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Materials and Manufacturing Technologies
| Technology topic |
Technology description |
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New functional materials and new surface coatings/treatments for tooling |
Traditionally tools have been mainly constructed in steel and sometimes, for some specific applications, in aluminium. Tools for small or extremely large production volumes and for micro parts require developments regarding materials. As examples one can mention: new PM-powder metallurgical materials, low cost resins, ceramic and smart materials for tooling, and micro/nano-structured surfaces to reach desired working surfaces properties (activation of advantageous properties as regards surface quality, lubricant properties, impact, thermal, wearing and corrosion resistance). For a reliable process/manufacture of such materials/surfaces the interactions between the desired properties and the basic material structure must be subject to applied research. |
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Micro-manufacturing and micro-tooling |
Market demand of micro-products is increasing, which requires the production of micro-tools and a better understanding of downscaled material processing technologies, such as micro-machining, metrology, and micro handling devices and fixtures. The design and production of micro-parts requires:
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Development of materials and technologies for tools for small production volumes. |
More and more final products are being produced in small volumes. Small volumes frequently inhibit (due to economic reasons) the use of tools in manufacturing chains, limiting the design freedom of the final products. The concept of low cost tools (“disposable tools”) requires the development of integrated solutions (business/engineering/technology/materials) involving new design approaches for low life cycles, new and low cost manufacturing technologies and materials in order to allow the economic/competitive penetration of tools in this increasing market niche. The recycling and reuse of tool materials and components is also an issue that requires suitable solutions both regarding the remaining life evaluation and businesses approaches. Some prototyping approaches are being tried within tools for small production volumes, in what is currently called the Rapid Tooling field (build a tool rapidly at a convenient cost). However, these solutions developed for prototyping do not fulfil the objective of small series tools, which is to build a low cost tool in a convenient time frame (with robustness designed for specified but small life time). |
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Next generation technologies and processes for tooling industry. |
Advanced technologies have been a strong research field in Europe. Laser-Surface engineering, Laser-Engraving and Laser-Machining, High Speed Cutting of very hard materials, EDM (Electric Discharge Machining) for micro and nano-dimensions, Solid Free Form Fabrication, are some examples of emerging technologies with high potential in tooling making. Developments on those “advanced manufacturing technologies” targets improvements in accuracy, automation, flexibility, productivity,… New machine tools are also an important development field. For example the “hexapod" machine tool represents an emerging and revolutionary approach for machine tools construction. Instead of the conventional bed-frame design, the configuration of the "parallel actuators" promises to offer manufacturers a combination of versatility (machine tool application in multi-process operations, such as machining, welding, plasma spraying, coordinate measuring as well as part and fixture manipulation), stiffness, speed and accuracy. Although the technology is still emerging, the industry (tooling and machine-tools) and research institutions must collaborate to fully explore the potentials of the machine in coordinate measuring as well as part and fixture manipulation. |
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Environmentally friendly manufacturing processes |
Environmental sustainability has acquired a direct influence in the economy and its special incidence has been felt in the industrial processes. The new integrated environmental strategy involves the analysis of the manufacturing systems, the systematic evaluation of the material and energy flows, the identification of the pollution sources and the elimination of residues generation causes and the overspent of resources. Alternative manufacturing processes should be studied, optimized and developed in order to eliminate certain environmental nuisances (as an example, rapid and precision casting instead of machining and milling instead of EDM). Within this principle, net shape and near net shape technologies for core and cavities (or dies and punches) manufacturing; technologies improvement from a cleaner production perspective; data and algorithms for environmental impacts assessment for most relevant technologies should be developed towards their economic and competitive application in the industry. |