Abstract
THERMACH project addresses the challenges manufacturing industries are facing when producing components and products of advanced metal matrix composite (MMC) materials. Metal matrix composites, being composed of ductile metallic matrix and hard reinforcement, possess valuable and often critical physical and mechanical properties of highest demand by a multitude of industries. Yet, the same material architecture carries a downside of low production efficiency, high defectness of produced parts and associated high costs. Small scale feasibility studies have long demonstrated that these negative effects can be overturned by using hybrid thermally assisted machining processes. THERMACH advances innovative analytical, software and hardware solutions for Laser Assisted Machining (LAM) and Induction Assisted Machining (IAM) processes to become enabling, competitive and sustainable processes for MMC machining on industrial scale. This is achieved by augmenting the conventional value chain of machining process by smart introduction of satellite tooling, laser, induction and adaptive control links. The project also aims to validate and integrate developed solutions in existing production environments of aeronautic, biomedical and capital goods industries.
Consortium

COORDINATOR

SMRT

PARTNERS

BCC

myTool IT

TU Wien

NRC

RMC

SECO UK

ADL

E6

OpTek

TISICS

UNOTT

SECO

MagComp

LUND

Xylem