Keywords

1 Introduction

Manufacturing processes must be the focus of innovation in manufacturing, since they influence the competitiveness of the country-system and provide capital assets for the domestic market or for exportation. This improves global performance in terms of efficiency, sustainability, reconfiguration, flexibility and resilience.

In particular, Italy should become a leader in building manufacturing facilities to be able to address various types of needs, including: management of a large variety of products at different stages of the life cycle; regeneration, reuse, repair of products, components, materials; increase in process efficiency to manufacture high-value and highly complex products.

Research and innovation to promote the digitization of consolidated manufacturing processes have come to the forefront in recent years, but there is still scope for further developments, as consolidated processes continue to represent a large portion of manufacturing processes as a whole.

At the same time, it is essential to study the development of innovative processes with a view adapting them to industrial contexts and improving the interactions that make different types of processes (hybrid processes) manageable. These improvements should focus on a manufacturing system that processes both standard and innovative materials, as well as meso/macro geometries even on a nano or micro scale. Process innovation has always focused on transformation processes for production, and should now support first of all re- and de-manufacturing processes, and the development of transformation models inspired by biological systems.

Against this background, this strategic action line aims to define research and innovation priorities for the development of innovative manufacturing processes that can help the manufacturing system implement the necessary transformation to meet the social and technological challenges illustrated below (Fig. 1):

Fig. 1
figure 1

Strategic Action Line 5—Innovative production processses

Full size image

Process innovation: in order to remain competitive, conventional processes will need to implement digital transformation in combination with technological improvement. This involves adopting systems that can develop solutions to improve productivity, flexibility and sustainability, including through real time process control solutions and process management by way of adaptive control systems. In the short term, these technologies will be just marginally replaced by alternative technologies, as they achieve high surface finishes and geometric accuracy. However, the growing demand for increasingly complex products with lower production volumes is leading to the development of unconventional technologies such as Additive Manufacturing, laser, micromachining, electro -physical and chemical processes and innovative assembly processes, as well as hybrid processes consisting in a combination with traditional technologies, which needs to overcome lead times, volume and cost limits in order to compete in terms of efficiency with traditional processes.

Materials innovation: innovation in materials should be geared towards greater durability, environmental sustainability, possible reuse/recycling, zero/low CO2 emissions. Manufacturing processes should produce and use these innovative materials in typically industrial volumes and time. The concept of generative design is also important. Generative design involves the integration of the properties of these materials in the manufacturing cycle of a component right from the design stage, by developing databases and software tools that include material, process, product performance and life cycle modifications to enhance the advanced modeling and characterization tools of the manufacturing process.

New production paradigms such as biological transformation: a new concept of manufacturing inspired by biological systems found in nature is currently spreading at European level (Byrne et al., 2018). Biological and bio-inspired principles, materials, functions, structures and resources are expected to be increasingly used and integrated in manufacturing, in order to obtain intelligent and sustainable technologies and manufacturing systems (Cainelli et al., 2020).

Four research priorities have been dedicated to the first paradigm. They focus on the innovation of consolidated processes, processes for additive manufacturing, hybrid processes and micro processes. Distinct research priorities have been dedicated to the second and third paradigms, which are in fact cross-topical.

Expected impact: innovation of conventional and non-conventional processes; reduction and reuse of waste materials through innovative processes; increased flexibility and resilience of manufacturing processes; increased performance in terms of volume of work and productivity of innovative processes; reduction of energy consumption; redesign of the manufacturing cycle of a component based on the choice of new materials, new geometries and new manufacturing processes; integration between consolidated and innovative manufacturing processes, improvement of the tools necessary for the simulation of manufacturing processes; reduction of set up and cycle times with shorter time-to-market; improvement of manufacturing processes’ sustainability.

The research and innovation priorities of the strategic action line on Innnovation Production Processes are:

  • PRI5.1.—Technologies, processes and materials for additive manufacturing

  • PRI5.2.—Bio-inspired technologies and manufacturing processes

  • PRI5.3.—Innovation of consolidated manufacturing processes

  • PRI5.4.—Manufacturing processes through hybrid technologies

  • PRI5.5.—Manufacturing and processing of innovative materials

  • PRI5.6.—Processes, products and functionalities on a micro scale

2 PRI5.1 Technologies, Processes and Materials for Additive Manufacturing

On a domestic front, Additive Manufacturing (AM) has been recognized as one of the enabling technologies of the Industry 4.0 plan defined by the Minister of Economic Development, because of the benefits it offers in terms of strategic aspects such as design digitalization, supply chain transformation and high flexibility and freedom in the manufacturing of high-value innovative products. In addition, there is a growing interest on the part of domestic, European and international industry for the development of AM technologies to manufacture metal components and components reinforced with polymeric matrix fibers. In these areas there has been a rapid and important technological development from systems limited to rapid prototyping, to systems that can support small series manufacturing of functional components and final parts.

