fundació ctm centre tecnològic

Transcription

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AN
INDEX
Index
3
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
5
WHO ARE we?
6
Organization and Governing Bodies
What does Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic do?
Areas of work
20
Area of Materials Technology
AREA OF FORMING PROCESSES
32
Area OF SIMULATION AND INNOVATIVE DESIGN
50
Area OF ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
Área de sOportE a la innovacióN
61
79
Area OF energY
Most outstanding projects
Publications, congresses and PhD thesis
133
Headlines 2012
internacional ACTIVITY
157
Division of Bioengineering
163
AGREEMENTS AND CONTRACTS
WITH PUBLIC ENTITIES
176
Economic report
Clients
179
180
Future steps
New building
183
ANNUAL REPORT 2012 FUNDACIÓ CTM CENTRE TECNOLÒGIC
19
26
84
107
152
2
Letter from the President
Letter from the president
Talent, investigation and innovation
are the keys to growth
Technology centres are one of the principal structures of intermediation
between the sector of scientific investigation and private enterprise and
constitute an essential element of support to innovation, both for SMEs
and multinational entities. Catalonia, without the sustenance of natural
resources, must look to talent, knowledge, innovation and progress in order
to prosper and consolidate our wealth, thus becoming a leading example in the
South of Europe with regards to investigation and technology.
In the present situation, this must be the objective of a country that, more than ever,
needs to promote technological innovation and to transform it into economic growth. It
is fundamental to transform the talent of the country into competitive advantages for the
companies, so as to be able to take advantage of the global opportunities that arise within
those sectors with the greatest potential.
The name of Catalonia must be clearly associated to high added value innovation and a key aspect
will be the creation of further closer cooperation between science and the world of enterprise.
In our case, this energy and capacity of leadership must come from entities such as the Fundació
CTM Centre Tecnològic , a centre that is already a fundamental actor in the international
3
Letter from the President
Letter from the president
system of innovation, an institution closely identified with the region that has demonstrated
and continues to demonstrate, the capacity to undertake projects of great importance all over
the World, projects that strengthen the economy and permit significant advances.
The commitment, the tenacity and the high level of qualification of the investigators and
directors, continue to make possible a demonstrative growth of the Fundació CTM Centre
Tecnològic. I am convinced that the transfer to the new building in the Central Parc, that
very soon will bew a reality, will widen the institution’s horizons and reinforce its standing
on the international stage and in Catalonia whilst at the same time guaranteeing an even
deeper relationship with Manresa and the county of Bages.
With open and frank dialogue coupled with the accumulation of the energy and capacity
of different companies, administrations, professional colleges, private sector organizations
and universities, the centre is a key actor and leader in the process of the transition of the
city, the region, the country towards the new global economy.
This is what we seek and our principal objective is to further strengthen the economic
capacity of the territory and to guarantee the future prosperity and welfare of people both
here and abroad.
Valentí Junyent i Torras
The Mayr of Manresa and President of the Board of
Directors of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic
4
WHO ARE WE?
Who are we?
The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic is a private, non-profit making organization that aims to
contribute effectively to the improvement of the competitiveness and technological progress
of industry by providing specialized services and carrying out R+D projects.
The team at the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic works for companies, organisations and
institutions in the field of Materials Technology, Simulation and Innovative Design, Forming
Processes, Environmental Technology, Support to Innovation and Energy.
The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic forms part of the network of technology centres of
the regional government, the Generalitat of Catalonia (XCT) identified with the registration
number CT03/04 and is also recognised by the Ministry of Education and Science as an Office
of Research Results Transfer (OTRI), with the number 158.
Together with other centres in Catalonia, CTM has participated in the creation of the Association
of Technology Centres, ACT in which it served as the first President.
The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic is a member of TECNIO, a brand created by ACC1Ó that
brings together the leading experts in applied research and technology transfer in Catalonia.
5
WHO ARE WE?
Who are we?
Organisation
The activities of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic are divided into the following areas;
Materials Technology, Simulation and Innovative Design, Forming Processes, Environmental
Technology, Innovation Support and Energy.
The Centre is organised in the following manner:
DOWNLOAD
ORGANITZATION
CHART
6
WHO ARE WE?
Who are we?
Director General
Dr. José M. Prado
Director of the Area of Materials Technology
Dr. Daniel Casellas
Director of the Area of Simulation and Innovative Design
Dra. Mª Dolors Riera
Director of the Area of Forming Processes
Dr. José Mª Cabrera
Director of the Area of Environmental Technology
Dr. Miquel Rovira
Director of the Area of Energy
Dr. Luis Romeral
Director of the Area of Innovation Support
Sr. Antoni Fargas
7
WHO ARE WE?
Who are we?
Comercial Director
Sr. Jordi Martí
Director of Internal Affairs
Sr. Xavier Codinach
Scientific Direction
Dr. Jose M. Prado
Dr. Joan de Pablo
Governing Bodies
The Board of Trustees
President
Ilmo. Sr. Valentí Junyent
AYUNTAMIENTO DE MANRESA
First Vice-President
Rector Magfco. Sr. Antoni Giró
8
WHO ARE WE?
Who are we?
