Partners:
VOM: Belgische verenigung voor oppervlaktetechnieken van materialen (www.vom.be )
EFB: European Association of Sheet Metal Working (www.efb.de )
Sirris The Collective Centre of the Belgian Technological Industry (www.sirris.be )
IWU: Fraunhofer Institute of Machine Tools and Forming Technology (www.iwu.fraunhofer.de )
IST: Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films (www.ist.fraunhofer.de )
VOM is the coordinating association. VOM helps to extend both the know-how and experiences of its members and brings together companies with a common interest in joint projects. The basic idea is to build networking between both the industry and research institutes.
VOM covers all activities in the field, starting from the pre-treatment to the finishing of a product, such as electroplating, painting, powder coating, vacuum depositions, metal spraying and others. Special attention is paid to related topics such as quality, environment, health and safety.
EFB expects that for cutting products with specific complex geometries, the targeted technology will offer the opportunity to make feasible and economical parts for higher part quantities in the future. The desired results of the project should provide the manufacturers of production equipment with design rules and guidelines for a reasonable range of tool materials, coatings and sheet material properties.
This will enable them to design and develop their equipment for market conditions with the required performances. If the findings of the project will demonstrate advantages, the machine and tool fabricators will be able and interested to adopt the project results and decide on implementation of these results. It is obvious that relevant new ideas and solutions will lead to intellectual property rights and provide the European industry with a strong competitive advantage.
Sirris is the collective centre of the Belgian technological industry. Sirris helps companies in the implementation of technological innovations, enabling them to strengthen their competitive position over the long-term. Its experts visit companies on site, offer them technological advice, launch innovation paths, and provide guidance until they reach the implementation phase. It is the aim of Sirris to find concrete solutions to the real challenges facing Belgian entrepreneurs.
The research activities of the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films (IST) concern the deposition and characterization of several types of coatings for tribological, electrical, optical or decorative applications. Some of the main topics of the institute are hard and wear resistant coatings like diamond-like carbon (DLC), boron based coatings, transition metal nitride etc. The Fraunhofer IST is highly experienced in wear analysis of coated tools.
This allows preparing tailored coatings with optimum combinations of low friction coefficients, high hardness and, low wear and interaction with lubricants. The Fraunhofer IST holds several patents on coating materials and deposition processes. The work in the planned project shall be performed in the department New Tribological Coatings (NTB). The research activities of this department concern the deposition and characterization of several types of coatings for tribological tool applications.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU) performs applied research and development in close cooperation with industry, research centers and government. Innovative solutions involving the entire process chain of the forming technology illustrates the successful strive toward excellence in the field of production technology. In the field of forming technologies, lightweight structures and the application of new materials play a predominant role.
Fraunhofer IWU has done extensive research with numerous partners in the field of forming technologies with high-strength materials The development of equipment and process technology for the cutting and fine blanking of different metal materials (High-strength steel, conventional steel, hot forming steel) has been a main area of research at Fraunhofer IWU over the past years.
