Participants

Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI)

With approximately 40,000 students, Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) is the largest university for Engineering, Architecture and Industrial Design in Italy. The POLIMI unit will operate in the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta” (www.cmic.polimi.it) as well as in the Mechanical Engineering Department (www.mecc.polimi.it).
POLIMI gives a direct contribution to the development of the manufacturing research agenda of the Lombardy Region being in the Board of the “AFIL, Lombardy Association Intelligent Factory”. POLIMI is active in the research and innovation activities of the Italian Cluster “Intelligent Factory”, a 42 Million action funded by the Italian Ministry of Research for boosting manufacturing activities in Italy, also including more than 250 Italian SMEs and large industries. POLIMI was promoter of the CIRP (www.cirp.net) interdisciplinary Working Group named SPECIES (www.species.polimi.it) aiming at enhancing the integration of product, process and production systems design and management, considering the way they evolve together, in the modern socio-economic and technological context.

Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta” (CMIC)

The POLIMI unit based at the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta” will operate through the Laboratory of Chemistry and Characterization of Innovative Polymers (ChIP lab, http://chiplab.chem.polimi.it). The unit possesses a strong long-lasting experience in the field of polymer and composite science, macromolecular chemistry and materials characterization, physical chemistry of surfaces and interfaces, fluorinated polymers and rheology. More specifically, the ChIP lab research unit is currently particularly interested in the design, development and characterization of polymeric and composite materials for sustainability. The ChIP lab research unit is fully equipped with an extensive range of facilities for the synthesis, characterization and testing of polymeric and composite materials that will be fully exploited during the project. A non-exhaustive list of such facilities is reported in the following: NMR 400 MHz spectrometers, FTIR (transmission, ATR, micro-ATR) and UV-Vis spectrophotometers, spectrofluorometer, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), dilute solution viscometry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical/thermal analysis (DMTA), rotational rheometers, optical contact angle by sessile drop, atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), mechanical tests (dynamometer with longstroke extensometer, compression molding). The research unit also possesses facilities for additive manufacturing (fused deposition modelling, liquid deposition modelling, stereolithography, digital light projection).
The role of POLIMI-Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta” in the project will be mainly focused on: the development, characterization and testing of new thermally-responsive polymeric matrices; their incorporation in CFRCs; the structural and functional validation of the resulting CFRCs; the definition and optimization of CFRC repair and de/remanufacturing protocols; the scientific and administrative coordination of the project.

Mechanical Engineering Department (DMEC)

Within the Mechanical Engineering Department, the Manufacturing and Production System Lab (http://www.mecc.polimi.it/en/research/research-lines/manufacturing-and-production-systems/) will be involved in the project. Its main research topics concern the area of transformation processes of industrial products ranging from mechanical and technological characteristics of transformed materials to methodologies and tools for designing processes, the planning, management and control of manufacturing and assembly systems. The Manufacturing and Production System Lab is currently focused on the application of new technologies in terms of development, monitoring and characterization. A non-exhaustive list of such facilities is reported in the following: a waterjet machine, a milling machine, laser stations for additive and cutting production, stations for micromachining application (micro-milling and laser micromachining), a room for sample characterization with optical profilometer, focal variation microscope, confocal microscope, a coordinate-measuring machine.
The Mechanical Engineering Department has extensive experience in the development and coordination of large innovation projects, including EU funded projects, as well as in the transfer of technological innovations to industry.
The activities of the Mechanical Engineering Department in the project will involve: the optimization of repair and de/remanufacturing protocols for CFRC part recovery and reuse (together with ITIA); the dissemination activities.

Sistemi e Tecnologie Industriali Intelligenti per il Manifatturiero Avanzato
(STIIMA-CNR)

STIIMA-CNR deeply invests in the research, coherently with the European objectives, with the aim of continuously supporting the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector by bringing innovation in the factory. STIIMA -CNR, as a promoter of industrial innovation, performs strategic activities of Scientific Research and Technological Development for the Competitiveness and Sustainability of Italian and European Manufacturing and De-Manufacturing Industries. STIIMA is coordinating and animating a regional stakeholders- group on de/ and remanufacturing, in cooperation with the Intelligent Factory Lombardy Cluster. Stakeholders of this group will be involved during the project as external experts and for the diffusion of project results.
Finally, STIIMA owns a pilot plant for the EoL treatment of mechatronics products, which will be used for experimental activity.
The following ITIA-CNR research groups will be participating in the project:
1. Manufacturing Business Models (MBM) - http://cms.itia.cnr.it/mbm/mission/
The MBM research group studies the business models which enable the diffusion of new technologies establishing win-win situations between customers and suppliers.
2. De-manufacturing/re-manufacturing research group: The technical activities related to the analysis and development of innovative recycling systems will be carried out by the research group operating in the Recycling Cell of STIIMA demanufacturing Pilot Plant.
3. Researchers dealing with LCA and LCC within the research group of Machine and Manufacturing Control Systems.

COMPOSER project

Funded by Fondazione Cariplo