UNIVERSITAT POLITÈCNICA DE CATALUNYA
Second Vice-President
Sr. Manel Rosell Martí
FUNDACIÓ CAIXA MANRESA
Secretary
Sr. Josep Alabern Valentí
COLEGIO OFICIAL DE INGENIEROS INDUSTRIALES
Board Members
ACC1Ó
CAMARA DE COMERCIO E INDUSTRIA DE MANRESA
COLEGIO DE ARQUITECTOS DE CATALUÑA
COLEGIO DE INGENIEROS TÉCNICOS INDUSTRIALES DE MANRESA
CONSELL COMARCAL DEL BAGES
FEDERACIÓ D’EMPRESARIS CATALUNYA CENTRAL
9
WHO ARE WE?
Who are we?
FUNDACIÓ CAIXA MANRESA
FUNDACIÓ UNIVERSITÀRIA DEL BAGES
MUTUA INTERCOMARCAL
PIMEC
UNIVERSITAT POLITÈCNICA DE CATAL UNYA
VILARDELL PURTÍ, S.A.
The Executive Committee
The Board of Trustees of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic designated the following
representatives of companies and organisations to form part of the Executive Committee:
President
Sr. Manel Rosell
FUNDACIO CAIXA MANRESA
Secretary
Sr. Josep Alabern
10
WHO ARE WE?
Who are we?
Members
Sra. Silvia Gratacòs
Sr. Enric Perramon
AUSA CENTER, S.L.
Sr. Pere Casals
CAMARA DE COMERCIO E INDUSTRIA DE MANRESA
Sr. Xavier Ferràs
ACC1Ó
Sr. Pablo de Lastres
IBERPOTASH, S.A.
Sr. Jaume Claramunt
MAPRO SISTEMAS DE ENSAYO
Sr. Francesc X. Gil
11
WHO ARE WE?
Who are we?
The Business Advisory Committee
President
Sr. Manel Rosell
FUNDACIO CAIXA MANRESA
AMPHOS 21 CONSULTING, S.L.
AUSA CENTER, S.L.
AUTOTECH ENGINEERING, AIE
BODEGAS ROQUETA, S.A.
CENTRE CORPORATI U INI6, S.L.
CONSTRUCCIONES SOMIC, S.L.
CONSTRUCCIONS COTS I CLARET, S.L.
DENSO BARCELONA, S.A.
EDICIONS INTERCOMARCALS, S.A.
FUNDACIÓ PER L’ECONOMIA I EL MÀRQUETING
FUNDERIA CONDALS, S.A.
HAYE S LEMMERZ MANRESA, S.L.U.
IBERPOTASH, S.A.
INDÚSTRIAS PONSA, S.A.
12
WHO ARE WE?
Who are we?
L. OLIVA TORRAS, S.A
LEAR AUTOMOTIVE HOLDING SPAIN, S.L.U.
MÚTUA INTERCOMARCAL
PILAGEST, S.L.
PUJOL MUNTALÀ, S.A.
RECICLATGE , TRACTAMENT, DIPÒSIT S.L.
SKIS ROSSIGNOL DE ESPAÑA, S.A.
SUMMA, S.A.
VILARDELL PURTÍ, S.A.
The Scientific Committee
Rector Magfco. Sr. Antoni Giró Roca
Dr. Ferran Laguarta Bertran
CENTRE DE DESENVOLUPAMENT DE SENSORS, INSTRUMENTACIÓ I SISTEMES - CD6
Sra. Elena Guijarro
CENTRO PARA EL DESARROLLO TECNOLÓGICO INDUSTRIAL - CDTI
13
WHO ARE WE?
Who are we?
Dr. Rafael Colás
UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE NUEVA LEÓN
Dr. Yvan Houbaert
UNIVERSITEIT GENT - DEPARTMENT MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
The work teams of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic are composed of investigators
and technicians with practical experience in industrial cases, dedicated professionals who
guarantee total confidentiality regarding the work performed.
The technicians and scientists enjoy a notable presence at national and international
conferences and appear regularly in the most important scientific journals which guarantees
that there exists direct access to knowledge of the latest tendencies and results in those
fields in which we are involved.
14
WHO ARE WE?
Who are we?
THE STAFF
The team is composed of both company personnel and personnel related to the Universidad
Politécnica de Cataluña (UPC). This is due to the fact that CTM is a Type 1 related entity to
the aforementioned institution. This connection means that Doctorate Researchers at the
Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic are considered researchers seconded from the university
whilst the UPC personnel who carry out their work and research exclusively at CTM are
considered to be connected to the centre.
In 2012, the staff was composed of a total of 134 professionals with the following profiles:
Evolution of the personnel
La Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic has clearly placed emphasis on the generation of
knowledge to be later transferred to industry and below we demonstrate the corresponding
data related to the evolution of the personnel.
15
WHO ARE WE?
Who are we?
TOTAL
134
52
32
17
17
EVOLUTION
OF THE PERSONNEL
16
DOCTORs
HIGH. DEG.
GRAD.
TECH.
SCHOL.
16
WHO ARE WE?
Who are we?
27
30
30
32
50
40
12
12
21
11
2009
50
16
21
14
17
20
17
2010
17
16
2011
EVOLUTION
OF THE PERSONNEL
52
2012
DOCTORs
HIGH. DEG.
GRAD.
TECH.
SCHOL.
17
WHO ARE WE?
Who are we?
19
18
20
93
108
TOTAL
TOTAL
2009
2010
111
127
19
113
115
TOTAL
TOTAL
2011
2012
14 133
134
UPC
CTM
EVOLUTION
OF THE PERSONNEL
18
What does Fundació CTM
Centre Tecnològic do?
What does Fundació CTM
Centre Tecnològic do?
