FLASH COMP

Programme: Horizon 2020 (ID 101058458)
2022

Flawless and human-centered digital approach for sustainable composite parts production

project name

FLASH COMP

eu countries

8

partners

14

Competencies used

Smart monitoring and control of industrial processes
Smart energy monitoring and control
Smart monitoring and control of industrial processes

Partners

Lortek (Lortek, s.coop), INEGI (Instituto de ciencia e inovacao em engenharia mecanica e engenharia industrial), AIMEN (Asociacion De Investigacion Metalurgica Del Noroeste), ESTIA (Ecole Superieure Des Technologies Industrielles Avancees), JOR (Joanneum research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH) , CSEM (Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique SA), INFAIMON (INFAIMON Unipessoal, Lda), MSI (Mondragon Sistemas De Informacion Sociedad Cooperativa), ESI (ESI GROUP), MADE Competence Center i4.0 (MADE SCARL), POLIMI (Politecnico di Milano), AZIMUT (AZIMUT-BENETTI S.P.A.), IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd.), IMG (Insight Media Group LTD)

The problem

The reduction of manufacturing waste is a key challenge for Europe to achieve its transition towards climate neutrality. Composites play an important role in the European Union’s (EU) strategic manufacturing sectors, like energy, aerospace, naval and automotive, and its consumption is forecast to keep growing. Liquid Resin Infusion (LRI) is one of the most widely used composite manufacturing processes, especially in the production of large parts and the interest in this lay-up technique is growing notably, as an “out-of-autoclave” technique with competitive characteristics in terms of performance, efficiency, quality, time, and cost. In fact, among the 2.4 MTons/year of composites produced in Europe1, about 33 % is produced by infusion2 (792,000 Tons/year).

Objectives

The main objective of the FLASH-COMP project is to develop a fast and reliable (FLASH) human-oriented quality control solution capable of identifying in a timely-manner defectiveness during process and, consequently, to determine the in-situ corrective actions to be implemented, towards zero-defects LRI manufacturing process, significantly reducing the generation of polymer composites waste. FLASH-COMP will employ novel, fast, and accurate Inspection and Monitoring techniques (FLASH-IM) within the most critical manufacturing stages –pre- forming and infusion–, to retrieve key process parameters.

This data will feed an AI-based Defect Severity Estimation Tool (FLASH-DSET), capable of estimating the generation of defects and, in consequence, determining if and what kind of corrective actions should be adopted within the pre-forming and resin infusion operations. Instructions will be linked to real-time feedforward and feedback (FF/FB) control strategy Decision Support System (FLASH-DSS) which will allow workers to take instant and precise corrective actions paving the way towards ‘first-time-right’ manufacturing; zero-defects/zero- waste. The smart knowledge will be fed from interoperable and sovereign data sharing between sites and factories. In this way, the composite sector will take advantage of the latest technological innovations to digitalise manufacturing processes towards a more sustainable and competitive composite industry. 

MADE role

  • Simulation and modelling (digital twins) covering the material processing level up to manufacturing system 
  • Data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and deployment of digital platforms for data management and sharing 

Results

  • Demonstrate a significant increase of sustainable production through improved control systems and non- destructive inspection methods;
  • Develop methodologies and tools to prevent the generation of defects at component level and its propagation to the system level;
  • Create new diagnostic methods for in-situ monitoring of industrial production;
  • Ensure efficient use of materials, repair strategies, and reduced production cost and time.

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