The FormPlanet EU-funded project has developed and optimised a set of new advanced methodologies for characterising and modelling metallic materials to predict the appearance of defects such as cracks and foresee part performance from the component design phase. The methods developed solve current industrial challenges and contribute to increase the competitiveness of the companies in the sheet metal forming sector.
The novel methodologies will be launched to the market as services of a commercial entity to be created this year with the mission to respond to the challenges of the sector. By using FormPlanet methods, companies will be able to “adjust the amount of material needed and reduce costs, increase productivity, improve product quality, optimise processes and reduce the time to market for new metallic products,” explains FormPlanet project technical coordinator, Begoña Casas. “Our techniques also help reduce the amount of rejected material due to the appearance of cracks, and consequently, impact positively on the environment,” she adds.
FormPlanet characterisation and modelling techniques “represent an important advance in the state of the art when selecting high-performance metal materials, and cut production losses for the automotive, and transport sector in general, component manufacturing, electronics, construction, packaging or capital goods,” remarks Eurecat Scientific Director, Daniel Casellas.
“Fifteen companies of the European sheet metal forming value chain have validated the efficiency and reliability of the techniques developed or optimized during the project and proved how to address industrial challenges from alternative approaches,” states the coordinator of the FormPlanet project and project manager at Eurecat, Eduard Piqueras.
The application of the innovative methodologies has allowed participating companies to optimise the production of advanced high-strength steels, aluminium alloys, multilayer materials or cold-rolled steels, as well as to predict components formability and in-service performance.
Case studies results have proven the soundness of FormPlanet experimental characterisation methodologies and modelling approaches. Participating companies have found solutions to existing problems not solved using standardized methodologies when willing to address manufacturing problems in high-strength sheet metals or complex parts for lightweighting solutions and high-performance requirements.
The project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme, is constituted by a consortium composed of three research centres (Eurecat, the project coordinator, Fraunhofer IWU and COMTES FHT AS), two universities (Lulea University of Technology and University of Pisa), three companies (LETOMEC, Ansys and Applus+ Laboratories), eight industrial enterprises (CRF – Stellantis, ArcelorMittal, Arania, Estamp, Arcelik, ALUDIUM, AP&T and Lamera) and UNE as the Spanish standardization association.
