Developing digital materials for the automotive industry
The DigiMAT European Project aims at developing Smart solutions to connect process data and materials characteristics to achieve a new generation of cast iron materials for the automotive sector.
The main target is to develop lighter components with improved mechanical properties and machinability characteristics.
LOOKING AFTER A MORE EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
Weight reduction and optimization of material are some of the key factors to improve the energy efficiency and environmental impact of automotive industry, foundry technologies being one of the main manufacturing technologies applied by this industry.
The DIGIMAT European project is lead by Veigalan Estudio 2010, with the participation of Azterlan Metallurgy Research Centre and the companies AAPICO (former Sakthi Portugal) and Continental Teves. The consortium of the project aims at developing a digital architecture that will permit to create a new generation of customized materials, also named after “Digital Materials”, based on data analysis, on information process, on communication and information technologies.
DigiMAT project is focused in a brake system with improved anchor and housing components (both critical components of any brake system) that are produced by AAPICO and validated in test benches of Continental Teves.
The DigiMAT consortium foresees that the new solution will develop 35% of the European iron foundry market and 10% of the worldwide iron foundry market in the upcoming 5 years.
The project will consist of developing the studies to create an improved material with the desired characteristics. That way, the traditional manufacturing processes will join the advanced 4.0 industries to acquire, storage, process and analysis of the data and the most significant process parameters.