The digitalization of industry opens the path for mass customization but requires leveraging the existing manufacturing ecosystems and establishing a collaborative manufacturing environment. DIMOFAC project will enable the modularity, adaptability and responsiveness of a production line by the integration of Plug-and-Produce modules in a Closed-Loop Lifecycle Management System, for continuous production adaptation, optimization and improvement, in a fast and flexible manner. Reconfigurability is achieved by implementing a Digital Twin of each module and by deploying Digital Thread linking product and process dataflow, enabling seamless secure communication throughout the product lifecycle in factory and connecting it to the management systems in conformance to RAMI4.0. The DIMOFAC consortium is issued from the leading European open initiatives on smart manufacturing, leveraging know-how from past and running EU projects such as INTEGRADDE, COMMUNION, HIMALAIA, BRAINPORT, iM²AM, MIDIH, MARKET 4.0 and building upon a pre-existing network of open DIHs and competence centers such as SMART FACTORY KL, PICTIC, FFLOR, AFH, MANUHUB@WG. Partners will further extend their services and networks to leverage on the increased flexibility brought by modular production systems. Six industrial pilot lines, with multi-material manufacturing, additive manufacturing and assembly capabilities, will enable to demonstrate DIMOFAC Modular Factory Solution, with reconfiguration time reduction of production lines, up to 75% expected for interactive displays (SCHALTAG), 50% for cosmetic, aeronautic and additive manufacturing (ALBEA, EIRE COMPOSITES and SCULPTEO); 30% for shavers (PHILIPS) and industrial modules (VDL). A key result will be the network of open pilot lines, offering R&T and services supporting process validation and implementation in EU SMEs, Midcaps and large organisations in different sectors, spreading knowledge, awareness and adoption of DIMOFAC Modular Factory Solution.

ComMUnion enables productive and cost effective manufacturing of 3D metal/ Carbon Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastic (CFRT) multi-material components. ComMUnion will develop a novel solution combining tape placement of CFRTs with controlled laser-assisted heating in a multi-stage robot solution. High-speed laser texturing and cleaning will overcome the limitations of current joining technology to provide greatest performance joints. ComMUnion will rely on a robot-based approach enabling on-line inspection for layer-to-layer self-adjustment of the process. Moreover, tools for multi-scale modelling, parametric offline programming, quality diagnosis and decision support will be developed under a cognitive approach to ensure interoperability and usability. ComMUnion will address the following key innovations: - Texturing and cleaning based on high speed laser scanning for surface condition. - High-speed spatially resolved control of surface temperature profile. - Multi-scale metal/CFRP modelling, self-adaptive process control, and quality diagnosis based on multimodal active imaging. ComMUnion approach will decrease by 30% the consumption of titanium and boron steel, (costly alloys requiring critical materials). Besides, reinforcement of textured metallic surfaces with CFRT tapes will increase mechanical performance of multi-material components over 30% without cost increase. Manufacturing of two pilot-cases for automotive and aeronautics will demonstrate the scalability of the joining process. It will be possible trough a consortium with a strong involvement of industrial partners (73% of which 55% are SMEs). The outline of the business plan ensures the exploitation of the project results. With a target market of 2.000 companies and a fair estimate of 2% market penetration (5 years after the commercialization start), ComMUnion will result in 40M€/year incomes.

The objectives of Computer Aided Technologies for Additive Manufacturing (CAxMan) are to establish Cloud based Toolboxes, Workflows and a One Stop-Shop for CAx-technologies supporting the design, simulation and process planning for additive manufacturing. More specifically the objectives are to establish analysis-based design approaches with the following aims: -To reduce material usage by 12% through introducing internal cavities and voids, whilst maintaining component properties; -To optimize distribution and grading of material for multi-material additive manufacturing processes; and -To facilitate the manufacture of components which are currently impossible or very difficult to produce by subtractive processes (e.g., cutting and abrasive operations); -To enhance analysis-based process planning for additive manufacturing including thermal and stress aspects, and their interoperability with the design phase; -To enable the compatibility of additive and subtractive processes in production in order to combine the flexibility of shape in additive manufacturing with the surface finish of subtractive processes. CAxMan delivers: -Cloud Portal in form of a market place - of Cloud application and services addressing the design, analysis, production chain for additive manufacturing. Hence, all necessary software components to act a Broker of such services will be developed in CAxMan. ARCTUR will host the marketplace. -An ecosystem of Open Source of algorithmic toolkits for additive manufacturing will be established during the life time of the project, in order to enable sustainability of the marketplace after the project duration, SINTEF will trigger the Open Source community. -Lessons Learned and practical pattern collections of quantifiable advantages of findings with respect to interoperable model representations for the design production chain for Additive Manufacturing -Proposed extension to ISO 10303 (STEP) Part 242 edition 2, and byISO / ASTM52915