Surface anti-condensation and/or anti-biofouling (by surface wettability control) are very interesting and useful properties aimed by industry as they can offer more energy efficient, easy-cleanable or more hygienic products. In the last years, new non-conventional techniques have been developed in order to provide those new functionalities by physical surface modification (avoiding chemical coatings or doping bulk materials). But up to the moment, a technology able to respond to hard industrial requirements as home appliances (i.e. durability, severe boundary conditions, low cost) has not been achieved. This project will research on bringing functional properties to low-cost materials: anti-condensation for stainless steel and one polymer (PP); and anti-biofilm for two polymers (PP and EPDM). Both properties will be ensured by proper surface wettability control. Two non-conventional surface micro/nanostructuration technologies will be researched: PVD nanorods growing for stainless steel, and Thermal-NIL (Th-NIL) for PP and EPDM. This is a multidisciplinary project: combining theory, computer simulation and experimental research. Expected results are very promising as for the first time regarding to bibliography, the nanostructuration by PVD nanorods growing will be achieved on Stainless Steel and Th-NIL micro/nanostructuring will be directly performed on PP and EPDM substrates. Those promising results will impact the industry, not only home appliances sector, but also automotive, aeronautic, surgery, etc. The teamwork composed by BSH –with experience in wettability surface control, nano/micromachining and plastics- and Dr. Bobaru –experienced in PVD, micro/nanocharacterization and metals- will be complemented by DTU (Denmark academic partner) acting as Th-NIL expert and training Dr. Bobaru. Thus the project is also conceived with multisectorial focus.

The TresClean project will develop high-throughput laser-based texturing for fluid-repellent and antibacterial metal surfaces using innovative industrial high-average power ultrashort-pulsed lasers in combination with high-performance scanning heads. These technologies will be applied to produce self-cleaning and aseptic machine parts for food industry (e.g. components in contact with biological fluids) and home appliances (e.g. dishwashers) by utilising a beam delivery method over areas that can reach 250 mm2. In the first phase of the project the basic research activities for the surface design will be implemented together with a subsequent robust and scalable processing technologies and the development of the required laser sources and scanning systems. With the purpose of meeting the end users’ requirements all the activities included in the first phase will be defined in detail in accordance to the predefined physical limits of the system technology. The design of surface structures and definition of the characterization methods will inform the subsequent work on two different technologies (DLIP and LIPSS) for the production of the needed structures, with respect to the process robustness and the scalability. In the second phase the technologies developed will be up scaled to a high throughput production of functional surfaces. The laser systems and high speed scanning unit will be combined. Work on the upscaling of the processes on simplified geometries (2D) and development of processing strategies for the defined demonstrative parts will be performed. Then the final demonstration, the testing of the added functionality and the high throughput production will be done on the defined parts from the end-users in the last phase of the project

Current industrial markets demand highly value added products offering new features at a low-cost. Bio-inspired surface structures, containing features in the nanometer/micrometer scales, offer significant commercial potential for the creation of functionalized surfaces. In this aim technologies to modify surfaces instead of creating composites or spreading coatings on surfaces can offer new industrial opportunities. In particular, laser surface texturing, has shown to be capable to obtain advanced functionalities, especially when sources operating at pulse durations of nanosecond (short) and picosecond and femtosecond (ultra short) are used. LAMPAS will significantly increase the potential of laser structuring for the design of newly functionalized surfaces by enhancing the efficiency, flexibility and productivity (over 1 m²/min) of the process based on the development of a high power ultra-short laser system as well as strategies and concepts for beam delivery. This will be performed by combining the outstanding characteristics of two laser technologies, being Direct Laser Interference Patterning and Polygon Scanner processing. The expected results to be obtained in this project will provide the European industry with a cost effective and robust technology, capable of producing a broad range of functional surfaces on large areas at outstanding throughputs, bringing Europe a chance to lead in this key area of surface treatment. LAMPAS consortium covers the full value chain for laser surface texturing and has access to demanding markets. In addition, an in-line surface characterisation to enable rapid feedback about the target topography as well as to control surface temperature during the laser process will be included.

Promoting circular economy approaches is critical to decrease the environmental footprint of food production activities. However, there are still inefficiencies at all stages of the food supply chain hindering sustainable food production. In this line, to contribute to sustainability in the last part of the food supply chain, SERENADE proposes a multidisciplinary approach combining three pillars: food, sensors, and materials technologies with the objective of building smart sustainable solutions targeting the reduction of food waste at the end of the food supply chain (households, supermarkets, and food retailers). Thus, SERENADE’s main goal is to develop sustainable innovations for food quality tracking, while training at the same time a new generation of 7 multidisciplinary Doctoral Candidates (DCs) in the fields of food technology, sensor technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and eco-friendly materials (circular economy) and allowing them to work in team with experts in other disciplines. These innovations will result in the development of i) a smart and sustainable food container for monitoring food freshness at households and markets, using sensor technology and made of novel food-grade materials (biobased or recycled) and ii) a handheld food spoilage analyzer combining sensor technology, and artificial intelligence (AI) software to determine food freshness in unpackaged food at markets. To achieve the development of said monitoring solutions, the close collaboration of experts in the three research pillars of the SERENADE project and the training of multidisciplinary researchers in the three fields at the same time, will be needed and will be possible thanks to the international and intersectoral cooperation of the SERENADE partners distributed among 4 EU countries (Spain, Germany, Belgium, and Italy), and to the strong involvement of the industry, with the participation and leadership of industrial partners (SMEs and large industries).