Public Funding for Wallwork Cambridge Limited

The objective of the “AdCrManu” project is to prove a concept which when proven will enable partners to take commercial advantage of an existing urgent global market demand for lighter-weight and more complex automotive components. The main aim of the project is to prove a concept which will enable the mass-manufacturing of complex die-cast aluminium “hybrid” components. Hybrid die-cast components made of aluminium-steel and aluminium-plastic have the strength necessary to replace heavier steel parts and single-material parts thereby reducing weight , saving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions especially in automotive applications. The concept to be proven is that the efficiency of aluminium die-casting manufacturing processes can be improved through the development of an innovative new generation of multifunctional nanostructured protective coatings. These innovative new coatings will provide the benefits of enabling the mass-manufacturing of hybrid components and other Al-die cast components with more complex shapes than can currently be Al-die cast. These innovative protective coatings will prolong Al-die cast tool life, enhancing production efficiency and reducing production cost thereby making it cost effective for end-users (automotive manufacturers) to use more hybrid and complex shaped aluminium die-cast components, and so growing the market for hybrid, and more complex shaped Al-die-cast components.

The objective of project BERTI (Biomedical implant with Exceptional Resistance to Tribo-bio-corrosion and with Inherent antimicrobial properties) is to develop an innovative joint replacement with a coating that minimises polyethylene and metal wear debris, prevents metal ion release and promotes the release of antimicrobial agents. The project will determine a method that establishes drivers for the detrimental responses to wear debris observed in patients. This information will be used to optimise a recently develop physical-vapour deposition coating that minimises wear and tribo-bio-corrosion while delivering an antimicrobial agent. In addition, the project will establish a test for patient susceptibility to ions release from implants. This will help identify patient cohorts who would benefit most from the novel coated implants, and will deliver to them, and to the wider population, a world-leading joint replacement with exceptional biocompatibility, longevity and antimicrobial properties. Project BERTI will ultimately increase the longevity of orthopaedic implants, reducing the number of revision surgeries, benefiting the UK and wider economy, and the patient.

The objective of this project is to substitute selected scarce (Co and Cd) and health- and environment-threatening coatings in the electricity generation and aerospace industries. These objectives will be met through the development of a new, innovative suite of PVD coatings with properties that can be tailored to suit many different applications. The price and availability of cobalt is volatile, causing uncertainty for manufacturers of power plant. Co-based overlays are used to reduce supersonic water droplet erosion (SWDE) of turbine blades and sliding wear in valves. Cd is a heavy metal toxin posing serious health issues. It is banned from most applications except those for which there is no alternative. This project aims to develop effective alternatives. The suite of new coatings will provide tailored properties of barrier corrosion resistance and/or sacrificial protection with lubricity (i.e. Cd replacement). The same coating concept will be tailored to provide SWDE resistance by incorporating additional functional nanocomposite layers. Processes will also be developed for the stripping of these coatings to promote recycling/reuse. Metrology requirements will be addressed through development of the UK’s first test rig to evaluate SWDE. Many projects have previously been undertaken with the aim to replace electroplated Cd. This project will succeed where others have not because the design of the new coatings benefits from the novel combination of leading edge results, recently completed research not previously available.

Awaiting Public Summary