NAME Pilot plant for advanced non-ferrous castings and nano-enabled multifunctional materials

DESCRIPTION

Semi-industrial foundry pilot plant for the development of non-ferrous castings and nano-enabled materials comprising all the equipment and technical resources required to develop and validate non-ferrous alloys and prototypes including the design, development, casting and chemical characterization, modelling and simulation software, sand casting, gravity casting, HPDC and technologies to handle, incorporate and disperse nanoadditives to castings. Sensoring and data caption tools, electrical and induction furnaces for castings of 1-200 Kgs of non-ferrous alloys.

FIELDS OF APPLICATION

Design and development of materials

Manufacturing processes

Materials and processes in Circular Economy

MOST OUTSTANDING EQUIPMENT AND COMPONENTS

  • Auxiliar componentes for advanced non-ferreous castings and nano-enabled multifuctional materials pilot plant

    - Inmersión and optical thermocouples for tempearature control and register.
    - Degassing and mixing ultrasonic equipment
    - Mechanical degassing equipment
    - Mechanical mixing and dousing equipment
    - Semi solid alloys equipment
    - Thermal treatment furnaces up to 1000ºC

  • Design and modelling software

    Software for the design of new alloys and casting process modelling.
    - Computherm
    - NX
    - PROCAST

  • Fully automatized HPDC cellule

    Fully automatized HPDC cellule with a Pretransa 950t HPDC machine with new parameters monitoring and resitering system for the control of around 70 parameters of the cellule. Vacuum equipment and valves (40 m3/h and 350litres). HPDC sensorized test moulds.

  • Induction furnaces with capacity of melt from 1-600Kg of non-ferreous alloys

    Induction tilting furnaces with melting capacity from 1-600kg of non-ferrous alloys.

    - Induction furnace 50kW for 1-20Kg of aluminim melting
    - Induction furnace 300kw up to 600Kg of aluminium melting

  • Resistance melting furnaces for non-ferrous alloys

    Resistance melting furnaces from 80-600kg aluminium.

    - Resistance tilting TP furnace with 80Kg liquid aluminium capacity
    - Resistance DUGOPA furnace with 600kg liquid aluminium capacity.
    - Melting and pouring furnace for magnesium with 300kg capacity

SERVICES OFFERED BY THE ASSET

Design and validation of foundry 4.0 enabling technologies and solutions. Digitalization of non-ferrous foundries.

Software for acquisition and treatment of data of different casting processes. Automated and sensorised dies and HPDC equipment.

Design, modellizaion and characterization of new non ferrous alloys.

Ancillary equipment and software for the validation of materials and processes. Chemical analysis by spark spectroscopy, metallurgical and mechanical characterization, analysis of melting, filling and feeding and solidification aspects. DTA.

Design, production and validation of new materials, casting components and processes (gravity casting and HPDC) for conventional and advanced non-ferrous alloys, including nanocomposites

Conventional and innovative Al, Mg Cu and Zn alloys and their composites can be produced and validated through the production of samples and prototypes with the furnaces and casting equipment available in the semindustrial foundry plant.

Homologation of HPDC (High Pressure Diecasting) dies and prototypes

HPDC equipment suitable for aluminium and magnesium alloys. HPDC test dies to obtain prototypes and test bars. Small to medium batch series for die makers and foundries to homologate the dies and produced parts.

Training and safety issues and new business models for the industrialization of innovative material and process solutions

Technical resources and foundry technologies for handling and casting advanced non-ferrous metals including reactive metals and alloys incorporating nanoreinforcements.

ENTITY MANAGING THE ASSET

ENTITY MANAGING THE ASSET
FUNDACIÓN TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATION
Contact person:
Maider Garcia de cortazar
Maider.garciadecortazar@tecnalia.com