PARTNERS
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIA (UMR)
The University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”) acts as the project’s coordinating institution. The research group involved in the CoBRAIN project has overarching experience in the field of thermal spray, ranging from process optimisation to microstructural and functional characterisation of the coatings, to finite-element modelling. Specifically, the group has been performing research on the replacement of critical and hazardous materials in hard metal and metallic coatings deposited by thermal spraying in collaboration with MBN Nanomaterialia. Other research topics include the deposition on “unconventional” substrates (e.g. spraying on additively manufactured surfaces, or on Mg-alloys); the production of a variety of functional coatings, going from thermal barriers to water-splitting electrodes; the use of vacuum deposition methods to obtain low-friction carbon-based films; the tribology of polymers and polymer-based composites coupled with coated and uncoated counterpart; and finite-element modelling of coating properties and deposition processes.
ACCESS e.V. (ACS)
ACCESS develops microstructure simulation tools for ICME applications, e.g. the software MICRESS and the simulation platform AixViPMaP. In CoBRAIN, ACCESS is responsible for an Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) simulation workflow integrating different length scales and physics-based models, to be implemented on a simulation platform.
AEONX AI (ANX)
AeonX AI is SME based in Paris. AeonX AI specialises in AI R&D, Federated Homomorphic ML, Quantum End-To-End encryption infrastructure, and software development. In CoBRAIN, AeonX will develop ML models to enable fast estimations of microstructure formation and High Entropy Hard metal coating properties.
BALANCE TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING GMBH (BAL)
BAL is a technological advisor company in the maritime and other industries. BAL offers Life Cycle Performance Assessment software for investment decisions that must consider multidisciplinary criteria combining economic and ecological assessments with a combination tool (LCPA) of economic analyses with screening LCA. This software will be applied in the CoBRAIN project and will be the basis for the development of the Sustainable Decision Support System.
EXELISIS IKE (EXE)
EXELISIS IKE is an engineering-based consulting company located in Athens – Greece, focusing on Technology Transfer, Innovation Management, Consultancy and studies, and Communication & Design. EXELISIS IKE, will lead the dissemination and communication activities under WP7 while will also strongly contribute to the implementation of the exploitation plan of the project.
MBN NANOMATERIALIA SPA (MBN)
MBN is contributing into the project for its deep expertise in the powder metallurgy and powder production, MBN will provide CoBRAIN with the material solutions for all three thermal spray deposition techniques. In addition, thanks to the HVAF (High Velocity Air-Fuel) thermal spraying plant, MBN will be able to test and prototype coating surfaces that answers the wear and corrosion resistance targets of CoBRAIN. MBN is also leading the exploitation activities of the project.
OBZ INNOVATION GMBH (OBZ)
ΟΒΖ is a specialist for development of coatings and contract coating of components with different thermal spray processes like HVOF-, plasma-, arc- and cold gas spraying. OBZ provides functional coatings, which serve different purposes, such as protecting the base material against wear, corrosion or ensuring electrical insulation and many others. Besides thermal spraying, OBZ has also specialised in high precision mechanical processing as CNC mills, grinding and polishing, which is necessary before and after the coating process.
TITOMIC EUROPE (TITOMIC)
Titomic Founded in 2014 to optimise and commercialise a new type of additive manufacturing process, developed with the CSIRO, using cold-gas spraying of metal particles to produce 3D structures. This patented process is known as Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF), which Titomic has exclusive rights to commercialise. Providing cutting-edge cold spray technology and solutions for our customers, changing the way manufacturing is done. Scaling globally through joint venture partnerships with Tier 1 suppliers to the defence and aerospace industries. Seamlessly integrating TKF technology into partner supply chains, enabling customers to improve build quality and speed, all while minimising their ecological footprint.
UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA (UB)
The University of Barcelona has sixteen faculties, ten affiliated centres and a doctoral school through which all its academic programmes are run. Closely linked to Barcelona and Catalonia, it combines traditional values with innovation, quality and inclusion. Professors from Universitat de Barcelona are going to take part of CoBRAIN project and their main role will be to perform coating microstructural characterisation and properties characterisation of the coatings to be produced during CoBRAIN project. In addition, experts from UB will assess the development of new coatings produced by Cold Spray and will help in their optimisation.
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA (UNIBO)
UNIBO is leading the development of the Elementary Multiperspective Material Ontology (EMMO), under the European Materials Modelling Council (EMMC) guidance (of which UNIBO is a founding member), with the aim of building a semantic framework to represent and sharing the knowledge and the data generated in the fields of applied sciences and engineering. UNIBO will apply the methodology developed by the EMMC to build the ontologies needed to represent the CoBRAIN activities, to document the data, and setup a knowledge base enabling partners to easily store and access project’s knowledge.
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI ROMA TRE (UR3)
The department of Engineering of the University of Roma 3 expertise consists of: structural, microstructural, and morphological characterisation; nano-scale mechanical and electro-mechanical characterisation; thin film synthesis and nanocomposite and nano-fiber composite synthesis. In this project UR3 is the lead developer of the CHADA (Data from materials characterization) guidelines and have already implemented for the high throughput nano-indentation techniques developed internally. The group has access to Dual-beam Focused Ion Beam (FIB)/SEM microscope for micro- and nanomachining, to last generation high-speed nanoindentation and in-situ nanoindentation head that can be installed inside an SEM (or FIB), as well as to confocal/interferometric 3D profilometer for correlative nanoindentation mapping analysis.
TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY (VTT)
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. develops its VTT ProperTune® Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) concept and toolset and applies it to project material, process and property design. The core concept of ICME is to provide a systematic requirement based design approach and provide a digital framework for material discovery, design and optimisation exploiting AI/ML technologies. It uses multiscale modelling and AI for optimal computational material design, replacing expensive, time consuming testing and shortening time-to-market for new products by an average of 50%.