Despite its robust growth (SmarTech Analysis estimated in 2019 a global additive manufacturing market grow over 10.4 billion dollars) AM is still not fully mature to be implemented in a manufacturing system due to its yet limited manufacturing times and volumes. In particular, the most consolidated processes for manufacturing metal parts (PBF—Powder Bed Fusion and DED—Direct Energy Deposition) are still showing considerable limits in terms of time, printable materials, high defect rate and eecomplex post process operations for the removal of supports, as mentioned by Gartner Hype Cycle 2019, which places these processes in the “Sliding into the Trough” phase. As it is mainly achieved through Material Extrusion processes, also the manufacturing of reinforced components experiences high lead times and the deposition of customizable fibers only on the plane orthogonal to the printing direction. Finally, it should be stressed that, out of habit, the geometry of a component is still currently designed in accordance with traditional processes’ rules, without a full exploitation of AM’s intrinsic ability to manage complex geometric shapes.

For AM to become an industrially viable technology, the research and innovation priority should set the following goals:

  • New design rules: make the most of the AM design potential by combining the concepts of generative design, topological optimization, conformal geometries, meta and multi materials, hierarchical and functional complexity using numerical modeling software to test their performance.

  • Simulation of AM processes: develop software to predict, correct and manage printed parts. The creation of digital twins using exceptional software tools will play an important role in reducing risks when printing parts from prototype to manufacturing. This software should make it possible to simulate the individual manufacturing process of a component and the MES (Manufacturing Execution System) that is essential to control and rationalize the AM workflows of medium/large manufacturing batches.

  • Innovative systems for AM: new AM solutions to increase work volume and/or productivity, thus ensuring the manufacturing of at least 10,000 pieces/year. Development of innovative post-process treatments. Development of innovative solutions for in-process monitoring and control and for post-process inspection and quality control.

  • Solutions for metal AM: new solutions for the manufacturing of complex shape metal components. These solutions should not be constrained by the geometric limits and available materials that typically affect powder bed processes.

  • Solutions for Multi-material AM: new materials, solutions, software and machining strategies for the creation of components built according to criteria of continuous and discontinuous functionally graded materials.

  • Solutions for composite AM: exploit the potential of AM composite materials, solutions to make manipulation of fiber alignments possible at unprecedented levels.

  • AM solutions for new industrial sectors: based on the capacity of AM technology, study and develop solutions for entry into new industrial sectors such as clothing and footwear, oil & gas, pharmaceuticals etc.

  • Sustainable AM: new solutions to improve process sustainability, recover and optimize specific materials such as plastic and in general all materials resulting from other manufacturing processes (second life material).

The expected benefits will be considerable: reducing waste materials and energy consumption compared to traditional technologies will improve the environmental impact of manufacturing; furthermore, new, more sustainable products can be introduced on the market if existing components and assemblies are redesigned with a view to reducing their weight and keeping the same performance. The reduction in set-up and cycle times will lead to a reduction in the time-to-market of small series, allowing Italian companies to be competitive on the global market.

Interaction with Other Action Lines

  • This research and innovation priority will certainly support LI1 thanks to the economic advantages of AM in the production of highly customized geometries with minimum manufacturing volumes.

  • In view of the research priorities expressed by LI2 to date, AM techniques look with interest to the issue of the recycling of materials and zero-waste AM processes, especially in the manufacturing of polymeric parts.

  • Once again, exploiting improved capability to handle high product complexity in the generation of ad hoc solutions can be of support to LI3.

  • Finally, as already explained in the goals, issues such as zero defect or the high-volume production that characterize LI4 can find in the AM a challenge to make this technology mature for the industrial world.

Time Horizon

Short-term goals (2–3 years):

  • New design rules: the knowledge of design rules should be consolidated according to the different additive processes available, highlighting the current limits of technologies in the generation of complex geometries. Completing the knowledge and potential use of the design techniques available to date (topological optimization, conformal cooling, multi-material, etc.) is essential. They have certainly been extensively studied at a basic research level but they are not yet mature for concrete applications on an industrial scale.

