A collection of case histories of successful collaborations between High Technology Network Laboratories and businesses. These are tangible and customisable examples of the application of new technologies, products, or services that show how industrial research can meet the needs of innovation.

Results: 12

Biomechanical assessment of sport movements

360-degree analysis of a sports shoe (motor work and perception of effort)

In order to compare sports performance of athletes using different sports equipment, the laboratory provides biomechanical, bioenergetic and physiological assessment during sports movements such as running and walking. Available instrumentation...

Leggi tutto
Low-magnification image (optical microscope) of the microstructure of the AlSi10Mg alloy produced by AM

Optimisation of heat treatment and coatings for additively manufactured mechanical components

From subtractive to additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) affords design freedom, topological optimization and ability to develop material/component combinations with “site-specific” properties. AM therefore is an effective tool to meet the growing needs of both high...

Leggi tutto

CLEANPORT - Development of LNG supply system for small-scale naval units

Energy sustainability for port areas and maritime cities

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is a low environmental impact fuel capable of reducing considerably the emissions of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, as required by the European regulation (directive 2012/33 / EU). The CLEANPORT project provided the...

Leggi tutto

New techniques for robotic pick-and-place

Faster pick-and-place operation even with liquids

Motion planning for robotic manipulators is usually considered a problem with well-settled solutions. However, also in this field, new applications, often non-standard, pose new challenges. Among them, the transporation/manipulation of liquid...

Leggi tutto

Light alloys: microstructure and heat treatment optimization

Improve the performance of aluminum, titanium and magnesium

The choice of a light alloy for the production of mechanical components implies, also, the choice of the most suitable heat treatment. Even if heat treatment parameters are defined in the international standards, microstructure, induced in the alloys...

Leggi tutto

Optimization of engineering components for friction and wear applications

How to improve performance by reducing friction and wear

Engineering components, in relative motion under load, dissipate energy due to friction and and suffer surface damage due to wear. In order to limit these phenomena, a new discipline called “tribology” has been developed. The importance of a...

Leggi tutto

Trajectory Optimization for Electric Actuators: Power Consumption Reduction and Vibration Cancelling

Optimal trajectories for mechatronic systems with high dynamics

In the field of automatic machines and Robots with high dynamics the need for velocities higher and higher collides with the requirements of precision and reliability. This is mainly caused by the motion control systems that are not able to track...

Leggi tutto

Benchmarking of commercial platforms for automation

Not to be "dazzled" by marketing of suppliers

The design of control systems can be based on commercial off-the-shelf devices, easily scalable and interoperable. The rapid growth of the functionalities, which characterize modern control systems, complicates the selection of the proper...

Leggi tutto

Functional polymeric biomaterials from electrospinning: nanofibres for tissue engineering

Electrospun supports for repairing biological tissues

The use of three-dimensional supports (scaffolds) as a guide to cellular growth in culture, fosters considerable hopes in the field of regenerative medicine. The electrospinning technology makes it possible to produce nanofibrous scaffolds able to...

Leggi tutto

Flexible and modular automatic machines

High-performance pharmaceutical-sector automatic machines

In innovative-design automatic machines, the motion laws of the end-effectors (EEs) may be varied by programming motion profiles imposed by electrical drives. However, EEs normally have one degree of freedom only and cannot change the type of...

Leggi tutto

Casting simulation and product development

From idea to foundry component

A casting component must be developed considering promptly the critical issues arising from the manufacturing process. Uninformed component design inevitably causes problems in the production stage, resulting in the need for deep geometric review...

Leggi tutto

Laser hardening in numerical control machining centres (CNC)

Working and hardening on the same machine: from the semi-finish to the finished part

Direct Laser Hardening (DLH) in numerical control machining centres is a process to superficially harden mechanical components at the end of removal processing and directly on the machining centre where they have been made, thus avoiding induction...

Leggi tutto