RIGHTWEIGHT partners meet for the first time to discuss project progress
Posted onAfter one year of the project’s start, the RIGHTWEIGHT partners met physically for the first time in Enschede (The Netherlands) on October 27-28th 2021. Read More
RIGHTWEIGHT
Project Summary
RIGHTWEIGHT - Novel advanced materials solutions for affordable lightweight to meet automotive and aerospace makers’ needs
Applying lightweight solutions is the most efficient approach to make transport greener (Lucintel’18; McK’12). However, SME suppliers of automotive and aerospace parts in NWE encounter severe challenges to define optimal lightweighting: automotive struggles to integrate the most advanced materials; aerospace, to reach acceptable costs and production speeds. Each sector uniquely excels in specific areas: e.g. automotive leads automated mass manufacturing and aerospace, materials performance. To effectively adopt feasible lightweight solutions, more affordable and environmentally-friendly innovations must be co-developed across the value chain: market-pull from demand side will stimulate a competitiveness increase of supplier SMEs, while contributing to reduce overall CO2 transport emissions.
Expectations
RIGHTWEIGHT will support 50+ manufacturing SMEs in automotive and aerospace value chains to deliver components meeting car/aircraft makers’ needs. 20+ novel lightweight products will be incubated to TRL7 by 2022, improving environmental performance and greater value-for-money via an open cross-sectorial process combining educational activities and transnational thematic competitions in 5 cross-cutting areas within lightweight:
- Materials supply & development
- Characterization & modelling
- Design & smart functions
- Manufacturing & assembly
- Recycling
Partners will provide dedicated training in specialised complementary fieldlabs.
5 countries with automotive and aerospace relevance (RIS3) will be involved, leveraging leader-follower synergies: FR (aero), DE and BE (auto), NL (both) and IT (strong in both). 50+ end-users (large demand actors) from 7 regions are already committed (assoc. part.).
RIGHTWEIGHT will pioneer to stimulate cross-sectorial transfer between actors now operating in one value chain with dedicated transnational sessions (also inviting peer projects) and a novel database of success cases.
We will anchor €10M turnover & 100 jobs in NWE, while generating €2M turnover & 50 jobs by 2022.
Objectives of RIGHTWEIGHT
The overall objective of RIGHTWEIGHT is to increase the competitiveness of automotive and aerospace SMEs delivering new solutions that meet environmental and affordability targets. Cross-sectoral collaboration and dedicated support will help them increase capacity to co-develop solutions meeting car/aircraft makers’ needs. RIGHTWEIGHT will set up a transnational ecosystem connecting 7 partner regions with complementary expertise (FR aero, DE & BE auto; NL & IT both), to be expanded with 3 additional NWE regions (LU, IE, UK).
Cross-cutting areas within lightweight:
Join the ecosystem
Join the ecosystem of entities working in automotive and aerospace industries, register to the NMWP portal and explore the synergies and opportunities transnationally.
Project Partners
-
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie - Institut für Produktentwicklung (IPEK)
10 Kaiserstr
Karlsruhe
76131
Germany -
Flanders Make
133 Oude Diestersebaan
Lommel
3920
Belgium -
Polymeris, pôle de compétitivité Plasturgie & Composites
Rue Léonard de Vinci
Changé
53810
France -
IMAST – DISTRETTO SULL’INGEGNERIA DIE MATERIALI POLIMERICI E COMPOSITI E STRUTTURE SCARL
22 Piazza Giovanni Bovio
Naples -
Cluster NanoMikroWerkstoffePhotonik.NRW c/o NMWP Management GmbH
1 Merowingerplatz
Düsseldorf
40225
Germany -
AutomotiveNL
30 Automotive Campus
Helmond
5708 JZ
Netherlands -
Saxion Hogeschool
70000 Postbus
Enschede
7500 KB
Netherlands
Lead partner
| Organisation | Address | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saxion Hogeschool |
70000 Postbus Enschede 7500 KB Netherlands |
j.h.d.voerman@saxion.nl | www.thermoplasticcomposites.nl |
| Name | Contact Name | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karlsruher Institut für Technologie - Institut für Produktentwicklung (IPEK) | Markus Spadinger | markus.spadinger@kit.edu | Germany |
| Flanders Make | Ger van den Kerkhof | ger.vandenkerkhof@flandersmake.be | Belgium |
| Polymeris, pôle de compétitivité Plasturgie & Composites | Annabelle Sion | annabelle.sion@polymeris.fr | France |
| IMAST – DISTRETTO SULL’INGEGNERIA DIE MATERIALI POLIMERICI E COMPOSITI E STRUTTURE SCARL | Evelina Milella | presidente@imast.it | |
| Cluster NanoMikroWerkstoffePhotonik.NRW c/o NMWP Management GmbH | Hagen Watschke | Hagen.Watschke@nmwp.de | Germany |
| AutomotiveNL | Jean Pierre Heijster | j.heijster@raivereniging.nl | Netherlands |
Documents
Find all of the latest documents from the RIGHWEIGHT project here.
