CONSORTIUM

LAY2FORM is a collaborative project built by 10 entities, coming from 5 European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain) namely 2 RTOs highly experienced in the cooperation between R&D providers and industrial companies, 6 SMEs (including 5 technology providers and 1 end-user/ component manufacturer) and 2 large multinational companies well positioned to widespread some of the key project deliverables (the machinery and the digital manufacturing platform) at European level and worldwide.

The complementarity of the multidisciplinary LAY2FORM partners was used to build a full consortium setup to work in the four concurrent dimensions here involved, namely Materials, Processes, Systems and Product Engineering.

  • INEGI

    Instituto de Ciência e Inovação em Engenharia Mecânica e Engenharia Industrial

    INEGI logo

    The INEGI – Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from the University of Porto is an industry-oriented Research and Technology Organization (RTO). Its organizational structure relies on three pillars of activity in different technology readiness levels, maintaining a strong competence matrix element:

    1. Research with a special focus on applied research,
    2. Innovation and technology transfer
    3. Consulting and advanced engineering services.

    The Research activity covers the areas of new technologies for advanced production processes, experimental mechanics, applied mechanics, energy, new materials and the development of new products and systems.

  • FAGOR

    FAGOR Arrasate S. Coop.

    FAGOR logo

    FAGOR ARRASATE is a Company of 800 employees specialized in design, manufacturing and supplying sheet metal forming machine tools. FAGOR ARRASATE was created in 1957 and, since then, has expanded its products portfolio and business in an extraordinary significant manner, being now one of the world leaders in the field. It is one of the 5 biggest manufacturers in terms of turnover and the first one considering the products portfolio. The Company is located in the Basque Country, in the north of Spain, very close to the French border in the most industrialized area of the country and surrounded by a traditionally metallurgical and exporting environment.

    FAGOR ARRASATE serves to numerous sectors specially the car industry, the domestic appliances industry, the Steel Industry and Service Centres. For FAGOR ARRASATE a key goal is the constant collaboration with its customers, so there is a close and continuous presence in order to give solutions for any process with the most adequate technology.

  • AIMEN

    Asociación de Investigación Metalúrgica del Noroeste

    AIMEN logo

    AIMEN is a Non Profit association constituted by 110 companies, which supplies technological support to more than 400 companies dedicated to industrial or commercial activity related to metallurgy, automotive sector, civil construction, mechanics, shipbuilding, chemicals, foundry, machinery, ceramics, plastics, engineering, assembly and others. AIMEN promotes and undertakes research, as well as improves design, simulation and manufacturing technologies. Located in the Northwest of Spain, AIMEN is a highly-professionalized organisation with more than 200 employees specialised in Materials Science, Manufacturing Process Engineering, Control Engineering, and Laser Processing. Its mission is to improve competitiveness and technology know-how of Manufacturing Industry through the following activities: 1) R&D&i projects, 2) Monitoring technology evolution, 3) Acquisition and development of emergent technologies and 4) Promotion of technology innovation in the companies.

  • RESCOLL

    Société de Recherche

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    RESCOLL is an innovative SME, best defined as a research company for materials, specialized in composites and polymers. RESCOLL’s activities are industrial research and development of innovative products and processes. RESCOLL is conducting innovation research in the field of industrial applications of polymers (composites, resins, adhesives, varnish, coatings, etc.) and related fields: bonded assemblies, materials fire behaviour and environmentally friendly surface treatments. RESCOLL currently has 80 employees, including PhDs, engineers and technicians. RESCOLL has been at the origin of more than 40 patents in the field of polymers and composites. RESCOLL has ISO 17025 and NADCAP accredited laboratories and is specialized in the fields of polymer formulation, vibroacoustic testing, mechanical characterization, non-destructive control, fire testing, thermos mechanical analysis, spectrometry and chromatography and surface analysis and accelerated ageing.

  • ESI

    ESI Group - Engineering Systems International

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    ESI is a pioneer and world-leading provider in Virtual Prototyping that takes into account the physics of materials. ESI boasts a unique know-how in Virtual Product Engineering, based on an integrated suite of coherent, industry-oriented applications. ESI's solutions fit into a single collaborative and open environment for End-to-End Virtual Prototyping. Moreover, ESI has experience in R&D collaborative projects, both in National and European projects dealing with software processing and virtual engineering.

