Objective
* Promotion of WAFAM project to attract associate partners. Partners, mostly from industries, were attracted to the WAFAM network through the Website, workshops and seminars. Currently there are 50 from 13 countries.
* Organised workshops together with plenary meetings and other eight workshops for partners, associate partners and the forging industry
* Completion of the Warm Forging Practical Handbook
* Provision warm forging document published by International Cold Forging Group (ICFG)
* Development of web site (http://manmec.bham.ac.uk/wafam/)
* Development of the basis for the European Forging School (http://www.cetadl.bham.ac.uk/)
* Collaboration with Forgenet (EU thematic network) on Forging School development
* Collaborative research projects in materials, lubrication & tooling
* Production of documentation on material data, for inclusion in the handbook, using a fully documented procedure
* Pinpointed areas of further research and develop proposals for submission to funding bodies
* Development of submissions to EC of proposals for research in identified areas of importance
* Network of Excellence in either micro-structural development in metal forming or energy and environment from manufacture to recycling
* Possible European Collaboration Proposal under EUREKA Factory with WAFAM partners and associate partners
* Publishing and dissemination of the advances of technology.
OEMs are increasingly requiring components to be made nearer to net-shape in order to reduce the amount of in-house work necessary before they can be used in assemblies. Warm forging is a near net-shape process of growing importance because in comparison with processes undertaken either hot or cold it has the following advantages: - Low thermal energy consumption and machine capacity. - A lubrication requirement which is more environmentally friendly than that for cold forging. - High utilisation of raw material than obtained in hot forging. - Production of surface and shape detail of the character of cold forging. - Ability to form high strength alloys and low ductility advanced materials. - Ability to enhance the properties of low carbon and low alloy steels by incorporating thermal mechanical processing in the forging cycle. The research and development effort in Europe is significant and advanced but as yet fragmented. The proposed Network will bring together major European centres of R&D activity in the four fundamental materials areas: ferrous workpiece; non-ferrous workpiece; tools and lubricants/surface treatments. The outcome of the Network will be: - Integration of R&D activities across Europe - Technology transfer to relevant industries - Production of documentation identifying best practice and proposing European standards - Identification of important research to be addressed and generation of proposals - Setting up of a 'Forging School' for continuous advancement of technology, technology transfer and training. - Increased competitiveness of the European forging industry securing, and may be increasing, jobs. - Enhancement of environment through reduced energy requirements and 'greener' processing. To achieve the objectives a balanced consortium of 15 industrial companies, 4 research organisations and 10 universities has been assembled which represent a conjunction of basic science with practical aspects of the production use of warm forgings. The Network will be managed by a group based at the University of Birmingham, which has been working on aspects of warm forging for over 20 years and has established a recognised track record.
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B15 2TT Birmingham
United Kingdom
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Participants (9)
7500 DT Enschede
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9679 TC Scheemda
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B69 2AU Oldbury
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S41 9ED Chesterfield
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20009 San Sebastián
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55100 Imatra
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48970 Basauri
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3000 Celje
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35131 Padova
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