AGILITY

The aim of AGILITY is to develop technologies for the rapid manufacture of 3D-printed tooling to meet industrial needs, mainly for maintenance, the manufacture of molds for the plastics industry or customized tools for production facilities, whatever the sector of activity of companies in the eligible area. The aim is to help manufacturers become more agile, productive and competitive.

In addition to its active participation, with all partners, in communication, dissemination, valorization and transfer of results to companies in the cross-border zone, IMT Nord Europe leads the Applied Research module and focuses its actions on the elaboration and processing of technical polymers and composites by additive manufacturing and finishing processes for the manufacture of tooling elements for plastics processes (injection molding, extrusion, thermoforming, extrusion blow-molding) as well as their characterization. Particular emphasis will be placed on (i) the development/adaptation of 3D printing machines based on functional filled polymers (mechanical strength, local thermal or electrical conductive properties), (ii) the development of printing strategies to reduce manufacturing times and optimize mechanical or functional performance (out-of-plane printing), the hybridization of technologies (additive manufacturing, CNC, finishing operations) to achieve optimum surface properties, compatible for industrial validation of plastics processes/products (iv) validation tests of plastics tooling elements developed by the project partners, on its polymer and filled polymer shaping platform.