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This deliverable describes the work done in Task 1.5, focused on the definition of the manufacturing approach that will be followed to build the Flexcrash demonstrator. For this purpose, the manufacturing requirements and limitations have been identified. The manufacturing strategy needs to be flexible from a product design point of view, opening new possibilities with complex geometries that might not be feasible using conventional technologies. It also needs to be environmentally sustainable, allowing the use of recycled materials. Finally, the process needs to be scalable to industrial production, as well as flexible and interoperable, in order to reuse assets and to be competitive in the market. A hybrid manufacturing approach is developed in this project, combining conventional, manufacturing technologies (i.e., extrusion and high-pressure die-casting) with Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) operations. The aim is to fulfil the previously defined requirements, enhancing flexibility while being cost-competitive. Extrusion and die-casting have inherent process constraints that restrict the possibilities in terms of product geometry (e.g., constant wall thickness on extruded shapes).

In the case of LMD, the limitations were identified based on first sample tests. These limitations are mainly coming from the localized heat input, that can induce small curving deformations on the substrate as well as local downgraded mechanical properties. In order to determine the effect of this heat input on the preformed components, LMD process simulations were performed based on the software COMSOL Multiphysics®. The numerical model was defined, simulating the stresses and induced curvature on the substrate element, and presenting good fitting with experimental results in terms of deposited track cross-section. This work sets the boundaries of the manufacturing approach and the basis for the WP2 (Application and optimization of flexible manufacturing technologies). In this sense, Task 1.5 was conducted in parallel not only to WP2 but also to Task 1.6 (Demonstrator definition). For this purpose, extrusion process simulations were performed based on the preliminary designs of the extruded profiles of the Flexcrash demonstrator. The results were analysed in terms of stress distribution on the die, material exit temperature and relative speed, and horizontal and vertical displacements on the tool. The designs were concluded to be extrudable in the case of the three profiles included in the demonstrator.


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