The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic works for companies, organisations and institutions in
R+D/IT projects of their own or together with companies, in studies and technical support,
in analysis and essays and in the support to innovation. Its activity revolves around six areas
of work.
Area of materials technology
Area of forming processes
Area of simulation and innovative design
Area of environmental technology
Area of support to innovation
Area of energy
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Area of
Materials Technology
The Area of Materials Technology (ATM) is the area of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic
which specializes in the evaluation of the mechanical behavior of anything ranging
from laboratory samples to industrial components, streamlining this behavior with the
microstructure and the forming process.
ATM is structured into the following main units of activities:
• Mechanical Behavior
• Microstructure and behavior at service
• Surface engineering
• Tribology
• Technological services
20
Area of
The main lines of work of the unit of Mechanical Behaviour are:
• Materials for tools used in cold forming processes:
• Micromechanical design
• Determination of failure micromechanisms
• Effect of the characteristics of the process on the properties of the component
• Fatigue and fracture of structural materials:
• High Strength Steels
• Aluminium alloys
• Castings
• Copper alloys
• Elastomers
• Tests on industrial components
• Evaluation of the mechanical requirements of industrial components
21
Area of
• Characterization of mechanical and forming properties of steel sheets and high strength
steels: mechanical resistance, fatigue behaviour , impact resistance, formability curves and
the evaluation of deformations in real pieces
• Identification of failure mechanisms by acoustic emission
• Micromechanical characterization of materials so as to evaluate the mechanical damage
and for the characterization of multiphase materials
The main lines of work of the unit of Microstructure and behaviour in service,
are:
• Determination of internal defects in structural pieces in light alloys casting
• Microstructural and mechanical evaluation of hot work steels at high temperatures
• Identification of thermomechanical damage in hot forming tools
• Microstructural evaluation of iron and light alloy castings
• Evaluation of the interaction with the environment: corrosion resistance, stress corrosion
and fatigue corrosion
22
Area of
The main lines of work of the unit of Surface Technology are:
• Study of technological coatings for functional decor applications
• Study and development of coated systems and/or superficial modifications for forming
tools
• Development of metallic and non-metallic coatings over different substrates (metallic and
non-metallic) by means of PVD technique
• Mechanical and topographic characterization of surfaces and coatings
The main lines of work within the unit of Tribology are:
• Characterization of the surface damage micromechanism
• Nondestructive inspection of the forming tools
• Development of experimental methodologies for the evaluation of friction and wear in
industrial systems with and without coatings
• Evaluation of the behavior in fatigue by contact
23
Area of
The unit of Technological Services offers tests of chemical and micro-structural
characterization as well as mechanical properties adapted if necessary to the specific
requirements of different companies working in different sectors (automobiles and transport,
metal mechanics, metals, mining, renewable energies biomedical, food, etc).
As an infrastructure of support to the development of projects, ATM has at its disposal a stateof-the-art laboratory for the microstructural analysis and mechanical evaluation of materials:
- Uniaxial tests (tensile compression, bending) with electromechanic machines of 200 and
250 kN in various environments (saline, neutral) and at different ranges of temperature
(from -40ºC up to 1200 ºC).
- Behavior under cyclic loads: servo-hydraulic machines from 150 and 250kN (with devices for
amplifying loads up to 500 kN), resonance fatigue machine of 150kN (frequency of 250 Hz).
- Evaluation of the toughness and crack propagation resistance for different kinds of
materials.
- Laboratory hydraulic press of double effect and 150 Tm of capacity with optical equipment
capable of measuring deformations in samples at real time without contact for the
determination of the formability of metal sheets and laminates. It counts with experimental
facilities for the cutting of steel sheet in dies so as to evaluate the behavior of tools and
the quality of the cut, as well as the effect of the trim edges on the mechanical behaviour
24
Area of
- Tribometers for the evaluation of the coefficients of friction and wear resistance, abrasive
and adhesive, up to 900 ºC.
- Nanoindenter for the evaluation of the mechanical properties of coatings and thin films
and of multiphase materials at a nanometric scale
- PVD reactor with pulsed filtered and non-filtered cathodic arc for the preparation of
coatings with the possibility of applying nitruration treatments
- Optical microscopes, a confocal microscope and an electronic microscope with field
emission (FE-SEM) with EDX and EBSD
- Emission spectrometry, LECO C-S
- Saline fog camera and Kesternic
- Potenciostat
- Thermographic camera
25
AREA OF
FORMING PROCESSES
Forming processes
Defining what a material is, the substance, is indeed a difficult task. Even though we all know
what we mean by material, defining it is not as easy. Perhaps we can define material as all
that which is not immaterial, ergo all that which is not the “soul” is “material”. Everything
around us is “material”. However, materials by themselves are of no use. The true dimension
of any material, of its utility, is reached when it is given a form, when it is formed. It is this
binomial, material – form, that in the end has an application that serves to meet the needs
of human beings.
What happens is that on forming a material, we are altering its properties, its applications.
There are innumerable ways of forming a material (there are almost more ways than materials)
and in many cases they are formed according to the inherent and specific routes and ways
of each material. At this point therefore, it becomes extremely important to know how the
forming process will interact with the properties that it will produce on the material when the
latter acquires its form. In the world of Materials Science and Engineering we manage this
by controlling how the microstructure, frequently crystalline, changes and interferes in the
forming process. And this is the great challenge of the Materials Forming Processes group of
the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic.