  • Simulation of AM processes: available multifunctional software already allows users to perform print quality checks (deformations, residual stress, etc.), orient the parts on a print area/volume, optimize the structure of the parts to take-off weight, add supports and perform what-if analyzes. However, this software is not yet mature to simulate objects that have been designed by extending the geometry of the component as far as possible, for instance for the simulation of the behavior of latex structures, multimaterials such as fiber-loaded polymers and complex materials (for example with combined mechanical and electronic properties).

  • Solutions for composites AM: given the expiry of several patents and the degree of maturity of the technological processes that can manufacture these materials, in recent years a large proliferation of reinforced components has led to a rapid evolution of the knowledge and potential of these solutions. The near future will have to focus on the real applications of these materials in making complex components and on their real alternative to metal components.

Medium-term goals (4–6 years):

  • Innovative systems for AM: today many companies are increasing production volumes as well as the range of printable materials, but few are the pilot projects that support process control. The new AM systems, and in particular those used in manufacturing metal components, should be fitted with integrated monitoring systems for a real-time control of the machining process in order to modify process parameters and correct any machining mistakes as well as stop the process altogether in order to reduce waste of material, time and energy for increasingly sustainable processes.

  • AM solutions for new industrial sectors: to date, the sectors that principally use AM technology are aerospace, automotive, the medical\dental and electronics sectors. Several sectoral studies are forecasting applications in sectors such as clothing, oil & gas, pharmaceutical and architecture in the next few years.

  • Sustainable AM: this issue is closely linked to the creation of innovative systems for AM. Both have therefore, the same time horizon.

  • Solutions for metal AM: in many cases the consolidated PBF and DED processes for these technologies are not yet industrially sustainable. However, other more mature technologies such as Binder Jetting and Material Extrusion are being tested for their performance in manufacturing metal components. These technologies require further improvements in order to be exploitable in manufacturing real components]. At the time being they are not yet totally reliable especially from the point of view of the scale as well as of the real mechanical properties that can be obtained and exploited in the manufacturing of real components.

Long-term goals (7–10 years):

  • Solutions for Multi-material AM: at present, this topic is strongly growing in terms of scientific research but it is not yet ready for an effective fallout in the industrial world as the main AM process (DED) is being developed as reported by Gartner’s Hype Cycle. In the coming years it will be necessary to analyze and optimize the aspects related to dimensional accuracy, thermal stress, the chemical and physical affinity obtainable by mixing different materials.

3 PRI5.2 Bio-Inspired Technologies and Manufacturing Processes

Biological transformation, i.e. the systematic application of biological knowledge in improving manufacturing, is expected to be one of the next technological leaps in manufacturing processes. From a manufacturing point of view, an increase is expected in the use and integration of biological and bio-inspired principles, materials, functions, structures and resources to obtain intelligent and sustainable technologies and manufacturing systems. Biological transformation processes can develop in three separate steps: inspiration, integration, interaction.

In the first step, inspiration, biological phenomena will be translated in the design of products (for instance lighter structures), in their functionality (for instance biomechanics), in the organizational solutions (for instance swarm intelligence, neural networks). In the second step, knowledge of biology will be applied to obtain a real integration of biological systems into manufacturing systems (e.g. replacement of chemical processes with biological processes such as the use of microorganisms for the extraction of rare-earth elements from magnets). The third step will finally see a global interaction between manufacturing, information and biological systems, leading to the creation of completely new and self-sufficient technologies and production structures or the so-called bio intelligent production systems.

The impact of biological transformation in manufacturing will lead in the long term to a continuous improvement in innovation and sustainability for manufacturing processes. A systematic two-way approach would lead to new manufacturing developments, innovations and new products. It would be driven (top down) by technology and industry or (bottom up) by biology. This systematic approach should be based on the various manufacturing processes and on the different biological elements. Full potential can only be reached by combining the various strategies with data collection, digitization and the development of new processes such as additive manufacturing technologies.

However, these paradigms are still at basic research levels to date. Therefore, with a view to their integration into the manufacturing world, this research and innovation priority has the following goals:

  • New structures and surfaces for bio-inspired materials: The major developments in biology-inspired material solutions can be related to a material’s micro/meso structure or to the characteristics of its surface. If the function of a biological material is related to the structure rather than its properties, it is possible to replace the biological material with an artificial one without losing the key aspects of the function concerned (e.g. the structure of a bone). Conversely, it is possible to analyze a material at nano metric level by taking inspiration from the characteristics of its surface rather than its internal structure (e.g. hydrophobicity of leaves).