1. Benchmark on Environmental Regulations in the North-West-Europe Region
Deliverable 3.1 – Working group on policy: goals and guidelines
2. Report on operational procedures
Deliverable 3.1 – Working group on policy: goals and guidelines
Auto – Aero: Technology Transfer Assessment for Light Weighting
NEWS and PUBLICATIONS
RIGHTWEIGHT Regional Workshops
Posted onTo promote the RIGHTWEIGHT challenges a selection of regional workshops were organised. Watch the workshops below from AutomotiveNL, IMAST, NMWP and KIT! Discover more about the support programme and hear from a selection of the challenge providers themselves. Read More
RIGHTWEIGHT Global Workshop - Recap
Posted onOn the 27th of May, we held our RIGHTWEIGHT Global Workshop! The event highlighted the RIGHTWEIGHT support programme, the challenges and how to apply. Read More
TPAC - Over €6 million for Perspective programme ENLIGHTEN: lighter vehicles
Posted onSaxion TPAC partners in a University of Twente-led consortium that will be working on research into technological innovations with real economic potential that could help us to achieve a more sustainable world. The research project ENLIGHTEN (Enabling Integrated Lightweight Structures In High Volumes) aims at ‘Reducing CO2 emissions by making vehicles lighter’. Read the full article below over on the TPAC website. Read More
NMWP.NRW: Printed miniature loudspeaker with a future perspective
Posted onNMWP.NRW: Printed miniature loudspeaker with a future perspective It has six corners and is about the size of a 1-cent piece: In an additive manufacturing process, miniature loudspeakers as part of piezoelectric, microelectromechanical systems - so-called piezo-MEMS - can be efficiently and inexpensively manufactured using a combination of inkjet printing and laser technology. This is proven by scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, the Institute for Materials in Electrical Engineering 2 (IWE2) at RWTH Aachen University and the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology ISIT. A corresponding demo component was created as part of the recently completed BMBF joint project »Generative production of efficient piezo-MEMS for microactuators (GENERATOR)«. Piezo-MEMS are real technical all-rounders, because the wafer-thin piezoelectric layers fulfill either actuator or sensor functions: either they expand when an electrical field is applied or they convert mechanical movement into electrical voltage. They are accordingly in demand in communication or medical technology, for example as sensors or actuators in pumps, valves or speakers - each in miniature format. The thin layers usually consist of lead zirconate titanate (PZT), currently the most powerful piezoelectric functional ceramic. Piezoelectric layers a few μm thick are preferably used, which can be structured very precisely, for example by etching or direct printing. - CHECK FOR MORE INFORMATION: Read More
NMWP.NRW: World record drive with electric car ends on Sylt
Posted onWorld record drive with electric car ends on Sylt Medicine, aviation and the automotive industry are often dependent on very complex plastic components. With the help of additive manufacturing processes, often also called 3D printing, these can be produced individually, easily and in the right quantities. A widespread and high quality process in this area is so-called laser sintering. A laser first melts a polymer powder and then builds up the desired plastic component in layers. But there is a catch: So far, only a few materials are available for the process, as the production of very fine polymer powders is very complex and corresponding processes are only established for a few materials. In a research project, scientists at the University of Paderborn want to develop new processes for the production of any plastic material in powder form. For this purpose, a laboratory hall was extensively converted, equipped with the necessary equipment and machines and now completed after around two years of planning and construction. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is funding the three-year project with a project volume of around 3.8 million euros. "Industrial Manufacturing in North Rine Westphalia" (iAMnrw-Materials), so the project title, bundles the competencies of Kunststofftechnik Paderborn (KTP) and the Chair for Particle Process Engineering (PVT) as well as the Chair for Material Science (LWK) for another project for the production of Metal powders and is located centrally in the Paderborn Institute for Additive Manufacturing (PIAF). Read More
NMWP.NRW: 3D printing on a new level
Posted onMedicine, aviation and the automotive industry are often dependent on very complex plastic components. With the help of additive manufacturing processes, often also called 3D printing, these can be produced individually, easily and in the right quantities. A widespread and high quality process in this area is so-called laser sintering. A laser first melts a polymer powder and then builds up the desired plastic component in layers. But there is a catch: So far, only a few materials are available for the process, as the production of very fine polymer powders is very complex and corresponding processes are only established for a few materials. In a research project, scientists at the University of Paderborn want to develop new processes for the production of any plastic material in powder form. For this purpose, a laboratory hall was extensively converted, equipped with the necessary equipment and machines and now completed after around two years of planning and construction. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is funding the three-year project with a project volume of around 3.8 million euros. "Industrial Manufacturing in North Rine Westphalia" (iAMnrw-Materials), so the project title, bundles the competencies of Kunststofftechnik Paderborn (KTP) and the Chair for Particle Process Engineering (PVT) as well as the Chair for Material Science (LWK) for another project for the production of Metal powders and is located centrally in the Paderborn Institute for Additive Manufacturing (PIAF). - CHECK FOR MORE INFORMATION: Read More
IPEK: EU-funded innovation project RIGHTWEIGHT started as part of Interreg Northwest Europe
Posted onIPEK News: EU-funded innovation project RIGHTWEIGHT started as part of Interreg Northwest Europe On October the 15th and 27th, the official kick-off for the RIGHTWEIGHT innovation project funded by the EU as part of Interreg Northwest Europe took place. Together with six project partners from Belgium, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, the IPEK - Institute for Product Development works to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing affordable and environmentally friendly innovations for lightweight construction in order to make the region more competitive To ensure northwest Europe. RIGHTWEIGHT will play a pioneering role in promoting exchange and cooperation between actors in the automotive and aircraft industries. As part of RIGHTWEIGHT, more than 50 SMEs from 7 different regions of Northwest Europe are supported in developing products that address the challenges of the respective companies. The 20 most promising lightweight innovations are also funded to achieve technology maturity level (TRL) 7. In this way, RIGHTWEIGHT makes an important contribution to generating and securing jobs and sales for companies in the Northwestern Europe region. - Text by Patrick Haberkern Read More
UPCOMING EVENTS
Join the Opportunities for an agile systems development through ASD – Agile Systems Design webinar on the 27th of September 2022 09:00am (CEST)
Organised by IPEK!
