Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a fast−growing sector with the ability to evoke a revolution in manufacturing due to its almost unlimited design freedom and its capability to produce personalised parts locally and with efficient material use. AM companies however still face technological challenges such as limited precision due to shrinkage and build−in stresses and limited process stability and robustness. Moreover often post−processing is needed due to the high roughness and remaining porosity. In addition qualified, trained personnel is hard to find. This ITN project will address both the technological and people challenges. To quality assure the parts produced, PAM² will, through a close collaboration between industry and academia, address each of the various process stages of AM with a view to implementing good precision engineering practice. To ensure the availability of trained personnel, ESRs will, next to their individual research and complementary skills training, be immersed in the whole AM production chain through hands−on workshops where they will design, model, fabricate, measure and assess a specific product. The expected impact of PAM² thus is: 1. The availability of intersectoral and interdisciplinary trained professionals in an industrial field that's very important for the future of Europe, both enhancing the ESR future career perspectives and advancing European industry. 2. The availability of high precision AM processes through improved layout rules with better use of AM possibilities, better modelling tools for first−time right processing, possibility for in−situ quality control ensuring process stability and, if still needed, optimised post−processing routes 3. As a result of 1: an increased market acceptance and penetration of AM. 4. Through the early involvement of European industry: a growing importance of the European industrial players in this fast−growing field. This will help Europe reach its target of 20% manufacturing share of GDP.

ABSolEU aims to pave the way to circularity for the ubiquitous plastic ABS, found in durable products from toys and other consumer goods to automotive components. Despite the potential of this material, at least 85% of end-of-life ABS ends up in landfills or incineration due to the presence of additives and fillers that hamper its proper recycling. ABSolEU will develop and mature to TRL 6 a technology for the physical recycling of waste ABS, providing a clean and safe recyclate that is free of additives and contaminants and ready to be reintroduced into the value chain for value added, high performance products. In parallel, ABSolEU will develop new analytical methods for safety and quality assurance; these will allow project partners to establish a thorough understanding of the composition of ABS waste streams, including the presence of additives and the degree of degradation, as well as monitor these throughout recycling and compounding processes. In addition, ABSolEU aims to provide the scaffolding to support adoption of physical recycling for ABS and support the uptake of ABS recyclates by industry and consumers. This is achieved through circular value chain labs and explorative citizen labs, investigation of new traceability systems for ABS materials and products, and standardisation of processes for recycling, analysis and traceability. ABSolEU?s research outputs are communicated, disseminated and synthesised into best practices, methodologies, and policy recommendations for ABS recycling to contribute to a resource efficient industry. The project is implemented by a strong consortium that spans the entire ABS value chain. It is led by UCA and involves 10 additional partners: 3 global brand owners, 2 RTOs, an ABS-producing company, a recycler, a traceability solutions company, a standardisation institute and a company specialised in stakeholder engagement. With ABSolEU, the consortium is seeking to lay the first bricks of a sustainable future for ABS plastics.

Mechanisms are fundamental parts of machines and robotic devices. The recently emerging new class of mechanisms have attracted a substantial number of researchers in the world with the changeable structures and mobility. The new class of mechanisms can subsequently change the functionality and adapt to various environments and different working tasks. This is the characteristic that distinguishes the new mechanisms from traditional mechanisms.This fundamental and adventurous research is to look into the characteristics particularly reconfigurability of the new mechanisms and investigate the topology synthesis which integrates the leading-edge synthesis method into the unique topology change of the new mechanisms to produce a sound and solid theoretical basis of the mechanisms and to develop both theoretical framework and practical use of the self-reconfigurability of the mechanisms. The metamorphic concept and its use in reconfigurability as well as dynamic reconfigruability are to be explored and a test rig is to be modified with reconfigurability and metamorphic mechanisms as a development platform. Based on this platform, a topology based dynamic model and a control strategy of dynamic reconfigurability is to be developed, both stability and controllability are to be examined.The proposed research is the leading-edge research in mechanism development and adventurous in dynamic reconfigurability. It will establish a theoretical basis of the new mechanisms and provide researchers in both academic and industrial establishments with reconfigurability modelling, topology synthesis, dynamic analysis and control algorithms of the new mechanisms.