Projects / Programmes
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE CRYOGENIC ASSISTANCE FOR IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF MACHINING PROCESSES
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.10.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Manufacturing technologies and systems |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T130 |
Technological sciences |
Production technology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 2.03 |
Engineering and Technology |
Mechanical engineering |
Machining, Cryogenic, Sustainability, Dry process, Innovation, Performance, Efficiency
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
26559 |
PhD Franci Pušavec |
Manufacturing technologies and systems |
Head |
2014 - 2016 |
610 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Project acronym: Cryo4IMPORVES
The environmental problems, caused by the consumption of natural resources and pollution in the production and life of products, lead to increasing demands and stronger regulations in manufacturing of products. Sustainability has now become the world's number one issue to be pursued for achieving a concrete and long lasting development. This idea is quite well implemented in some fields, but there is a lack of those principles implemented into the manufacturing systems and technologies. Manufacturing industries are besides national and global regulations/legislations also under the economic pressure, trying to compensate increasing costs and create adding value to their products. Therefore, there is a need for technological innovations through development of sustainable manufacturing systems and technologies that are consistent with EU and global Sustainable Development Strategies.
Machining industry in their production, for cooling/lubrication (CL) of machining process, still uses oil based emulsions, even though they are found to be one of the most unsustainable elements in the process. In this context, project idea aims at taking advantage of superior properties of innovative cryogenic machining (CRYO) based CL technology, developing and exploiting it as a new generation of external media for material processing technology.
CRYO presents a clean and dry machining process, where instead of oil based CL one of cryogenic fluids (liquid nitrogen) is used. Nitrogen is known as cold (-196°C) and inert gas that is in 78% present in the air that we breathe, and so not problematic from health and environmental point of view. Process can result improved machining performance and improved quality of machined parts. Despite of the advantages, CRYO is still not used in the real industrial applications, therefore further development is inevitable. The reasons for this are still a low level of developed solutions and on the other side high process complexity.
Despite competitive market of CL fluids, there is an increasing need for innovative cooling/lubrication that is more environmentally friendly, health acceptable and improves machining performances. Besides this, it should not have only excellent cooling properties (temperature, anti-wear, etc.), but also excellent tribological properties (lubrication, anti-wear, etc.), dry nature of the process, higher energy efficiency, shorter operational cycles, longer fatigue life of the final product, advantage in environment, health and safety (EHS) performance, thus fulfilling the demands for REACH legislation and objectives of EU SDS, EU Lisbon agenda, etc.
The major project (Cryo4IMPROVES) targeted innovations refer to a development of new design of cryogenic machining system, designed in the direction of modular system for fulfilling industrial needs of different machining processes (turning, milling, drilling). The concept of the system is going to be specifically designed and fabricated via two innovations (CONFIDENTIAL): (1) Diagnostic/sensor for delivered cryogenic fluid phase and (2) upgrading cryogenic fluid cooling superiority with significant lubrication effect. First is going to be fulfilled with the idea of specifically designed optical sensor, while the second is presenting the novel idea of homogenous suspension of engineered nano particles (ENP) – MoS2 co-axial nanotubes (patented in 2010) that showed excellent lubrication characteristics, in the liquefied nitrogen.
To secure and predict the capabilities of the developed system/technology, the FEM models for performance prediction will be developed, and the results will be experimentally verified on industrial case study.
The novel cryogenic system/technology will so present improved robustness of the CRYO and a new generation of external media for material processing technology that will exhibit improved tribo-cooling properties, resulting in improved process sustainability via reduc
Significance for science
Results of the project shows high potential for development or contribution to the science. This is neverthless shown by better understanding of pretentious novel materials and their manufacturing possibilities. Further, by bringing work and field on a scientific level, new research directions and fields have been developed in finding the solutions for increasing technological productivity and sustainability, with the focus on industrial, educational and scientific fields. Despite high interest in development of innovative sustainable solutions, experiences tell us that there has been a lag in research: how in prevalent academic culture organize efficient technology transfer and how to assure critical value of innovations that can be commercialized. Project with the results shows contribution to the filed via developed innovative solutions that can be as applications industrialized. In this way, all the ideas as well as solutions/innovations/results of this project, can be used on high-tech technologies that are actual in industrial and scientific environment. Laboratory for machining at the Faculty of mechanical engineering has even further strenghten the position between research institutions in the Europe and globally dealing with this theme. Additionally, with this the needs and possibilities for high impact factor international publications have been significantly raised, what is leading into increase of the reputation and promotion of science and country abroad. Involving of project proposal leader and his research team in international connections/projects that are working in the same filed, has helped to improve EU science in developing of theoretical and base dilemmas of our actuality and solving their application possibilities, reaching the benefits of our future. Program has helped filling the gap in the research and strategic position of production technology science, especially from the economic networking point of view, environmental and social segments, for their overall integrity. Regarding the science in EU, project results contributer to fill the gap and help to improve the new R&D circumstances and nowadays science stability. Additionally, analysis and application of sustainability principles on the processes and their position has importantly enhanced the knowledge of sustainability issues and their overall position on scientific level.
Significance for the country
The government has in the Development Strategies defined sustainability as one of the emerging areas of Slovenia. This fact brings additional importance of finished project that offers expansion of the sustainability principles on the fields of production and manufacturing processes/technologies in slovenian industry. Based on presented results, as a principle research paradigm of Europe, it is possible to assure it directly with research stimulation and following the sustainability indicators on scientific level. It is shown that application of sustainability principles in production technologies in EU industry can play an important role in stimulation of consistent national and economical development with rearranging social values, especially in transferring/opening of new job positions and income (accumulation) from economical successful places to economical weak places with poor of exhausted industrial resources. Additionally, it can contribute to the preservation of population at the areas with depopulation, to the preservation of cultural heritage and region culture, and to the revitalization of corresponding industries. However, for all this the necessary conditions have to be assured that will provide interest for investors and partners in these regions. The project results are completely following the national politics. Besides others, the project with the results achieved helping demonstrating cryogenic machining technology. As a consequence, we are in conversation with slovenian industry for an implementation of technology in slovenian environment/companies. The conversations are mainly related to the complex systems and innovative technologies, manufacturing of state-of-the-art metal and non-metal materials and technologies that are more environmentally friendly and are the base for sustainable economics. The performed research has thus given some answers on economics networking challenges and better competitive position of slovenian companies. Besides this, results shows possibilities for revitalizing economic sector with new, knowledge based companies. Results of the program are oriented in increasing of economical position and productivity capacities of slovenian companies, while the proposed direction of technology development are mainly focused in production of highly complex products from state-of-the-art materials (medicine, prototype production for military, aerospace and automobile industries). Furthermore, it is expected that the project results that show that project group is one of the leading ones from the field, via social and economical initiatives, will in next phase of implementation, attract more international partners in collaboration with our industry and research institutes.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2014,
2015,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2014,
2015,
final report
