The objective of HiperTURB is to improve the weldability and castability of high temperature capable superalloy castings. The expected impact will be linked to weight, manufacturing and maintenance cost reduction of TRF components. This objective will be achieved due to a combination of innovative chemistry adjustments, tailored casting solidification strategies, specific heat treatment and innovative welding techniques to control grain size, phases formation, segregation and residual stresses. Two new superalloy castings with enhanced weldability will be developed. At casting level mould design to control cooling gradient together with the use of inoculants, chillers and shell design will allow to tailor casting solidification. Heat treatment stage will be adjusted in terms of pre and post welding operation sequence (HIP + solution annealing), processing parameters and the introduction of cryogenic heat treatment. Weldability assessment of two new alloy castings will be assessed by standard hot cracking tests and simulated repair and structural welds on simple parts and real geometry-like components. Both TIG and laser based welding processes will be investigated. Development process will be supported by advanced simulation techniques based on Thermocalc, Dictra, Procast that will enable a more precise approach on final alloy microstructural and castability results. The castability of the alloys will be validated by the design of specific test samples that will be checked to detect casting defects such as shrinkage, hot tearing sensitivity.... Evaluation of internal and external defects will be carried out by non-destructive tests. Mechanical properties of alloys under development such as creep and tensile test at low and high temperature will be performed. Component like geometry cast parts will be manufactured at the end of the project, testing their final properties in terms of castability and weldability.

Industrial robots have demonstrated their capacity to answer the needs of many industrial applications, offering a high degree of dexterity, accuracy and efficiency. However, when the application requires the collaboration between the robot and the worker, including workspace sharing, it is not feasible to use standard industrial robots due to safety being compromised Recently, new robotic products have appeared on the marked claiming to be safe when used in the vicinity of humans, offering the possibility to control the force exerted in case of collision. However they lack the flexibility (in terms of possible physical configurations) or are very expensive. Furthermore, even these robots are offered as isolated products without rich perception capabilities or adequate responsive behaviours that have to be developed by the system integrators for any new manufacturing process. FourByThree proposes the development of a new generation of modular industrial robotic solutions that are suitable for efficient task execution in collaboration with humans in a safe way and are easy to use and program by the factory worker. Consortium partners in this proposal have already achieved relevant results in different technologies that are fundamental to solving the outlined problem of automating the factory floor by means of modular robots, collaborating with human workers. The approach is to adapt those results, make them more reliable and integrate them in order to achieve the final goal of the project. The acronym of the proposal refers to the two main foci of the proposal: the FOUR main characteristics of FourByThree (Modularity, Safety, Usability, Efficiency) and the THREE main actors (Humans, Robots, Environment) in the manufacturing scenarios. The proposal outlines a Business Model and a Business Plan that will be further elaborated through the project.