GEAR-UP is a transformative initiative aimed at revolutionizing the manufacturing sector through sustainable practices and advanced technologies. The project focuses on developing digital tools and methodologies to address the variability of recycled materials, specifically targeting stainless steel, aluminum alloys, and fiber-reinforced plastics for additive manufacturing (AM). Additionally, GEAR-UP sets ambitious goals for enhancing sustainable product design through innovative simulation and modeling software.
Challenges
To tackle the challenges associated with secondary materials, such as performance variability, the project emphasizes resilient design and life-cycle environmental impact assessment. The use of recycled materials in engineering design, stands to significantly improve sustainability practices worldwide. GEAR-UP looks at the possibility of using three different recycled materials, namely aluminium, stainless steel and fibre reinforced plastic. The effects that trace elements have on material variability in recycled aluminium and steel will be explored. Additionally, we will delve into the inferior strength characteristics of fibers and plastics as evident in their structural builds.
The goal of GEAR UP
The initiative employs simulation-driven approaches to optimize various AM processes, including laser beam-directed energy deposition, metal laser beam powder bed fusion, and fiber-reinforced polymer material extrusion. By using recycled materials in engineering design, GEAR-UP aims to significantly reduce the use of virgin resources, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Overall, GEAR-UP represents a paradigm shift in engineering design, focusing on the circular value chain and developing universally adaptable AM technologies resilient to material variability. This initiative is expected to have a direct impact on the high-performance consumer products, green energy, and high-tech robotics markets.