Very much orientated towards Metallic materials and recently towards Polymer Matrix
Composites, the area of Processes centres its activities on the development, research and
optimization of forming processes but from the aspect of controlling their microstructure and
thus controlling their properties and applications; all this with the aim of reaching the greatest
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AREA OF
FORMING PROCESSES
Forming processes
scientific-technologic excellence possible, aspiring to international relevance with their
contributions to the field of materials forming. The group consists of 9 permanent members
of staff (7 of whom are PhDs) who in the last 10 years have directed a dozen PhD theses,
published more the one hundred articles in scientific journals, being worthy of mention in
hundreds of examples of scientific literature.
Their fundamental area of knowledge is orientated towards the hot formation of metals,
paying special attention to the inherent physical metallurgy of hot deformation, including
among others the description of the phenomenon of discontinuous or continuous dynamic
recrystallization, the application of EBSD techniques in the follow-up of the restoration and
recrystallization mechanisms and the development of descriptive, constitutive equations of
hot deformation. Likewise, the area has developed projects to study the hot ductility and
the prediction of microstructures of solidification with the determination of the interdendritic
spacing and the effect of the chemical composition on steels obtained by continuous casting,
simulation of the casting process and effect of the control variables. Materials such as carbon
steels, micro-alloyed steels, ultra high elastic limit steels, steels for hot stamping, electric
steels (high silicon), stainless steels, TWIP steels and QP steels, coppers and their alloys, Ni
super-based alloys, aluminiums and their alloys, and low melting-point metals (Sn-Pb) have
been the object of numerous studies carried out by the group.
More recently, and with the advent of nanomaterials, the group has developed a line for
obtaining ultra-fine and nanometric grain metals by means of cold forming by mechanical
27
AREA OF
FORMING PROCESSES
Forming processes
milling and pressing in an Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP). We must mention here the
success achieved in developing nanometric structures in materials such as copper and steel. It
is also worth highlighting the field of cold deformation, the contributions of the measurements
of the variation of the modulus of Elasticity with the inherent deformation, which makes more
precise predictions possible of the problems in spring-back during sheet forming or stamping.
In the same way and given the problems of oxidation that many steels have in normal atmospheric
conditions, a part of the area of processes is a line orientated towards the optimisation of the
processes of zinc galvanizing by means of adjusting the conditions of the process and the
more or less complex chemical composition of zinc baths. The line of work referred to is also
orientated towards a better understanding of the phenomena of steel oxidation.
Finally, the area incorporates the strategic move made by the Fundació CTM Centre
Tecnològic as regards Polymer Matrix Composite Materials reinforced with fibreglass or
carbon. In this field, work is done with the precise prediction of the mechanical properties
of the manufacturing process in question (number of layers, orientation of fibres, etc), in the
development of automated inspection technology for the detection of manufacturing defects
by means of conventional ultrasonic technology or ultrasound generated by laser pulses and
lastly, dispose of the specific instruments and equipment needed for carrying out a correct
determination of the mechanical properties of these materials that is so promising.
The excellence of the group and of their investigation results is reflected not only in the quality
of their publications, but also in the quality of the work carried out with and for companies.
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AREA OF
FORMING PROCESSES
Forming processes
These are not only locally based (Catalonia and the rest of Spain) but also internationally. Proof
of this are the different projects already completed and those under way with other European
companies and technological centres (in Belgium, Holland, Italy, Germany and France) and in
America (Canada and Mexico).
Laboratory equipment specifically oriented
towards the Area of Forming Processes.
Dilatometer and hot deformation machine
Unit for the study of phase transformations (TTC and CCT curves) suffered by materials
during the heating and cooling cycles (with and without deformation); flow curves at constant
temperature and speed, both in traction and compression; tests of relaxation of tensions
or interrupted tests. All of these tests are essential for the knowledge of their behavior
during the forming processes. Maximum working temperatures of 1500 ºC with capacity for
heating at 4000K/s and cooling at 2500K/s.
EBSD
Advanced microstructural characterization by EBSD (Electron Back Scattering Diffraction) FESEM and TEM techniques; including second phase particles, microtextures, crystallography,
dislocation density, recrystallization degree,...
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AREA OF
FORMING PROCESSES
Forming processes
Differential scanning calorimeter
Capable of reaching temperatures of up to 1600 ºC. It is used for determining the phase
transformation points of all sorts of materials as well as the associated activation energies.
Microtopographical inspection (confocal)
The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic counts with a confocal microscopy unit (Sensofar
PLµ2300) for the inspection of sheets of up to 300mm x 300mm of plastics strengthened with
Carbone fiber (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer CFRP) or glass (Graphite Fiber Reinforced
Polymer). The confocal microscopy can detect defects near to the surface, even if it is the
apparently flat surface what was in contact with the cured mold.
Laser ultrasounds
LThe Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic together with CD6 carries out research work on the
application of laser-generated ultrasounds. The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic transfers
this technology to companies which specialize in ultrasound inspection and collaborates in the
simulation of the propagation of the transverse and longitudinal acoustic waves which generates
the incident laser. The inspection with laser-generated ultrasounds (LU) is a technique which has
the applications of a conventional ultrasound unit but that works without having contact with the
inspected piece; this is so because it has two lasers, one for the generation of acoustic waves
and the other, for the detection of superficial vibrations through interferometry. The direction of
the propagation of these transverse and longitudinal waves is important for the determination
of the physical properties of the material such as the elastic modulus, and it is necessary to
30
AREA OF
FORMING PROCESSES
Forming processes
resort to simulation by finite elements so as to know where to position the other laser of the
interferometry unit.
