GAP

High-Performance Cast Iron and Aluminum Alloys for Innovative Components

Sector

Smart Materials

Project Summary

In the various fields of industrial production, increasing attention is being paid to the design and manufacture of high-performance components using highly innovative materials, such as cast iron (austempered, high-silicon, compact graphite) and light alloys (aluminum-silicon or aluminum-magnesium alloys, with added elements to optimize their microstructure). These materials belong to the area of "lightweight design": their mechanical properties, possibly combined with low density values, enable the creation of lightweight components of reduced thickness, at low environmental impact providing significant advantages in the transport, consumer goods, and mechanics sectors.

- There are still several factors, however, hindering the full realization of the application potential of these materials. The GAP Project aims to analyze and overcome them, by:

• Creating different samples representative of actual working conditions and suitable for exploring innovative solutions (e.g. heat treatments, welding, coatings) to optimize functionality and performance thus offering new engineering solutions, including those for multi-material components;
• Fully understanding the technological potential of these families of materials (aluminum alloys and cast irons), by means of characterizations conducted with conventional and advanced methodologies;
• Creating an engineering benchmark, which involves: the development of correlations between the production parameters and the microstructural and mechanical characteristics; structuring of databases to immediately support designers; developing microstructure-property-process models to be used in the design phase.

Innovation

The target markets for the innovative alloys being developed within the GAP project are:

• The transportation sector (automotive, waterborne) for innovative aluminum-silicon and aluminum-magnesium based alloys;
• The heavy road and rail transport, agricultural and earthmoving machinery sectors for Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) cast irons;
• The mechanical sector for stainless steel fastener (SSF) cast irons.

The GAP Project’s innovativeness lies in the development of innovative metallic materials with multi-sector application potential, increased by experimentation with new specific technologies (e.g. the use of ceramic cores for die-casting, surface treatments, and joining techniques).

ES Role

EnginSoft’s manufacturing operations units (Foundry and Metal Forming) and its mechanical designers are involved in the development and implementation of the materials database, as well as the development of design case histories. The company’s goal is to produce reliable databases and design methodologies that take into account the effect of microstructures and defects on the performance of both the novel (and conventional) alloys.

Partners: CONSORZIO SPRING – STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP FOR RESEARCHED-BASED, INNOVATIVE AND NETWORKED GROWTH, ECOR INTERNATIONAL SPA, ENGINSOFT SPA, FONDERIA CORRA' SPA, ITALKER SRL, LINO MANFROTTO + CO SPA, RDS MOULDING TECHNOLOGY SPA, SLIM FUSINA ROLLING SRL, UNILAB LABORATORI INDUSTRIALI SRL, UNIVERSITA' DI PADOVA – DTG, ZANARDI FONDERIE SPA

Funding Scheme POR - Obiettivo "Incremento dell'attività di innovazione delle imprese" - Parte FESR fondo europeo di sviluppo regionale 2014 - 2020
ERDF EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENT FUND 2014 - 2020

“Progetto finanziato con il POR FESR 2014-2020 Regione del Veneto” - ASSE 1 “RICERCA, SVILUPPO TECNOLOGICO E INNOVAZIONE” AZIONE 1.1.4 “Sostegno alle attività collaborative di R&S per lo sviluppo di nuove tecnologie sostenibili, di nuovi prodotti e servizi”
"Project co-funded by POR ERDF 2014-2020 Regione del Veneto" - AXIS 1 "RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION" ACTION 1.1.4 "Support for collaborative R&D activities for the development of new sustainable technologies, new products and services"

Importo finanziamento: € 1.471.548,86 / Grant Amount: € 1.471.548,86