News

The MULTHEM project was successfully presented at the TCT 3Sixty conference by our partner Brunel University London. The event, held on June 5-6, 2024, at the NEC in Birmingham, UK, provided an excellent platform to showcase the latest innovations and advancements in 3D printing and additive manufacturing. Thank you to everyone who visited us and explored how MULTHEM is revolutionising manufacturing technology.

At the 9th European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering, 2024, Brunel University London along with contribution from partners shared the MULTHEM project's explored techniques and methods on weight optimization of real life use-cases of EV battery and UAV drone motor housings using multi-materials and topology improvements.

The MULTHEM project held its 3rd General Assembly Meeting corresponding to the month 18 (M18) of the Project last May 29th and 30th, 2024, in the city of Galway, Ireland, graciously hosted Eire Composites. Consortium members showcased their work packages and provided updates on ongoing tasks prior to the following first reporting period which will take place at the end of June. Engaging discussions followed, focusing on current activities and planning for the project's next steps.

The MULTHEM project was showcased by our partner Brightlands Materials Center at the Composites Innovation Event organised by Composites United and Composites NL in Delft, Netherlands, on May 28th and 29th, 2024. Thanks to all who visited us to explore our innovative advancements in the MULTHEM project. We appreciate your interest and support!

The coordinators of the MULTHEM project FUNDACION CETEMET, organised in their main premises in Linares (Spain) the 113th meeting of the committee of the Spanish Quality Agency for Defence Industries and Services. At this event, the MULTHEM project was presented in detail and the technologies that are being used in the laboratories were demonstrated.

MULTHEM partners attended the JEC World Trade Show held from 5 – 7 March 2024 in Paris, France. Thanks to all who visited and explored the possibilities of Continuous Fiber Additive Manufacturing with us.

International Day of Women and Girls in Science

UNESCO stated in 2015 that February 11 was the International Day of Women and Girls in Science to inspire and promote women's participation in education, training, science & technology, and to recognise the critical role of girls and women in the scientific & technological communities. From MULTHEM, we would like to extend a special mention and recognition to our female scientific and coordination team of the project. They perform essential and reliable work every day to develop research of excellence in Europe.

1 December 2023 marks a significant milestone for the MULTHEM project as we reflect on an extraordinary year of pioneering advancements in materials science. In our inaugural year, we have harnessed the power of Additive Manufacturing to redefine possibilities.

As we kick off year two, the MULTHEM Project is geared up for more innovation that will reshape industries with its commitment to pushing boundaries.

Stay tuned as we embark on another year of innovation, collaboration, and transformative impact. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey!

MULTHEM partners attended the Formnext Expo of Additive Manufacturing held from 7 – 10 November 2023 in Frankfurt, Germany. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who took the time to visit and engage with us during the event.

2nd General Assembly Meeting

The 2nd General Assembly Meeting of the MULTHEM project took place on November 6th, 2023, in Frankfurt, Germany, hosted by Fraunhofer IPK. During this gathering, consortium members presented updates on their ongoing work, with each partner presenting their respective work packages. The session featured engaging discussions that offered a comprehensive overview of the current project status, as well as collaborative efforts to map the next steps forward.

MULTHEM, an acronym for ‘Multi-material Additive Manufacturing for Lightweight and Thermal Management,’ was launched on 1 December 2022 with a kick-off meeting taking place in Sittard and Geleen in The Netherlands. This project spans across three years and is supported by the Horizon Europe Research & Innovation program grant totalling €4,071,977.00. The consortium of nine partners come from eight countries, including the Coordinator, Technology Centre of Metal-mechanical and Transport (Spain), alongside with Solmatek Solutions Sl (Spain), Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK (Germany), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (Luxembourg), Brightlands Materials Centre - TNO (The Netherlands), Eirecomposites Teoranta (Ireland), Prima Additive (Italy), Thales (France), and Brunel University London (United Kingdom).