Mechanical milling equipment
High energy (SPEX type) planetary mills (Pulverisette type), and cryogenics are used in the
obtaining of ceramic and metal powder with a nanometric microstructure within the line
of research into the manufacturing of nanostructured materials, carrying out projects to
reduce the size of calcium carbonate particles, or to refine the size of metals such as copper
and steel.
31
AREA OF SIMULATION
AND INNOVATIVE DESIGN
Simulation and
innovative design
The Area of Simulation and Innovative Design is the area of the Fundació CTM Centre
Tecnològic that specializes in numerical simulation, both in engineering and in research and
it has the following missions:
• Give service to all the projects of companies that may need numerical simulation in
different fields of engineering
• To design and develop tools and small machinery and to collaborate in the design of
productive and experimental systems
Simulation is a tool in constant development that makes it possible to efficiently analyze
different physical phenomena. It has contributed significantly to the improvement of design
in engineering and of the methodology of the design cycle of different industrial applications.
It constitutes an essential technique in the development of new processes, mechanisms and
phenomena in the field of materials and furthermore, it enables companies to generate
their own products with high added value.
At present, the main activities of the Area of Simulation and Innovative Design can be
classified as shown in the following diagram:
Simulation and Innovative Design works with commercial calculation programs by the finite
elements method such as ABAQUS ANSYS and PROCAST; it counts with experience in
simulation of mechanical and thermomechanical behaviour, static and dynamic calculations,
heat transfer, stationary and transitory calculations, fluid dynamics, electromagnetism and
32
AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
multi-physical calculations (coupled fields).
For the group, simulation has a double interest: to analyse systems and processes as well as,
to achieve a deeper knowledge of the behaviour of materials.
The main activities of the Area of Simulation and Innovative Design are:
• Cold forming
• Hot forming
• Electromagnetic forming
• Castings
• Vibrations
• Elastomers
• Fluids. Optimisation of cooling systems
• Innovative design
• Ultrasounds
33
AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
Cold Forming
The main lines of work within the unit of cold forming are the following:
• Estimate of the elastic recuperation:
The objectives of this field focus on the proposal of a methodology for the correct
estimation of the elastic recovery (springback) as well as, on the compensation of the
forming tools, so as to obtain pieces within the tolerances in the forming of sheets with
high strength steels by studying the parameters which influence the process. For this
reason, numerical simulation by finite elements is the tool most used, since it´s proven by
a rigorous experimental validation.
It has been proven that, so as to achieve a correct prediction of the elastic recovery, it is
essential to have the knowledge of the variation of the modulus of elasticity depending on
the plastic deformation and the cyclic behaviour of the AHSS under study.
A method for the compensation of springback using Abaqus has been designed. This
method makes it possible to obtain the geometry of compensated tools (punch, mould
and pusher) in such a way, that the piece obtained after the elastic recovery coincides with
the geometry originally designed.
• Progressive forming
The progressive forming processes are a set of forming techniques in which the preform
34
AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
is deformed locally until obtaining the final shape. This kind of process has the important
advantage of reducing considerably the strength and size of the machinery needed so as
to obtain certain final geometries.
An important family of progressive forming processes is the one known as spinning. This
family includes the traditional spinning and the conical and cylindrical laminations.
In the first two processes, a circular preform of sheet goes around at great speed and is
deformed by applying pressure with a tamper on an also revolving mould. With one or
various passes, the preform achieves the desired shape. In the cylindrical lamination, a
tube of a certain thickness spins around at great speed while a certain number of tampers,
generally three, reduce locally its thickness. At the end of the process we obtain a tube
with its thickness evenly reduced.
The fine-tuning of the parameters of the spinning processes is still to this day, a matter
of experience, trial and error. Computer simulation makes it possible to obtain not only
a deeper knowledge of the process (because we have a complete image of the state of
tensions and deformations of the material) but also, a tool for predicting the effect of the
change of parameters of the process.
Recently, the group has worked on the simulation of the cylindrical lamination process of steels
with a high elastic limit. This work has included the characterisation of the materials for this kind
35
AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
of processes and the development of experimental techniques for validating the simulations.
• Prediction of breaking
At the same time that the development of new high strength steels grants many advantages,
it also generates new inconvenients during their forming process. The complexity of the
present geometries of work induces nonlinear deformation paths in multiple-step operations.
The simulation methods used up to this moment for the prediction of possible fractures of
the material during its forming process are way too conservative. The FLD (Failure Limit
Diagram) criteria are a clear example.
There are several criteria for the prediction of the fracture of sheets that have been, up
till now, in phase of being validated and also an agreement by the scientific community.
Among these stands out the Forming Limit Stress Diagram (FLSD). This method has been
used by the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic obtaining very good results.
The simulation by finite elements makes it possible to introduce the FLSD criterion for
determining if the piece that has to be inlaid will present restriction or not. Finally, all this
procedure makes it possible to greatly reduce the experimental tests, which in many occasions
are difficult to carry out and mean a great initial cost (forming tools). The following figure
shows the same piece experimentally inlaid and simulated by finite elements (FLSD criterion).
• Wear
The evolution of the materials being used in the steel forming industry has put die stamping
36
AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
tools under high mechanical requirements, which result in an important wear of these and in
many cases in fractures that render them useless. Faced with these problems, the group of
simulation and innovative design has worked on the development of simulation strategies
capable of modelling the wear and failure of forming tools. These techniques consist in
programming a script for post-processing the simulation results and in the modelling of tools
with deformable elements.
