12 Nov. EU-funded development: 3D surface treatment technology
As part of the EU-funded ‚Operatic‚ project, an intelligent ultrashort pulse laser system is being developed for fast, sustainable 3D surface treatment in industry. By combining high-power laser technology (>200 W) and ultrashort pulses (<30 ps) with artificial intelligence and real-time monitoring, Operatic aims to provide a modular plug-and-play system for 3D surface treatment in large-scale industrial applications. The system is currently being tested in four use cases in the automotive, aerospace, household appliance and lighting sectors.
The Steinbeis Europa Zentrum is responsible for strategic communication and dissemination of the project results as well as the exploitation of these results. It is conducting roadmapping for commercialization in order to facilitate and open up access to markets for the innovations. The Operatic consortium is now reporting on its current progress.
According to the consortium, a high-performance ultrashort pulse laser with a non-dispersive optical fiber was integrated for 3D motion integration, which should enable robot-assisted handling. In addition, dynamic beam shaping was implemented to increase productivity. To implement versatile structuring, the consortium reports that laser surface structuring was demonstrated on various materials – including stainless steel, aluminum, and composites—using direct laser interference patterning (DLIP) and direct laser writing (DLW).
For real-time monitoring of beam guidance and the resulting texture, the consortium says it validated an advanced monitoring tool for inline use, which will enable real-time control of both process parameters and product quality.
In terms of advances in AI design, the consortium reports on AI models that now support the design and optimization of laser surface treatments, making development faster, smarter, and more adaptable to user needs.
Integration into Industry 4.0 environments is also assured, reports the consortium: communication systems and plant modeling tools have been developed to ensure seamless integration into smart manufacturing environments.
As to the project management states, 16 partners from eight European countries are involved in Operatic. “Operatic is a significant step toward economically viable and environmentally friendly high-performance surface treatment,” emphasizes Pablo Romero, coordinator of Operatic.
Further information is available on the project website operatic.eu.
Source: www.steinbeis-europa.de
Image: operatic.eu