The 26th Climate Change Conference has emphasized the need to curb global carbon dioxide emissions and mitigate the impacts of global warming. Notably, the transport sector contributes approximately 16% of the global carbon emissions, highlighting the pivotal role of fleet electrification in the journey towards climate neutrality. However, the main challenges are the current weight of components and the cost of implementing new systems that ensure efficiency and long-term sustainability. Carbon fibre composites (CFC) is seen as an attractive alternative to metals in products requiring lightweight features. However, traditional manufacturing processes and poor thermal conductivity have confined CFCs to structural roles, limiting their potential. For instance, battery casings, electrical motors, and power electronics housings are often crafted entirely from aluminium due to their need for efficient heat dissipation. However, this approach results in heavier and less cost-effective solutions compared to pure CFCs.

MULTHEM aims to develop a reliable and validated Additively Manufactured (AM) CFC process with enhanced thermal conductivity through different material combinations and nanotechnology integration. This innovation enables the creation of dual-function components, such as battery and motor housings, offering structural strength and efficient cooling at a more cost-effective rate than traditional methods. This approach will enhance the product performance by reducing weight, facilitated by designs achievable only through AM, and by using CFC-metal structures with enhanced thermal conductivity strategies, which are lighter and stronger than aluminium or steel. This effort reflects our collective recognition of the need for transformative technologies and production methods to develop lighter, more efficient, and cost-effective solutions to achieve climate neutrality.

Have you been following us? Or wanting to hear more about the MULTHEM project and our approach to develop new metal-polymer multimaterials with the use of Additive Manufacturing to produce lightweight components with good thermal conductivity? Here's an opportunity to join our Public Info Day, taking place online, on Thursday 22 June 2023, from 10:00-11:30am CET. Sign up on Eventbrite at: https://lnkd.in/ekesjhaG

MULTHEM Partners delivered five presentations at the recent LIGHTME Conference on Lightweight Materials, held from 11-12 May 2023 in Milan, Italy. Joamin Gonzalez-Gutierrez found that adding short carbon fibre to thermoplastics has the potential to improve the thermal conductivity of 3D printed specimens, but care needs to be taken when selecting the Material Extrusion print parameters. The relative thermal conductivity is the measured thermal conductivity value for the Material Extrusion specimens filled with carbon fibre, divided by the thermal conductivity of the unfilled polymer. Presentations include: MULTHEM Project Multi-material additive manufacturing for lightweight and thermal management (Dr. Marta Álvarez Leal); Thermoplastic selection for aluminium replacement in electric and electronic devices made by additive manufacturing (Dr. Joamin Gonzalez-Gutierrez); Development and processing of the Al 5356 aluminium alloy by Laser Metal Deposition wire-based technology (Dr. Julia Ureña Alcázar); Feasibility study of joining of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer composites and aluminium alloys by electron beam welding for use in lightweight construction (Aybike Yalçınyüz); Repair of impacted thermoplastic composite laminates using induction welding (Dr. Vedant Modi).

MULTHEM Consortium members gathered on 10th May 2023 for the General Assembly Meeting, held in Torino, Italy, graciously hosted by Prima Additive. Consortium members gave each other a formal update of work in progress, followed by a most impressive tour of the facilities at Prima Additive. Each partner presented their work packages, discussed ongoing work as well as actions to be taken.

Our consortium partners for the Horizon Europe project MULTHEM participated in the kick-off meeting at Sittard and Geleen in The Netherlands. The meeting was hosted by Brightlands Materials Center over two days on 12 and 13 January 2023. MULTHEM aims to develop polymer-Metal-based materials and lightweight structures with good thermal management using Additive Manufacturing (AM) and innovative joining technologies to achieve complex freeform geometries. The kick-off meeting was a great start to our 3 year project! Thanks to all our nine partners:

• Fundacion Centro Tecnologico Metalmecanica Y Del Transporte
• Luxembourg Institute Of Science And Technology
• Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK
• Brightlands Materials Center
• SOLMATEK SOLUTIONS SL
• ÉireComposites Teoranta
• Prima Additive S.R.
• Thales
• Brunel University London

For more information view: Cordis Webpage