with INNOPOWDER.
Furthermore, a total of five pilot demonstrators were successfully manufactured using INNOPOWDER, covering the diverse range of automotive component manufacturing technologies, such as plastic injection moulding, aluminium low and high pressure die casting, as well as hot stamping/press hardening of advanced high strength steel blanks. Each of the five manufactured pilot demonstrators has been designed and implemented in order to meet the specific mechanical and thermal properties required from the metal component depending on the corresponding target application. All demonstrators met the geometric and thermo-mechanical property targets at the expected cost levels, and even exceeded the properties that can be obtained with conventionally forged material. The final performance evaluation of the pilot demonstrators will be continued beyond the termination of the SME-II instrument project.
Comprehensive IP management has been carried out to ensure freedom to operate and to continue with the patent prosecution of a total of 6 patent families protecting the INNPOWDER technology. Thanks to the EIC pilot Business Acceleration services, several dissemination events have been attended as part of WP6 before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, which gave the opportunity to meet relevant related stakeholders, gather information with regard to current challenges faced by them, present the company and the project and explore business opportunities. Also, a project website has been put in place, which will be continuously updated. Given that physical meetings with stakeholders have been strongly limited to the restrictions put in place in the wake of the pandemic, dissemination and communication activities have been adjusted to participation and organization of digital events.
