The main objective of the DAHLIAS project is to optimise hybrid joining (Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding, RFSSW, with an adhesive sealant bond) for application in aircraft structures. RFSSW is a solid-state joining technology especially applicable to lightweight alloys in similar and dissimilar configurations. The process has been successfully applied to difficult-to-weld and non-weldable alloys and is considered a potential replacement of mechanical fastening. Overlap joints in aircraft structures require the use of sealants for corrosion protection reasons. Using sealants with an adhesive function would complement the high quality joints produced by RFSSW by not only protecting against corrosion but also contributing to the overall mechanical performance of the structure. To achieve the main goal of this project a work plan consisting of eight work packages has been devised. Two work packages are focused on the RFSSW process development using standard samples with and without adhesive sealant. In parallel the adhesive sealant technology, including surface pre-treatment will be developed. The hybrid joining solution developed in this project will be compared to conventional joining technologies to define its potential. Hybrid joining brings a number of advantages to production and performance of aircraft structures. The change from differential to integral design introduces new challenges in the analysis of mechanical performance. Hence, the damage tolerance behaviour of hybrid joints is also investigated in this project. Quality control methods will be investigated by selecting NDT methods and by process control based on online monitoring of parameters. In the last phase of this project technology demonstrators will be produced to evaluate the capabilities of the proposed technology in actual aircraft structures. The consortium (3 R&D and 2 industrial partners) has the exact fitting, prooven expertise and high excellence. HZG (coordinator) holds key patents.

WRIST will develop and demonstrate flexible and cost effective joining processes for rail products, and in particular for advanced bainitic rail steels, which have been developed to answer the increasing demands of increasing speed and growth of railway’s load. This will be delivered by the combined development of the joining processes itself, welding experiments, computational modelling, material and joint characterisation and testing, using laboratory tests and full-scale field testing in industrial or commercial test tracks. The project will offer a step change in the joint performance and reliability providing an extended in-service life for a range of rail materials, therefore resulting in a significant cost reduction in maintenance of the track, also freeing up more capacity for rail traffic. New variants of the aluminothermic and orbital friction welding processes will be developed, which will both reduce the width of the heat affected zone and minimise the loss of mechanical properties in the weld zone. These innovations will enable the use of bainitic rail steels which will deliver an increased reliability, a longer lifetime of the rails and welds combined with a reduction of the maintenance cost. The project addresses the specific call topics by: - Development and application of advanced joining technologies, able to join conventional and bainitic rail steels with a higher quality and reliability, to meet the more stringent infrastructure requirements imposed by increased speed and load, resulting in less maintenance and a longer track lifetime. - Reduction of maintenance cost and life cycle cost of the rail and welds, due to less repair welding associated with a higher weld quality and the longer track lifetime. - Increased availability of the track; less unforeseen maintenance. - Profit for users: less disruptions and a higher safety level. - Use of a more environmental friendly and energy efficient joining techniques.

AILEEN addresses the shortage of skilled personnel for the Aerospace & Defence Sectors by setting up CoVEs for Advanced Manufacturing (AM), supporting the recovery of the Aerospace sector, developing innovative methodologies and tools, with the nomination of the first Centres of Vocational Excellence in AM, to guarantee specialized sectoral training, and the transfer of excellence knowledge and activities in the field of education and training.With a bottom-up approach, AILEEN will disseminate its results European wide, testing its products at National level at a first stage, ensured by the implementation both within the consortium VET’s but also of VET’s from outside the consortium (that already demonstrated their interest by means of letters of support). The approach will be then transferred to the European level by means of partners networks.Project target groups cover current and future welding and additive manufacturing professionals (adults and youngsters); Welding and Additive Manufacturing VET providers; teachers, trainers & guidance professionals; aerospace & defence experts; relevant national stakeholders; policymakers and/or decision makers; National Qualification Agencies; Aerospace and Defence Industrial stakeholders and the relevant standardisation Bodies.The main expected results are:–Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing Aerospace & Defence CoVEs –Identification of existing CoVE best practices–Development of methodologies to nominate & award of CoVEs–Perform Advanced Manufacturing CoVEs’ Nomination–Creation of mechanisms to transfer best practices among VET & HE institutions–Perform a capacity building workshop for consortium VET partners –Pilot several approaches for training delivery: Apprenticeships, Applied Research and Competence Units –Mobility of staff program among partners

The AVANGARD project addresses the integration of three novel processing units into an existing Microfactory test bed conceived to produce urban electric vehicles. The units are state of-the-art multipurpose and multifunctional demonstrators on their own, specifically: Robotized integration of laser cutting-shaping-welding for 3D components Supersonic deposition of metallic powders for high speed 3D printing Large volume and high-speed 3D polymeric printing The operation of the AVANGARD pilot will be demonstrated manufacturing I-Bikes, I-CARS and innovative battery packs. The proposed innovations target urban mobility where we are entering an era of rapid transformation and disruption which are also challenging traditional paradigms on manufacturing and business models characterized by an unprecedented speed, scale and scope of technological change. The project will prepare the environment for novel forms of collaborative distributed manufacturing amongst different EU regions. Innovative value chains will be pursued to overcome the scale (giga) and speed being established in planned economies (China) with market development controlled by the governments attitudes, targets and policy tools. To manage the IPRs and the supply chain, AVANGARD will implement a hybrid public-private Blockchain platform where the public chain increases security through distributed consensus and validation and the private sidechain increases speed while keeping sensible data stored in the facilities of partners. The platform will allow auditability of sources, traceability, verification of sources, still with private control of documentation and compliance to data retention policies. The theme of Blockchain-powered manufacturing is relatively new. AVANGARD will address it with Ideas Forward PC, an SME that runs specialized BC tech commercialization projects.