  • Bio-inspired design: Nature offers examples of highly coupled solutions for complex movements, force and power distribution, controlled degradation, self-healing and regeneration. It is necessary to develop design tools that make it possible to conceive products designed to satisfy the mentioned multi-functionalities, for example by integrating mechanical and electronic parts.

  • Biological interaction and integration in manufacturing processes: The potential for biologization in manufacturing processes, machine tools, robots, assembly systems and sensors is vast and should include environmentally friendly and anti-pollution technologies. The direct use of biological magnitudes and material in manufacturing processes (e.g. use of microbes as a lubricant in cutting operations, use of enzymes for the extraction of raw materials from waste or to carry out transformations, for example in microelectronics, microsystems and polymeric electronics) will be aimed at the optimization of processes and parameters, integration of the biological function in structures, integration of biomimetic sensors in processes as well as in robots’ body mimicry.

  • Manufacturing of bio-intelligent devices: in order to achieve the ultimate goal of bio-intelligent manufacturing, it is necessary to boost the potential of correctly applied concepts in the fields of synthetic biology, bio electrochemistry, microfluidics, bioreactors and artificial intelligence to allow the development of intelligent devices.

Interaction with Other Action Lines

  • Interaction with LI1 with regard to the creation of bio-intelligent devices.

  • This will pave the way towards the realization of new sustainability benchmarks in line with LI2

  • Regarding LI3, study of new human–machine interfaces based on components that integrate biological structures.

  • The concept of biological inspiration will be applied at various levels in current business situations, from process innovation to system innovation (LI 4, LI 6) and it will finally change the rules of next generation manufacturing management systems (LI 7).

Time Horizon

Medium-term goals (4–6 years):

  • New structures and surfaces for bio-inspired materials: to date there are different prototypes of products or surfaces of bio-inspired parts. However they present certain critical issues that must be investigated, such as: scalability—since certain biological functions that work on a micro- or nanoscale fail on a macro scale (e.g. geckoes’ adhesive property); constraints in materials—since for certain biological materials no artificial substitute is available (e.g. no man-made material can mimic a spider’s web and retain its unique properties, even if its molecular structure is well known); constraints related to manufacturing processes.

  • Bio-inspired design: the advantages drawn to date from bio-inspired product design include the possibility of changing the products’ design in order to increase their performance, even if this means increasing their manufacturing complexity. It will therefore be necessary to increase both the level of knowledge and the limits of this new design concept as well as the level of digitization of the manufacturing chain, in order to be able to manage the higher levels of complexity given by the new designs.

  • Enzymatic processes: they are mature for some specific sectors (e.g. food) and in the medium term it will be necessary to understand which ones can find their application in manufacturing (e.g. use of microbes as refrigerants in cutting operations).

  • Manufacturing of bio-intelligent devices: promising technology in the field of micro fluidics and micro electronics in general. Future scenarios will show a development through integration of the biological with the artificial component and manufacturing processes that can achieve such integration.

Long-term goals (7–10 years):

  • Biological interaction and integration in manufacturing processes: the transition to the design of bio-inspired processes should take place incrementally by adopting various biological solutions in the medium-long term.

4 PRI5.3 Innovation of Consolidated Manufacturing Processes

The increasing demand for customized products, with lower environmental impact and prompt and quick response to customer needs, is radically changing the organization of manufacturing systems (A graphical method for performance mapping of machines & milling tools). Despite the current evolution of innovative technologies such as additive manufacturing, chip removal will for years to come retain its role as primary technology (Agubra et al., 2016) in the higher value sectors of the Italian supply chains, together with foundry, plastic deformation and sheet metal processing (cutting, welding and bending) because they can obtain excellent surface finishes and high geometric accuracy. For example, it is expected that some sectors, such as e-mobility, will push towards an ever greater use of machine tools, given that powertrain components require high levels of precision (AMFG—The Additive Manufacturing Landscape, 2020).

In order to remain competitive, consolidated processes will have to undergo a digital transformation associated with technological growth through the adoption of systems capable of developing solutions that can improve productivity, flexibility and sustainability, also by adopting solutions for real-time process control and its management by adaptive control systems (Arias-Rosales; Armendia et al., 2019; Ii & La Bioeconomia in Italia).

The goals associated with this research and innovation priority are listed below:

  • Development of Digital Twin models for tools, processes and manufacturing machines with the aim of creating libraries and digital models to capture the physical phenomena underlying the processes and predict their behavior so as to support both their design and their execution phase. Furthermore, it is also necessary to develop adequate architectures that promote the integration of different digital models of different process components.

  • Design and development of manufacturing processes to take into account the evolving features of machines and tools to the production needs. In particular, it is necessary to design jointly both the process and the machine that carries out production.

