May 2 2007
The Higher Polytechnic School at Mondragon University has inaugurated their new micromanufacturing laboratories located at the Garaia Innovation Pole and which is set to be a benchmark for research in Europe. The laboratories, one of which is the only one of its kind in the Spanish State, also has a team unique for Europe – they are equipped with high-precision, technologically-advanced machinery which will provide the centre with high specialisation for the development of research in processes of micromanufacturing.
There are two teams involving a total of 120 persons devoted to research in the field of manufacturing technologies, the laboratory having an annual budget of more than two million euros and basically targeting the following sectors: automobile, aeronautics, household electrical goods, machines and capital goods.
The centre’s researchers are responsible for two lines of research which are strategic research projects at the university:
- Advanced processes for shaping materials (area for which the Microshaping Laboratory is responsible).
- High-performance machining processes (area for which the Machining Laboratory is responsible).
The projects
These two teams are currently actively participating in projects in the field of micromanufacture, notable amongst which is the Launchmicro project (VI Framework Programme of the EU) and the Unique and Strategic “Micromanufacturing” Project by the Ministry of Education & Science in which the teams are field leaders. Moreover, they have participated in the official University and Enterprise programme of the Basque Government’s Department of Education, Universities and Research and the Profit programme of the Ministry of Education & Science. These projects are backed by the Mondragon Corporación Cooperativa Science & Technology Plan.
The general aims are the design and development of and the numerical modelling and experimental characterisation of manufacturing processs for metallic components using deformation and solidification fusion shaping technologies. The Machining Laboratory is to investigate the process of scarf formation, the modelling of machining processes, the machinability of new materials and the optimisation of start-up processes for material such as re-bored items, high-speed machining and ecological machining.
The infrastructure has been made possible by funding from the Ministry of Education & Science, the Basque Government’s Department of Education, Universities and Research and the Mondragon Corporación Cooperativa.