    ESI was also involved in projects with composites manufacturing processes for both aeronautical and automotive applications.

    The company employs about 1100 high-level specialists worldwide covering more than 30 countries.

  • MASSGE

    Mondragon Assembly Gmbh

    MASSGE logo

    Mondragon Assembly designs (MASSGE) and manufactures systems and equipment for process automation. We integrate a wide range of commercial elements in our systems and we develop tailor-made solutions to adapt to our customers' requirements providing the most profitable solution in each case.

    MASSGE is in the market for over 35 years providing, in narrow collaboration with clients, cost effective solutions in accordance with their automation needs of the assembly processes. Main sectors of activity for MASSGE are the following ones: Automotive, Photovoltaic, Electrical, Medical and Cosmetic. Machinery developing for these cutting-edge sectors involves wide range of technologies to be implemented and very precise control-monitoring techniques have to be handled.

  • V2I

    V2i S.A.

    V2I logo

    V2i has been founded in 2004 and provides a full range of services in the field of mechanical vibrations: finite element modelling, shaker testing, vibration measuring and analysis, structural/machine monitoring with tailor-made acquisition and analysis systems (hardware and software). The company is focused on Research and Development and targets to offer its customers high technology tailor-made solutions and up-to-date laboratories and testing facilities.

    V2i works for all industrial sectors with a major field of activity in Aerospace that represents about 50% of its revenue. Some references are: Safran Group (Techspace Aero, Cenco, Snecma), Rolls-Royce Germany, Thales, Sabca, Sonaca, Valeo, Emerson, ArcelorMittal. In 2009, OPTRION was bought by V2i. This company, a spin-off of Centre Spatial de Liege (Belgium) is specialized in the development of optical non-destructive testing systems.

  • INAPAL

    INAPAL Plásticos S. A.

    INAPAL logo

    Inapal Plásticos SA has over 40 years’ experience in the automotive industry, first with sheet metal parts as Inapal S.A. and later with composites. Inapal Plásticos have the latest machines and technologies to produce composite parts in SMC, LFT, GMT and LFG. Inapal Plásticos also has a cooperation agreement with an injection company to develop and produce injected parts to be delivered as single parts and/or part as a module.

    INAPAL have the certifications for:

    • ISO TS 16949:2002 / 3rd Edition
    • ISO 14001:2004
    • OSHAS 18001:2007

  • TREE TECHNOLOGY

    Tree Technology, S.A.

    TREE TECHNOLOGY logo

    TREE Technology is a Spanish R&D-performing SME providing information and communication technology solutions based on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for different sectors and markets (e.g., healthcare, security, banking and insurance, cultural heritage, energy, space, industry, and transport). TREE works within an open innovation model to provide their customers with advanced ICT solutions, helping them to optimise their processes and improve their business. R&D activities, in particular cooperative initiatives, are key to the company business model in assessing the maturity of emerging technologies, gathering new and differential knowledge, and identifying strategic partners to create new business opportunities. The R&D unit focuses on Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, integrating emerging technologies as part of the Smart Data ecosystem. In this context, Machine Learning and Analytics, Computer Vision, Cognitive Systems, or Visual Analytics occupy a relevant position among the company’s research lines.

  • MECASONIC

    MECASONIC España SA

    MECASONIC logo

    MECASONIC ESPAÑA SA is a company part of CREST GROUP (USA), which supplies plastic welding machines, essentially using ultrasonic technology. In Spain, MECASONIC work with more than 500 companies dedicated to industrial or commercial activity related to automotive, medical, packaging, food cutting, among other sectors. MECASONIC promotes solution using innovative processes, working with R&D and technical centres to improve design, simulation and joining technologies. MECASONIC is able to develop whole equipment for UT and they fabricate ad-hoc sonotrodes for each client and application.

    To maintain its competitiveness MECASONIC is focused on an R&D strategy, involving the Company in several activities and proposals. An example of this, is its participation in an R&D project to develop an micro-injection equipment for plastics assisted by US. This new machine consumes less energy and material than the current micro-moulding machines.