  • Innovative solutions for manufacturing technologies: manufacturing processes need to be transformed to allow the processing of difficult materials (e.g. fragile, elastic materials), processing in critical environments (e.g. explosive environments, biohazard environments), increase in production rates (e.g. cutting speed), improvement of quality and reduction of set-up times. These innovations include technological machine modules (e.g. spindle, sources), tools (e.g. materials, geometries) and equipment (e.g. zero-point clamping, adaptive equipment).

  • Solutions for real-time optimization of productivity and process quality, easy to use and install on machines with different characteristics and numerical controls. Namely, the development of adaptive control methodologies, including those based on artificial intelligence, model-based process control systems and control systems based on artificial intelligence, to improve the performance of a manufacturing system, optimize performance in terms of productivity, quality and efficiency and a use of the machines to optimize their life cycle.

  • Methods and models for process planning and product re-design: it is necessary to develop joint product-process design models that make the most of the materials’ potential (whether from a catalog or purpose designed) both to smooth work during manufacturing and to monitor performance during use. There is also a need for process planning models designed to meet several goals, such as the cost-effectiveness and low environmental impact of machining processes, and that can produce alternative machining sequences one can choose from during the manufacturing of products, depending on the conditions of each specific manufacturing plant.

  • Solutions to reduce the environmental impact of processing, by developing new strategies to reduce the impact of consumables (lubrication) and energy consumption of the process (modifications to machine components and choice of working parameters) and for the reduction of scraps. A second line of industrial research will address the reduction of the chemical footprint through the adoption of substances and primary materials and accessories that have higher recyclability.

  • Multi-material and multifunctional joining techniques to ensure the coexistence of different functional responses, such as for example (homogeneous or non-homogeneous) welds with different mechanical properties (elastic and stainless), electrical properties (excellent conductivity, low contact potential) and thermal properties (good conductivity). The improvement of the features of joints should address balanced goals and respond to needs that might even be conflicting such as mechanical properties during operation and the ease of disassembly, in a circular economy perspective.

  • Innovative solutions for assembly: development of new solutions to ensure a product’s performance when precision limits are set on the components’ production through solutions for tolerance compensation that may ensure high quality products through selective assembling strategies.

  • Adaptive and resilient processes, i.e. processes that can continue production even where there are significant supply change disruptions, as it happened with SARS Covid 19 (resilience), or quickly adapt to changing market demands.

Interaction with Other Action Lines

  • Technological integration, endorsed through LI4, especially for the strong level of automation already existing in companies operating in sectors such as the automotive industry, combined with the new opportunities offered by electric mobility.

  • The solutions based on generative design and multifunctional joints will be related to the customization and rapid adaptation goals set out in LI1.

  • With regard to strategic action line LI3, it will be necessary to study and adapt the human–machine interaction systems that incorporate new functions and new digital process models,

  • The issues addressed in LI2 are obviously important for LI5, a goal of which is sustainable evolution of consolidated processes by improving their energy efficiency and environmental footprint.

Time Horizon

Short-term goals (2–3 years):

  • Autonomous solutions for real-time optimization of productivity and process quality—These solutions should not be considered only at individual machining process level. Instead, it is necessary to develop rules and logics at machine and manufacturing cell level.

Medium-term goals (4–6 years):

  • Solutions to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing—These solutions must be meant to act both on the process side and on the automation side, at machine level and at cell level.

  • Generative design—Aimed to develop approaches that may turn the design of physical chemical properties into methods available in CAD CAM for the mechanical designer and establish specifications that can be transferred to the manufacturing process.

  • Digital Twin models of tools, machining processes and processing machines—In the medium term, new models must be studied and developed for CAD, CAM and simulation platforms, to ensure the formalization of knowledge and calculation speed.

Medium-long term objectives (5–10 years).

  • Multifunctional joining techniques—The improvement of the characteristics of multifunctional joints is being researched and, in order to be truly applicable in the industrial field, it requires the development and fine-tuning of new processes that can guarantee an optimal balance of the priorities of the various materials.

  • Process control through artificial intelligence systems—selection and optimized control of process parameters during AI-supported machining.

  • Adaptive and resilient processes to comply with this definition, processes must be able to adapt the manufacturing cycle of products based on the deviations of the characteristics of materials and incoming parts. Furthermore, tools and methodologies must be developed to quickly adapt processes to the new productions.

