Strategic program for Excellence Training in Additive Manufacturing of Metallic Materials.
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Financier
File Number: CER-20191005
Call: Accreditation and Granting of Aid to “Cervera” Technological Centers of Excellence
Partners
- AIDIMME
- CATEC
- CEIT
- LORTEK
Summary
The overall objective of the project is to create a network of excellence in Additive Manufacturing supported by two complementary pillars: internationally recognized know-how and a market focus that allows it to act as a driving force for the Spanish industrial fabric.
The complementary capabilities of the four consortium members enable them to cover the entire value chain of additive manufacturing of metallic materials: from the design of new starting materials and their production in powder or wire form, through the additive manufacturing process itself and post-processing stages, to advanced testing technologies that verify, using demonstrators in relevant environments, that the resulting developments meet the requirements for implementation on an industrial scale.
During the 3-year project duration, the consortium will address the additive manufacturing of a wide range of metals: high-strength aluminum alloys, pure copper, precipitation-hardening copper alloys, hard and soft magnetic materials, INVAR, Ni-based alloys (such as INCONEL 718, INCONEL 738 and CM 247 LC), Ti alloys, high added-value stainless steels, tool steels and Fe-based amorphous alloys for wear- and corrosion-resistant coatings. The developed materials will be processed using SLM (Selective Laser Melting), LMD (Laser Metal Deposition), EBM (Electron Beam Melting) and WAAM (Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing), and the integration of Femtosecond lasers into additive manufacturing equipment will be studied.
The project also focuses on other key aspects to achieve excellence, such as training and attracting talent.
Through the achievement of this project, the technological centers FADA-CATEC, CEIT, LORTEK, AIDIMME and have been distinguished as “Cervera Center of Excellence” in relation to Additive Manufacturing and received aid for the STRATEGIC PROGRAM FOR TRAINING OF EXCELLENCE IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF METALLIC MATERIALS (CEFAM)” (Expte: CER-20191005) through the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) dependent on the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
CATEC’s role in the project
The Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies (CATEC) has over 10 years of experience in additive manufacturing for the aerospace sector. Its technical director, Fernando Lasagni, is coordinator of the additive manufacturing group of the Spanish Aerospace Platform and has represented Spain at two technological harmonization meetings for this technology with the European Space Agency (ESA), in addition to receiving the Georg-Sachs Award from the German Society for Materials (DGM). CATEC has worked on numerous aerospace programs developing 3D printing applications. It has reached several industrial milestones, developing with AIRBUS a complete system for the Ariane 5 launcher (2015), responsible for releasing the payload. This was followed in 2016 by the development of fittings for the AIRBUS C295 and A400M aircraft, and the cowl pivot fittings for the A320neo. In 2019, it was responsible for the manufacturing of flight components launched on the CHEOPS satellite, and is awaiting the launch of its components on PROBA-3 and the QUANTUM satellite. In 2020, CATEC will continue to achieve new milestones, delivering the first flight structural components for the RACER helicopter and also a fairing for a regional airliner (Clean Sky). Finally, it will complete the manufacturing of components for the JUICE space probe (ESA), which will explore Jupiter’s icy moons, bringing additive manufacturing to the far reaches of the solar system.
CATEC will work on:
- Parameterization of various alloys for their implementation in the aerospace sector, leading to flight components.
- Development of new aerospace applications, collaborating with network members for their final evaluation.
- He also actively participates in defining specifications for powder materials for PBLF.
- Develops inspection technology, analyzing the effect of defects to achieve objective design parameters and determine safety margins.
- Destructive inspection of new alloys and components.
- Works in the post-processing stages.
- Participate in training and results dissemination programs.