Metal additive manufacturing (AM) allows, by enabling use of advanced design, production of high added value components, at levels that cannot be reached with conventional manufacturing technique. Still, the AM-based manufacturing sequence implies large amounts of critical steps – design for AM, AM fabrication, post processing, etc. – compared to conventional production sequences. Presently, the key competencies related to these steps are either not fully implemented at industrial level (process quality monitoring) or dispersed geographically with poor connection between different steps. Relying on two major AM technologies (LPBF: Laser Powder Bed Fusion and EBM Electron Beam Melting), MANUELA aims at deploying an open-access pilot line facility, covering the whole production sequence, to show full potential of metal AM for industrial AM production. At first, careful instrumentation and adaptation of LPBF & EBM machines will allow increased process reliability and speed. Secondly, the pilot line – including the adapted processes – will be deployed. The hardware layer will integrate novel process quality control monitoring and automated post-AM handling and processing. The line will be fed by design/optimization and AM process simulation workshops. Those workshops will collect continuous feedback from the physical parts of the pilot lines, to increase process reliability and robustness. MANUELA relies on a consortium composed of industrial end user’s, suppliers, (material/powder, AM hardware, quality monitoring system, software, automation and post-AM treatment) as well as top research institutes in powder-bed metal-AM, covering full range of AM technology chain for pilot line deployment. The deployed pilot line will be validated for use cases, covering wide span of applications including automotive, aerospace, energy and medical. To insure sustainability of the deployed line and its open access at project end, a dedicated exploitation plan will be established.

Nanostructured surfaces that engineer the interaction between an object and its surroundings are a subject of scientific and manufacturing importance. Nature routinely creates nanostructured surfaces with fascinating properties, such as antireflective moth eyes, self-cleaning lotus leaves, colourful butterfly wings, and water harvesting desert beetles. Well defined nanostructured surfaces have huge commercial potential due to product enhancement: reduced reflectivity in photonic devices and solar panels, antiglare plastic parts for the automotive industry, hydrophobic self-cleaning surfaces for smart packaging, antireflective and smudge-free smartphone displays, and biofouling resistant marine and water treatment systems. Unfortunately, the lack of cost-effective, scalable, nanopatterning methods is a major hurdle for the commercial exploitation of nanopatterned surfaces. SUN-PILOT will address this challenge by developing a novel and cost effective platform for up-scaling sub-wavelength nanostructures fabrication techniques that can be applied to curved surfaces such as optical lenses, and the mass production of metal moulds for injection moulding of plastic parts. The expected impact of SUN-PILOT for the Optics Industry is a disruptive technology that will boost the performance/cost ratio of photonic devices by piloting mass fabrication of scratch and wear resistant nanopatterned antireflective optical surfaces. Significant enhancement will be achieved in the efficiency of optical components and systems incorporating these devices, such as laser systems, electronic displays, security cameras and medical devices. The Automotive Industry will benefit from a novel method to produce functional surfaces at lower cost and lighter weight than existing lamination methods. This proposal brings together scientists and engineers to span innovation, business development and the product cycle from suppliers to end users and will ensure a leadership role of for Europe.