5 PRI5.4 Manufacturing Processes Using Hybrid Technologies

Developing production systems to support customization is a goal of the transition to Industry 4.0 at national and international level (A graphical method for performance mapping of machines & milling tools; Agubra et al., 2016). This goal can be achieved by developing flexible, productive solutions that can process the new materials available on the market. Thanks to research and technological development, many conventional and unconventional manufacturing processes are now available for a highly efficient machining of traditional and innovative materials. The combination and integration of these processes to create a hybrid production system is a fundamental step to drive further improvements in process efficiency and greater flexibility. Hybrid manufacturing processes are based on a controlled interaction of several processes during the same machining procedure. These processes have different energy sources, tools and process parameters (AMFG—The Additive Manufacturing Landscape, 2020). This integration can help obtain improved performance, i.e. better machining of materials and less friction, and achieve high levels of flexibility by promptly alternating multiple technologies within the same manufacturing process. This can already be seen in the additive-subtractive hybrid machines recently launched on the market (Arias-Rosales).

The integration of different technologies poses challenges at design and process management level. It will be necessary not only to identify the optimal solutions for hybridization, pinpointing groups of technologies that can lead to concrete benefits thanks to a thorough integration, but also to develop solutions and approaches for an efficient use of hybrid technologies, whether in terms of guidelines for redesigning components and work cycles or in terms of software for constant exchange of information between integrated processes (Manufuture 2030; Armendia et al., 2019).

These systems should allow companies to reduce manufacturing cycle times and manufacturing cycle setup times, significantly increasing production flexibility. The introduction of new multi-materials makes it possible to obtain products with better physical–mechanical characteristics than current solutions. Furthermore, an increase in productivity is expected thanks to the support of multiple technologies/energy sources. Processes will be faster and cheaper and material waste will be contained by adopting technologies that can reduce the geometric constraints of current solutions (e.g.: additive–subtractive hybrid solutions).

The goal of this research and innovation priority is to study and develop advanced hybrid solutions and in particular:

  • Hybrid machines that can use different technologies both sequentially and simultaneously and improve the performance of a manufacturing process and its manufacturing flexibility. Furthermore, new solutions should be developed, introducing multisensory approaches to control materials and product in line.

  • Hybrid solutions for AM: Integration of additive technologies and conventional technologies, for a greater flexibility in production planning by containing lead times, and in the definition of a component’s geometries. These technologies also promote the creation of multi-material and/or fiber-reinforced hybrid components.

  • Design of hybrid processes/tools to improve machining yield and increase process capacity, by exploiting multiple technologies at the same time (for example drilling and ultrasound, laser and plastic deformation, forming and joining processes, differentiated functionalization of the different materials in a product).

  • Hybridization strategies through the use of mechanical and thermal processes or conditioning technologies (lubrication, refrigeration) for the material being processed and the tools.

  • Combination of traditional and micro-scale machining in an integrated machine that guarantees an improvement in cycle times (i.e. time required to move the component from one station to another) and component quality (no repositioning).

Interaction with Other Action Lines

  • Interaction with LI1 (Systems for customized production) since the integration of multiple processes in a single manufacturing system will make it possible to develop machines that can support Mass Customization, not only because of an increase in flexibility, but also because of the introduction of new (multi) materials that can more easily meet the customer's needs.

  • Interaction with LI4 (Systems for high efficiency manufacturing) since the integration of technologies will aim to improve the efficiency of the process thanks to the development of new approaches that increase a material’s workability, lubrication and machining rate.

Time Horizon

Short-term goals (2–3 years):

  • Hybrid solutions for AM: improvements regarding process monitoring, development of guidelines for their efficient use and greater flexibility in changing materials.

  • Hybridization strategies through the use of mechanical and thermal processes (2–3 years): improvement of processing efficiency to increase the number of possible applications (e.g.: Laser Assisted Machining).

Medium-term goals (4–6 years):

  • Hybrid process/tool design (4–6 years): the development of highly integrated manufacturing systems consisting of 2 or more technologies requires the design of new machines and the development of control systems and guidelines for its efficient use.

  • Combination of traditional and micro scale machining (4–6 years): the application of hybrid technologies to the micro world will reduce the components’ manufacturing times in rapidly growing sectors such as medical devices.

6 PRI5.5. Manufacturing and Machining Processes for Innovative Materials

The European strategy towards circular economy (waste elimination) implies that materials for 500 Mt/year could be re-injected into the economic system. Therefore, materials innovation will be oriented towards greater sustainability in terms of durability, environmental sustainability, the reusing/recycling possibility, zero/low CO2 emissions. The replacement of metals with polymers is already a reality thanks to injection processes for the manufacturing of gears, levers, pulleys, for example in food packaging. Innovative design is already proposing materials obtained from completely natural raw materials (bio-based and biodegradable packaging), such as “plastics” from algae. Organic alternatives such as bamboo, mushrooms and wheat straw are already being used in place of traditional oil and plastic-based packaging.