At present, the group has the capacity for carrying out the design of tools presenting
calculations of the life span that make it possible to make a correct selection of the material
and adjust the maintenance plans of the productive systems.
Hot Forming
The forming of sheets at high temperatures has gained prominence in recent years, especially
in the car industry. It makes it possible to obtain pieces with high mechanical properties
in relation to the weight and to reduce negative phenomena related to the cold forming
process, such as springback.
Numerical simulation using finite elements in this field is an essential tool for the adjustment
of this kind of process, as well as for other processes such as forging, extrusion, lamination,
etc. Numerical simulation using finite elements allows us to study, among others, the
following aspects of the hot forming process:
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AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
Thermomechanical study of the tools:
• Distribution of temperatures and tensions in the tools during the forming cycles
• Design and analysis of the cooling systems
• Selection of materials
• Stabilisation cycles of the process
Thermomechanical study of the piece:
• Study about the conformability and selection of the suitable format
• Prediction of the distribution of temperature and final mechanical strength
Research into new hot forming processes
Electromagnetic forming
The electromagnetic forming technique is based on the generation of high intensity
transitory magnetic fields through a rapid discharge (20-150μs) of electric energy on a
specially designed coil. The transitory magnetic field induces eddy currents on the piece
(good electrical conductor); the interaction between the coil currents and the ones induced
on the piece, generate forces of repulsion that accelerate the piece and make it deform.
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AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
This forming technique presents important advantages regarding conventional techniques;
some of these advantages are: reduction of the elastic recovery and the speed of the process.
The nature of the process in which electromagnetic, mechanical and thermal phenomena
in transitory regime are developed, involves the need of using calculation tools by the finite
elements method in the design stages of the process.
Simulation makes it possible to evaluate the electromagnetic efficiency of the coil, obtaining
the evolution of the electromagnetic fields and forces developed during the electrical
discharge. This analysis, solved together with the thermal and mechanical analysis, makes it
possible to determine the temporary evolution of the distribution of strains, temperatures
and deformations of both the piece and the coil.
The results obtained in the simulation together with the proper selection of materials,
have allowed us to obtain a robust and suitable design of the forming tools and the final
deformation and shape of the piece.
Electromagnetismo e inducción
In recent decades, the presence of automation in industrial processes has increased dramatically,
largely due to advances and improvements in the field of mechatronics.
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AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
Innovations in electromechanical actuation systems, mostly in design changes and the
introduction of new materials, have resulted in improved performance, weight and power
consumption.
The optimization of these and other electromechanical elements requires the joint simulation
of electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical phenomena in order to obtain the time response.
Other fields of application for electromagnetic simulation include the study of processes of
induction heating, where the heating pattern is strongly linked to the design of the coil.
It is in the design of the coil where the simulation proves itself to be an essential tool that allows
one to integrate the current generator with the coil design and the part to be heated, obtaining
the time evolution of the electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical response of the structure as
a whole.
With the results of simulation at one’s disposal, a controlled and robust heating process can be
designed and produced which permits one to obtain the desired distribution and temperature
value for the process.
Casting
In the last few years simulation has joined the workflow of the foundry companies helping to
optimise the components and manufacturing processes while reducing the time and costs
40
AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
that characterise the test and error method.
The Simulation department counts with a set of programs which make it possible to simulate
a wide range of casting processes such as:
• Casting by gravity
• High Pressure Die Casting (HPDC) or Low Pressure Die Casting (LPDC)
• Continuous casting
With these tools the department can carry out a complete analysis of the casting process
that includes:
• Cast steel flow in the cavity until is full
• Profile of temperatures and stresses on the pieces and the moulds during the process.
• Evolution of the solidification front
• Detection of the appearance of different kinds of defects
• Determination of the microstructure of the component
All these data make it possible to approach the design or improvement of a casting process
without having to actually manufacture pieces until very advanced stages of the process. At
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AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
the same time, the reasons for the appearance of defects in an already established industrial
process can be detected quickly facilitating their correction and improvement.
The tests carried out at the experimental facilities of Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic allow
us to validate the predictions made by the simulations.
Vibrations
One can consider a vibration the temporary periodical variations of different magnitudes.
In fact, a mechanical vibration is the movement of a body that oscillates around a point of
equilibrium.
The causes of mechanical vibrations are many but basically, they are closely related to
mechanisation tolerances, calibration, relative movements between touching surfaces or
the balance of rotating or oscillating parts.
The phenomena we have just listed almost always produce a movement of the system
from its point of stable equilibrium originating a mechanical vibration. The majority of the
vibrations in machinery and structures are undesirable because they increase the strains
and for the loss in energy that accompanies them. Furthermore, they are the source of the
wearing down of materials, damage due to fatigue as well as of annoying movements and
noises.
Simulation by finite elements makes it possible to obtain the intrinsic modes of a structure,
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AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
inother words, the intrinsic resonance frequencies of the structure with the representation of
the deformation of the said frequencies (MODAL MODEL). The knowledge of the intrinsic
modes of the structure enables the evaluation of its usage independently of its area of
operation. Furthermore, the results of the modal analysis facilitate the definition of structural
improvements on contributing a numeric and graphic model of mechanical behaviour.
For the determination of the dynamic behaviour of a mechanical structure, there are 3
different model:
· Spatial model: All structures can be modelled spatially by means of a set of mass
systems, a shock absorber and an equivalent mould. For this purpose, we define a series
of characteristic matrices of the system (matrix of the mass, matrix of the shock absorber,
matrix of stiffness) that is under analysis..
