Other means of transport

Ihobe Eusko Jaurlaritza
LORTEK

COMPOSITE MANUFACTURING? FIRST TIME!

Mobilising industry towards a clean and circular economy is one of the main strategies set out in the European Green Deal, which stated in 2019 that any circular economy action plan must prioritise the reduction and reuse of materials prior to their recycling. Reducing manufacturing waste is therefore a priority in Europe's transition to climate neutrality.

According to the Basque Waste Prevention and Management Plan 2030, composites represent one of the greatest revolutions in the world of materials in recent decades. They are gradually conquering more and more production segments. The industrial sectors that consume the most composites are construction, transport (automotive, aeronautics, rail and marine), energy, and sports, accounting for 75% of the total market, with automotive (22%) and aeronautics (21% of sales value) being the main players. Packaging, textiles and household appliances are another growing application scenario. From the perspective of the Basque Country, composites deserve special consideration as an emerging waste stream.

COLLABORATORS

FLASH-COMP, a project led by the LORTEK Technology Centre with the participation of 15 entities, develops a fast and reliable quality control solution that uses artificial intelligence to help identify and eliminate defects during the manufacturing processes of composites (composite materials). This defect-free manufacturing approach will help reduce the volume of waste in manufacturing by more than 30%. The decision-making support system is based on an intelligent tool to estimate the severity of defects, which enables their early detection by means of innovative inspection and control devices.

The industrial feasibility of FLASH-COMP solutions will be demonstrated and validated in two key industrial environments, representing different industrial sectors and covering different materials, part sizes and monitoring and inspection challenges. An overall performance assessment will be carried out for each use case to validate the environmental impact reduction capability of FLASH-COMP solutions when implemented in industrial configurations: yachts whose composite structures, like ship hulls, can range from 14 to 50 metres in length, and manufacturing of composites for wings in airborne and astronautical systems.

Project website

The design of the FLASHCOMP project has been supported technically and financially by IHOBE within the framework of the "ECOINNOVATION PROJECT FACTORY" initiative. FLASHCOMP has been funded by the European HORIZON EUROPE programme.