Newton Fund - LASTEC-Laser surface texturing of compressor’s mechanical components: Increasing energy efficiency by improved tribological performance

LASTEC项目（压缩机机械部件的激光表面纹理化：通过改善摩擦学性能提高能源效率）涉及先进的激光制造工艺的创新和优化，旨在降低制冷系统的功耗。该项目与SENAI-SESI / Innovate UK竞赛的“能源”主题保持一致，更具体地说，主题是“优化制造流程以减少功耗”。因此，该项目旨在开发一种干燥、无溶剂、环保的一步法工艺，使用灵活高效的激光表面纹理技术对压缩机的机械部件进行表面纹理处理。这将大大提高压缩机的能效，降低其功耗，并延长其寿命，用于巴西和世界上无数的家用和商用制冷系统。基于激光的工艺有望通过产生能够降低压缩机配合表面和往复表面之间的摩擦系数（摩擦力）的纹理来改善机械部件的摩擦学性能。为了开发该项目，全球密封式压缩机制造业的领导者EMBRACO将与SENAI创新研究所（ISI-Laser，ISI-SM和ISI-Eng.Superfícies）以及牛津激光有限公司合作，牛津激光有限公司是一家拥有40年历史的英国公司，致力于设计和制造用于先进制造和研发活动的定制旋转激光微加工系统。

Project LASTEC (Laser Surface Texturing of Compressor’s Mechanical Components: Increasing Energy Efficiency by Improved TribologicalPerformance) involves innovation and optimisation of an advanced laser-based manufacturing process aimed at diminishing powerconsumption on refrigeration systems. The project is aligned with the “Energy” theme of the SENAI-SESI / Innovate UK competition,more specifically, with the topic “optimization of manufacturing processes to diminish power consumption”. Thus, the project aims atdeveloping a dry, solvent free environmentally friendly, one-step process, using flexible and efficient laser surface texturing forcompressor’s mechanical components. This will increase significantly the compressor energy efficiency, reduce its power consumptionand extend its lifespan for countless household and commercial refrigeration systems in Brazil and in the world. The laser-based processis expected to improve the tribological performance of the mechanical components by creating textures capable of reducing the frictioncoefficient (friction forces) between the compressor’s mating and reciprocating surfaces. To develop the project, EMBRACO, the globalleader in manufacturing of hermetic compressors, will join forces with the SENAI Innovation Institutes (ISI-Laser, ISI-SM and ISI-Eng.Superfícies) as well as Oxford Lasers Ltd, a 40 years old UK based company working on the design and manufacture of custom turnkeylaser micromachining systems for advanced manufacturing and R&D activities.