· Modal model: given the said matrices, the modal analysis is limited to the resolution
of a problem of autovalues.
· Response model: Mathematical expression which, based on the modal model and
the shock absorbency value, enables us to obtain the FRFs of a structure, in other words,
what its behaviour is in relation to the excitation frequency.
Fatigue of the components
The application of loads or periodic movements on a component can lead it to fail at load levels that
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AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
are much lower than it would be expected in a monotonic load situation.
Predicting life under fatigue of a component can be dealt with using two very different
strategies:
· To reproduce the working conditions in the laboratory and cycle until the part fails.
· To study the properties of the material under fatigue and estimate its life according to
the loads it has to bear.
In the study of behaviour under fatigue, simulation is a very effective tool given that it
enables the determination of the states of tensions and deformations of the components
in service under very different load states. These tensions and deformations can combine
with the characterisation of the material and the existing theoretical models with the aim of
obtaining a life under fatigue estimation of the component. This way, we can greatly reduce
the experimental and economic expenses of the first strategy.
Elastomers
Characterisation and simulation of elastomeric components
Elastomers are a family of polymers with very special mechanical properties that require
specific lab tests and simulation techniques. In this field the results obtained through the
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AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
simulation by finite elements are utterly dependent on the model used on characterising the
material. The convenient method for defining a hyperelastic material is to feed the software
the results of the necessary experimental tests according to the requirements to which the
part being studied is submitted. The lab tests that can be adapted are the following:
· Traction and uniaxial compression
· Traction and equibiaxial compression
· Traction and flat compression (pure shear)
· Traction and volumetric compression
The simulation group has experience in the characterisation of elastomeric materials and in the
simulation of components manufactured with these materials. Likewise, the centre is equipped
to carry out the necessary experimental tests.
Fluid Mechanics
Fluid mechanics is the science that governs the movement of a fluid and the forces that
generate it. The detailed study of processes where there are fluids in motion requires an
analysis of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The preparation of CFD simulation models
that are suitable for every application requires a deep knowledge and experience in the
field and, in some cases, the preparation of experimental equipment to validate different
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AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
simulation strategies.
The Navier-Stokes equations governing the behaviour of a fluid cannot be solved in most
cases in an analytical way and, therefore, fluid dynamics are solved using numerical methods.
Given the complexity of these systems the simulation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
is presented as a clever tool which allows one to determine a numerical solution to the study
process.
The group has made calculations of fluids of different types, some of which are described
below::
· Simulation of air conditioning equipment. The design of air conditioning equipment
in spaces where one seeks a uniform temperature is technically very complex. The simulation
of fluid dynamics permits the analysis of the distribution of airflow and the temperature map
in the chamber concerned and allows the analysis of different designs before building the
actual living area.
· Obtaining aerodynamic coefficients for different given geometries, calculating losses
in pipes or valves, etc.
· The simulation of cooling systems of equipment which has been hot formed or forged.
The cooling circuits are critical elements in hot forming processes since a poor design leads to a
reduced useful life or undesirable mechanical properties of the work piece. The CFD simulation
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AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
in conjunction with thermo-mechanical simulation permits the corroboration of a cooling circuit
design which ensures the smooth running of the process.
· Obtaining the mechanical solicitations of a solid with relation to the passing of a fluid.
The fluid structure interaction (FSI) permits one to define in detail the contour conditions that
affect a solid, facilitating the design and optimization process for complex geometries. This
process requires a fluid dynamics calculation and also another calculation with regards to finite
elements, in order to determine the stress state of the solid in question.
· Design and aerodynamic analysis of wind turbines and turbo machinery. Rotation
characteristics simulation using the MRF (Multiple Reference Frame) and SMM (Sliding Mesh
Method) techniques and the use of turbulence models k-ε, k-ω i LES, allow detailed analysis
of the aerodynamic and hydraulic behaviour of rotary equipment. This analysis permits
the improvement of the efficiency of the system, based on improvements in the geometry
that reduce the formation of undesirable phenomena such as vortices, laminar transition
bubbles, recirculation, etc.
· Analysis and optimisation of physiochemical processes in water treatment systems. The
multi-physic simulation of water treatment processes, especially in the settling tanks of water
purification or water treatment plants, or in precipitation processes of salts or the separation
of heavy metals in the chemical industry, involves the physical interaction of a liquid and solid
phase, and even possible chemical reactions. The characterization of the suspended solids in
the fluid medium and the proper selection of turbulence and sedimentation models enable
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AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
the calculation of different designs in order to achieve more efficient treatment processes
requiring less economic investment and lower plant maintenance costs.
Innovative Design
The department of innovative design comes up from the need to create customised tools,
objects and small machinery. The integration of the calculating power of simulation by finite
elements in the design makes it possible to obtain a product with less experimental load,
optimised and with a shorter production time.
Some of the projects in which we have worked are the following:
· Water injection experimental equipment for the validation of numerical simulation
· Hot stamping experimental equipment for adjusting the different critical parameters
inherent to the process
· Feasibility study about the innovative designs of cooking tools in collaboration with
the foundation ALICIA
Ultrasounds
Initially the optical applications were the greater impact of lasers nevertheless, they have started
to have more important contributions in the field of ultrasounds. Ultrasound inspection methods
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AREA OF SIMULATION
Simulation and
innovative design
are routinely used in non destructive tests for structures and engineering materials; the diagnosis
through ultrasounds is constantly used in medicine, while the measurement of movements and
dimensions by this technique is widely used in industry. The combination of the laser and ultrasound
techniques means a wide range of applications in many fields of engineering.
