THERMACH. THERmally assisted MACHining of difficult-to-cut materials

THERMACH旨在开发和演示一种热辅助加工工艺，以解决工业在使用先进的金属基复合材料（MMC）和其他难以切割的材料生产部件和产品时面临的重大制造挑战。在THERMACH中，英国合作伙伴将为激光辅助加工（LAM）工艺推进创新的分析、软件和硬件解决方案，使其成为工业规模的MMC加工的有利、有竞争力和可持续的工艺，从而能够在提高生产率和降低生产成本方面实现逐步变化。这是通过智能引入卫星工具、激光、感应和监控环节来增强加工过程的传统价值链来实现的。众所周知，激光是一种加工传统机械手段难以切割的材料的手段。结合激光和机械工艺的发展提供了将两者的优点结合起来的潜力，以及实现单独使用任何一种工艺都无法实现的工艺速度和质量的能力。THERMACH将进一步探索实现高材料去除率和延长刀具寿命的下一代切削刀具的开发，以实现更高生产率的加工。thermach支持的MMC制造为航空航天应用提供了30-70%的重量减轻，从而带来更大的有效载荷，更长的航程和更低的排放，显着提高了英国航空航天公司的竞争力和先发优势，并帮助实现英国到2050年将所有温室气体排放降至净零的目标。此外，高质量、一致性和成本效益的热切割工艺有可能改变患者特定假体的生产，以恢复受创伤、疾病或手术影响的解剖结构。该项目汇集了整个制造业价值链的专家，以开发一种颠覆性的通用创新，可应用于难切割材料的高效制造，集成到现有的CNC设备中，从而实现广泛的应用。

THERMACH aims to develop and demonstrate a thermally assisted machining process to addresses the significant manufacturing challenges that industries face when producing components and products using advanced Metal Matrix Composites (MMC) and other difficult-to-cut materials. Within THERMACH, the UK partners will advance innovative analytical, software and hardware solutions for Laser Assisted Machining (LAM) processes to become enabling, competitive and sustainable processes for MMC machining on an industrial scale, that is able to deliver a step-change in increased productivity and reduction in production costs. This is achieved by augmenting the conventional value chain of the machining process by smart introduction of satellite tooling, laser, induction and monitoring links.Lasers are well known as a means of processing materials which are difficult to cut by conventional mechanical means. The development of combined laser and mechanical processes offers the potential to combine the benefits of both, as well as the ability to achieve process speeds and qualities that cannot be achieved by either in isolation.Development of next-gen cutting tools achieving high material removal rates and extended tool-life for higher-productivity machining will be further explored within THERMACH.THERMACH-enabled MMC manufacture offers 30-70% weight reduction for aerospace applications, resulting in greater payload, extended range and lower emissions, significantly increasing competitiveness and first-mover advantage for UK aerospace companies and helping meet the UK's target to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050\.Furthermore,a high-quality, consistent and cost effective thermal cutting process has the potential transform production of patient-specific prostheses to restore anatomy affected by trauma, disease or surgery.This project brings together experts across the entire manufacturing value chain to develop a disruptive, generic innovation that can be applied to high-efficiency manufacture of difficult-to-cut materials, integrating into existing CNC equipment, thereby enabling wide up-take.