Agile and drive system development - how do they fit together?
Dealing with uncertainties poses challenges for drive system development. The webinar therefore addresses questions such as: What are the options for using agility in a targeted manner in the drive system development process and what opportunities and limitations result from this? How can best practices from agile development be successfully transferred to the development of physical systems in the company's own development process? Or what are the characteristics of particularly critical activities in drive system development?
The focus of this webinar is to introduce participants to the targeted use of agility approaches in drive system development through ASD - Agile Systems Design. This is done by presenting the basics of agile development methodologies, as well as their system- and industry-specific implementation using real-world examples.
Register for the webinar via: patrick.haberkern@kit.edu
Join the Mobility & materials for lightweighting, what European funding opportunities for my project?" on Friday 25 February 2022 11h00 to 12h30
Organised by POLYMERIS and i-Trans (Pôle de compétitivité)!
Webinar program:
- Get the support of the RIGHTWEIGHT consortium in your innovation projects for lightweighting in the automotive and aeronautics sectors
- Project AMULET H2020: Promotion of SME innovation in lightweighting technologies
- S-ACCESS: an opportunity for SMEs in the mobility sector to easily access the American, Canadian and Norwegian markets
- SMEs in the lightweighting materials sector, get support on international markets thanks to the ELCA project!
- STARS (STrategic Alliances boosting Railway SMEs): a solution to support SMEs in the adoption of cutting-edge technologies.
Join the webinar
Join the Dutch Regional RIGHTWEIGHT Workshop
24 February 2022, 10.30h – 12.00h
Do you have an innovative lightweight solution for the challenges of Snoeks Automotive, Drive Line Systems BV (DLS), and/or SAG GROUP? Join this workshop, apply to the RIGHTWEIGHT support program, and receive the support to develop your lightweight solution.
Join keynote speaker Sjef van Breugel (Pontis Engineering) as he will provide a presentation about a different approach for the successful use of composites in the eMobility market.
Register here:
Register now for the free regional workshop, details can be found below:
PAST EVENTS:
The 2nd round of solutions is now open!
Lightweight challenges in the automotive and aeronautic sectors from potential end-users that are willing to test innovative solutions in North-West Europe.
SMEs will compete by proposing innovative and feasible solutions to the challenges of the champions. Selected SMEs will receive individual support to develop their solution and finally present it to the challenge owners to discuss future collaborations.
The two types of SMEs will receive the following levels of support:
-
Voucher for Trailblazer SMEs (20): Technical support services and travel costs valued at 45,000 €, including the use of manufacturing field labs to improve the solutions. The support will be aimed at upgrading the TRL of the solution up to TRL7 and will include a route to market strategy study.
-
Voucher for Follower SMEs (30): Technical support services and travel costs valued at 6,500 €, including technical advice and personalised support by RTOs. The support will be aimed at improving the solution’s TRL and will include a strategy to reach TRL7.
The RIGHTWEIGHT project could help you to unlock innovation in the field of lightweight materials in your company.
As part of the Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) programme, the RIGHTWEIGHT project aims to strengthen the collaboration and competitiveness of businesses in the region and lead NWE to the forefront of innovation in the field of lightweight while reducing the carbon footprint.
The call for solutions is now open!
Specialised Field labs
The RIGHTWEIGHT project aims to find lightweight solutions with improved environmental and affordability criteria. These solutions, either products and/or technologies, are aimed to be co-developed by SMEs from both sectors in close collaboration with car and aircraft makers. The project will organise 2 rounds of challenge-based competitions arranged in 5 categories.
Participating SMEs will have the chance to present their solutions to challenges and the winning ones will receive dedicated transnational support through training materials and access to specialised field labs. More than 50 SMEs will be supported with at least 20 of them co-developing solutions to TRL 7, meeting car/aircraft makers’ needs.