Innovation in materials requires guaranteed performance, to be implemented in terms of multifunctionality and diversification of application areas, because of the improved performance (for example of composites) with respect to the new geometries/architectures resulting from the application of lightening, miniaturization and hybridization.

The use of materials can be improved from as early as the combined product/material design phase, by developing databases and software tools that include material, process, product performance and life cycle changes, by enhancing modeling tools and advanced characterization (generative design). (Arias-Rosales; Armendia et al., 2019) The development of new materials (light, high-performance, secondary materials) requires the study and development of many technologies, processes and capital assets.

The objectives of this priority for the coming years refer to:

  • Technologies for manufacturing based on innovative materials, with high mechanical and functional characteristics such as CO2 capture materials, membranes and filter systems, catalysts, NOx depletion coatings, waste materials, for the water and gas effluents treatment materials, new polymers and composites including from organic waste, biocompatible materials, lighter materials, recycled materials from other machining processes (second life materials);

  • Technologies for manufacturing energy products based on high performance materials such as metal alloys, ceramics and coatings for high temperatures, structural materials for advanced wind technologies, functional materials for photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, of energy accumulation materials, thermal insulation and electricity/heat storage materials (Bourell et al., 2005; Byrne et al., 2018; Cainelli et al., 2020; BIT II – La Bioeconomia in Italia).

  • Technologies for manufacturing products based on the use of nano-materials that allow the functionalization/nano-structuring of surfaces to give, for example, antimicrobial, antiviral, “anti-fouling”, self-cleaning properties, especially focusing on manufacturing safety and the use of nano-powders.

  • Innovation of processes for manufacturing complex high-value materials increasing their efficiency (in terms of energy consumption, waste reduction, reduction of the use of non-renewable raw materials)

  • Technologies for manufacturing materials for high-risk applications, such as materials to operate in specific environmental conditions, explosive atmospheres, biological and chemical risks.

  • New processes for manufacturing composite materials on a large scale as well as tools to process them (wear resistance, low cost, flexibility).

Interaction with Other Intervention Lines

  • Integration with LI3 and LI4 with regard to the improvement of monitoring/diagnostic tools, which is possible thanks to materials for new sensors, actuators, wireless systems,

  • Integration with LI3 also with regard to the impact of the processing of new materials on the workers’ health risks;

  • Generative design is a topic shared with LI7, for a greater integration of the materials’ data in computing systems’ libraries.

  • Integration with LI4 with regard to the technologies for the production of energy materials. The aim is to achieve a large mass production that is competitive on the global scene and yet meets the safety and environmental sustainability standards of EU regulations.

Time Horizon

Short-term goals (2–3 years):

  • Manufacturing of structural and functional materials: this goal, which is currently consolidated at laboratory level, will be effectively introduced into the manufacturing system in the coming years.

Medium-term goals (4–6 years):

  • Technologies for the use of nano-materials: the technologies that will allow industrial production in the next five years will have to be developed in the short and medium term.

Long-term goals (7–10 years).

  • Production of energy materials with particular reference to the segments of the battery value chain, to achieve the set goals by 2030.

  • Development of new processes for the manufacturing of composite materials on a large scale: this goal is strongly correlated to the evolution of technological production processes (from traditional to innovative ones such as additive manufacturing) and is currently in a mature phase as regards manufacturing of composite materials, but still ongoing for large-scale production.

7 PRI5.6. Micro-Scale Processes, Products and Functionalities

In recent decades, a strong trend has emerged towards the miniaturization of devices, to extend their use to contexts with space and weight limitations. The electronic field, with MEMS, was the pioneer of this breakthrough towards miniaturization, first with laptops and then with smartphones. The coming of microengineering, in addition to microelectronics, has generated new product and process strategies that are becoming significantly widespread in the aerospace, automotive and, above all, biomedical industries. The latter, in particular, represents the real next frontier of micro devices development. In fact, applications such as lab-on-chips and microfluidic devices in general, for home care and self-diagnosis, have become attractive development areas for the scientific community and the industrial world.

In the field of micromachining, two different approaches can be identified, namely one that specifically focuses on the creation of micro components and one that deals with developing micro functionalities on macro products. These two approaches often involve, in different ways, main micro-processing techniques such as micro EDM, laser micro-processing, micro-milling, injection micro-molding, surface micro structuring. In other cases, however, they all contribute, thanks to an interdisciplinary approach, to the development of very complex devices with a massive impact in terms of diffusion.

