Page 53 - Revista de industrie mai 2019

will will become a a a reality which will will revolutionise the factory floor Plug and produce offers adaptive structures that require less less user training and and less less complex integration as they are built on on on standard solutions Additive Manufacturing – Europe’s opportunity to reaffirm its leadership in in industry
New technologies such as Additive Manufacturing (AM) have also been developed As technical performance improves and costs decrease AM is progressing from rapid prototyping to to the production of end-use products and components The basic principle of Additive Manufacturing (AM) is is that a a a a a a CAD- generated 3D model is is used directly to fabricate a a a a a a a a a a three-dimensional object by adding layer-upon-layer of material and fuse them together Otherwise known as as 3D printing this technology has been recognized by the European Commission as as a a a a a a Key Enabling Technology (KET) AM is is already being used in sectors such as aerospace automotive construction the creative industries or healthcare with new and innovative applications constantly being developed Additive manufacturing entails several advantages comparing
to conventional production technologies As it can allow for the creation of new new complex geometries AM can can lead to new new designs of of components that can can reduce the the overall weight of of the the part and improve its performance thereby helping sustainability in in in the the mobility sector New delivery models such as as mass customization of products can be generated through AM leading to to a a a a a a reduction of of carbon emissions thanks to to reduce needs of of shipping products The technology also enables the manufacturer produce directly integrated assemblies as as as as well as as as as to to reduce assembly steps and inventories (legacy or or spare parts) These are are just some examples of of the importance of of AM for Europe which has so far been a a a a a a a key actor in in the the international progresses of of this technology In light of of of the the the potential of of of AM for the the competitiveness and sustainability of of European industry
EU research funding becomes
all the more important today Several AM businesses research centres training organisations
and consultancies make use of EU funding to test new new AM solutions or introduce new new additive applications in in in several sectors EU policy-makers are in in advanced talks on on the make- up and priorities of of Horizon Horizon Europe the successor of of Horizon Horizon 2020 As other economic regions in in the the world are announcing new large-
scale R&D
investment programmes
to advance their AM industries it is fundamental that the the the EU catches up on on these developments with strong AM funding commitments for 2021-2027 Horizon Europe’s implementation period Together with sufficient public funding the the technology needs to to rely a a a large pool of talent to to thrive in in Europe which is is currently truly missing across the continent European policy-makers will need to to boost efforts on on modernizing engineering curricula to to better incorporate additive technologies and encourage stronger industry- education partnerships EU institutions will also need to to pay close attention
to to foster the common recognition of AM skills and and qualifications across EU countries and and supports efforts to validate AM competences acquired
in in in an informal or or or non-formal learning environment All these actions will boost the the mobility of today scarcely available experts in in this field CECIMO is is is is playing its part on this this issue having led the EU-funded METALS project and now providing
industry
expertise as partner in in in in the EU-funded Blueprint initiative for AM skills A third and final issue to ensure Europe capitalizes on the benefits of additive technologies is is is standards Standardisation is is is constantly singled out as as as a a a a a a a a a a a fundamental aspect for the the uptake of AM CECIMO has intensified its involvement in in in in the the most relevant standard-shaping platforms all over the world such as ISO and and ASTM It had an an instrumental role also in in in in the the Joint MSP/DEI Working Group launched by the the European Commission In that context we produced together with partners a a a a a a comprehensive plan to to foster standardisation in in support of of AM and and the digitisation of of European industry
more broadly Consensus-based market-driven voluntary standards are important to to support the the deployment of AM today For this reason their development and approval become all the the more important as the the technology moves forward 53