Integrated Process Simulation of Powder Metallurgical Shaping and Sintering Applied to the Optimization of Porcelain Tile Manufacturing

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Powder metallurgical processing including densification by pressureless sintering is a well-established and worldwide used manufacturing process. However, due to the non-trivial thermomechanical behavior of granular materials and complexity of process structures consisting of different production steps, the comprehensive process description is still missing. This significantly limits the possibilities to digitalize manufacturing and apply principles of Industrie 4.0. In the scope of this collaborative research project, which will be performed between involved institutions in Brazil and Germany, the computer-aided modeling of integrated powder metallurgical shaping and sintering processes will be developed. The developed multiscale simulation strategy will be applied to the optimization of porcelain tile manufacturing, thereby including a respective algorithm to describe densification by liquid phase sintering. Though, the models of unit operations and novel calculation approaches which will be developed in this project can be afterwards effectively applied for optimization of other powder metallurgical processes. Finally, the simulation of integrated production process will allow to reduce time to market for new products, guarantee product quality using advanced model-predictive process control and to reduce energy and material consumption due to yield optimization. From the main research objectives can be distinguished: development of new models and simulation approaches for modelling of powder subjected to liquid phase sintering, adaptation of current shaping processes to produce high-packed green bodies suitable to more effective sintering, enhancement of temperature/time/environment schedules to achieve advanced properties and low energy consumption. Important role in the project will play enhancement of academic cooperation between German and Brazilian institutions, intensification of experience and knowledge exchange. The research groups from Germany and Brazil have long-term experience in the adjacent research areas such as flowsheet simulation, multiscale process treatment or modeling and experimental analysis of sintering processes. The both groups possess over the unique methods, significant models and tools which were developed by them in the recent years. The exchange of experiences and knowledges through the intensive interactions, discussions and sharing of ideas is an essential component for successful performing of proposed work.