The Faramir project (Rapid Mineral Resin Additive Manufacturing) launched in May 2018 as part of the support programme for innovative SMEs, www.acces-pme.fr, aims to develop an additive manufacturing process with mineral charge to make functional parts at optimized costs. After the installation of a small-capacity machine last October at the IRT Jules Verne, the characterization on impregnated 3D test tubes was undertaken a few weeks ago. The next step is the implementation of a large capacity machine in the second half of 2019 at Loiretech.
The first pieces from this technology were exhibited at the Jec world show. The Faramir project aims to develop an innovative process based on the hybridization of additive mineral manufacturing and vacuum impregnation of 3D preforms. The objective is to obtain direct tools with characteristics equivalent to tools made of machineable board, with the aim of making parts of complex shapes in a single step.
Meeting the innovation needs of the leading industrial sectors
By simplifying industrial processes, the IRT Jules Verne and its partners intend to respond to the constraints of the pace and cost of the industrial sectors. Applications are considered include diversion tools for the automotive market, parts that are both medium-sized and complex in shape. The project took a major step forward with the installation of Voxeljet VX200 equipment for the manufacture of the first 3D test tubes impregnated at the Jules Verne IRT in January of this year. Loiretech will host a large-capacity machine in the second half of 2019. The development phase of the parameters on the demonstrator will then begin.
The start of an ambitious programme to support SMEs: SME access
Launched in May 2018 for a period of 3 years, the Faramir project has a budget of 1.46 million euros. This is the first project developed under the www.acces-pme.fr scheme, carried out by the EMC2 competitiveness cluster to carry out projects within the IRT Jules Verne. With this program, the Jules Verne Institute for Technological Research intends to enhance its relationships with innovative SMEs in the Far West that design processes for the future of factories, by accompanying their rise in skills and offering them the opportunity to integrate shorter and lighter research devices.
Find out more: https://www.irt-jules-verne.fr/