The “micro factory” has become the new manufacturing standard, and it focuses on the realization of micro components and micro devices. The production of micro parts often requires special manufacturing, handling and assembly environments, such as clean rooms or vacuum chambers. A prerequisite for both the micro-factory and the (macro) factory, is the achievement of complete process integration. The manufacturing of micro parts can, in fact, be facilitated if different processes (or process phases) are performed with only one positioning, in order to contain machining tolerances, with micrometric or even sub-micrometric precision. A new concept of factory is being defined, as a result of the high cost of the devices and equipment used in microfabrication, and the high technological competence required, namely the concept of a widespread (micro) factory, in which the various parts of the equipment are available in different places, towns or even regions. This approach distributes the costs of purchasing and operating equipment, but it also requires planning to optimize the transfer of components or semi-finished products (sometimes in considerable volumes) from one place to another. Thus, “design for micro-manufacturing” and “design for micro-assembly” are no longer alternative, but strongly interconnected approaches. An aspect that is positively affected by this miniaturization process is certainly logistics. Indeed, moving these micro parts is very simple and very economical as their small size makes them considerably easier to be packed and transported safely, while also ensuring the management of large volumes.

Therefore, the essential goals for the next few years, in order to bring the micro manufacturing sector to an important level of feasibility, are:

  • New approaches focused on the reliability of micromachining processes: a topic in great demand by the European Community is “reliability”, since the medium-term goal is to reach industrial production level for micro-base devices and/or components, through the study and development of new approaches that improve the reliability of micromachining and surface functionalization and structuring;

  • New approaches for the geometric characterization of products and functionalities at micro level: this is one of the most critical aspects of micro manufacturing because the typical “macro” approaches do not work when it comes to the characterization of a micro product or functionality due to technical limitations, because of its small size and the risk of damaging micro components. It is therefore necessary to study and develop new inspection technologies, new approaches and methodologies to support the geometric and surface characterization of micro products.

  • Methodologies and approaches for simulating micro processes: simulation is fundamental for virtualization of processes in order to minimize errors and reduce manufacturing costs. Several efforts have been put in recent years in the simulation of micro processes. This has highlighted the need for new approaches to support processes such as micro injection molding and laser-material iteration, with high-brightness sources as well as ultra-short pulses, micro electro-erosion and micro milling.

  • New micro factory models: the current approach to micromachining as dedicated to individual independent processes need to be overcome. In particular, the migration to “micro factories” needs to be supported by integrating the different micromachining processes and minimizing mistakes, ensuring high production quality also through the distributed micro factory concept.

  • Technologies and systems for assembly at a micro geometric level: this is an aspect of great scientific interest which, however, still has a very low TRL. The handling of micro components presents several criticalities. This involves the need to study new technologies and systems for assembly operations such as the gripping of a micro component, its correct orientation and its release.

Interaction with Other Action Lines

  • In view of the research priorities expressed by LI2, micro technologies, especially in the manufacturing of parts made with innovative materials, can be considered highly sustainable given the small size of the devices and the consequent lower use of materials.

  • The concept of micro factory requires interaction at a macro level with LI4, LI6.

Time Horizon

Medium-term goals (4–6 years):

  • Reliability of micromachining processes.

  • Geometric characterization of products and functionalities at micro level: reaching a level of geometric characterization for micro components, as is already available for macro components, is still an open challenge. Eventually, however some light begins to be shed on the goal. The great scientific efforts made over the last few years to identify characterization criteria for the micro sector are moving in the right direction. The real challenge is implementing vision systems also for the control of micro components during the manufacturing phase

  • Simulation of micromachining processes: the simulation of micro processes is very complex since it often presupposes the use of software developed for conventional processes, the reference models of which must therefore be adapted. The main difficulty lies in the fact that anything considered negligible at macro level takes on considerable importance in the micro field. Let us think, for example, of the Van der Walls forces, the surface tension rather than the adhesion coefficient.

Long-term goals (7–10 years).

  • Technologies and systems for handling and assembly at micro geometric level: The handling of micro-components, their correct orientation and release are very complex issues, and they still require a lot of research efforts combined with the need to rethink the devices’ design with a view to minimizing as much as possible both handling and assembly phases.

  • Integration of micro processes towards the concept of micro-factories: this is the real challenge for the future, i.e. the integration of various micro-machining processes, at present still often used independently.