The simulation by finite elements makes it possible to study the two most important
phenomena that concur in the method of ultrasounds by laser:
· Thermo-elastic generation
· Ablative generation
One of the many applications of this method is the determination of internal defects in
materials without having to destroy the components. By way of illustration, we now present
the results obtained in two aluminium test tubes, one of them with an internal notch.
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AREA OF ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
Environmental technology
The Area of Environmental Technology works with the objective of generating new products
and processes that will make it possible to preserve the environmental quality so as to also
make possible a sustainable industrial and social development. It counts with technological
facilities at Manresa and Flix.
The activities of the area are related with the value chain of environmental technology, in
other words: engineering, consultancy, services as well as the design of new capital goods
and processes. The area works with both private demands, like for example those related with
companies that produce and later market their own products, as well as with public groups
for which the Administration represents the demand requiring scientific and technological
advances.
The Area of Environmental Technology focuses a large part of its activity taking as a reference
the needs and opportunities of industries and companies from the sectors that present
interaction with the environment, channeling the work through the execution of R+D/IT
projects and also offering advanced services.
Broadly speaking, the main current environmental threats include the sustainable use of
natural resources; maintenance and recovery, when necessary, of environmental quality;
protection of human health and problems related with the global change. It is for this reason
that the area focuses its activities on: the development of technology for the cycle of water;
the protection of soils and groundwater and their recovery in case of contamination; the
management of residues, including nuclear ones and methodologies for the evaluation of
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TECHNOLOGY
the environmental impact that include the analysis of the life cycle and on the other hand,
the analysis of the risk for human health and ecosystems.
The area posseses equipment for experimentation and environmental analysis as well as
with pilot plants that make it possible to escalate the processes developed. In particular,
the area has at its disposal high level technological tools among which we should highlight:
• Induced Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)
・
• Induced Coupled Plasma - Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES)
・
• Atomic Absorption Spectometer (AA)
・
• Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
・
• Ionic Chromatography
・
• High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
・
• Continuous analyzer for nitrogen and phosphorus
・
• The polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
・
• Time Resolved Laser Fluorescence Spectrometer (TRLFS)
・
• Microwave Digestor
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TECHNOLOGY
・
• Glove camera under inert purified gas
・
• Waste water respirometry
・
• Soil & Residues Respirometry
・
• Respirómetro de suelos y residuos
・
• Cross-flow units for experimenting with membranes at the laboratory
・
• Glove camera for working with modified and controlled atmospheres
・
• Carbonation reactor
・
• Pilot plant for materials carbonation
・
• Pilot plant for the treatment of waste waters
・
• Pilot plant for experimenting with membranes
・
• Pilot plant for nanofiltration / inverse osmosis
The Area of Environmental Technology is divided into the following working units::
• Water technology
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TECHNOLOGY
• Evaluation of risks and impacts on the environment
• Soils and subterranean water
• Industrial Ecology
• Actinides
Water technology
The research into technologies related to processes in the cycle of water such as desalinization,
the obtaining of potable water and drainage, as well as the regeneration and reuse of water, is
becoming more and more important and necessary. In the case of Mediterranean countries or
those with similar characteristics, research is considered a priority because of their geographical
and climatic context in which non-conventional sources of water must be made fundamental to
mitigate the effects of the lack of water. The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic uses advanced
techniques to improve the effectiveness of these processes and contribute to close the cycle
of water. These techniques are mainly based on microbiological processes, the membrane
technology, as well as on ionic exchange resins and selective absorbents among others.
The increase of water demand together with the decrease of its availability makes it necessary
to search for non-conventional sources; in other words, from sources that come from some
sort of anthropogenic production different from the natural hydrological sources of the cycle
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TECHNOLOGY
itself. It is possible to obtain these resources through processes such as desalinization, reuse
or recovery of rainwater. The application of innovative techniques such as inverse osmosis,
nanofiltration or reversible electrodialysis can enable to obtain drinking water from sea
water and to greatly improve the quality of superficial water used for potabilization. Other
technologies such as microfiltration or ultrafiltration make it possible to regenerate residual
water and reuse it in other processes such as industrial refrigeration, recharge of aquifers or
for watering gardens. This way increases the availibity of water for more sensitive uses.
The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic posseses the most advanced techniques for the
characterization of the processes involved in all the stages of water treatment. The joint
experimentation in laboratories and pilot plants enables to select the typology, dimensions and
operation variables of the different stages that form a particular water treatment process.
For example, the joint use of scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the analysis by energydispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) allows us to characterize the fouling of the membranes and
propose modifications in the operation and cleaning mechanisms for optimizing performance.
The analysis of risk and environmental impact
Anthropogenic activities disperse many pollutant agents and stressors such as chemical
organic and inorganic products, invader species or radiations that have an important impact
on the environment and human health. Given the circumstances, it is important to evaluate
the state of the environment, determine the mobility of the agents and the impact or risk that
might come from it; as well as to determine the best management, what often involves the
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TECHNOLOGY
application of treatment methodologies and to carry out a follow up of their implantation.
The research that is being carried out covers all these stages and is mainly focused on:
· Analytical characterization (physical, chemical and microbiological) and follow up on
the state of the affected environment.
· Study of the interaction and transfer between pollutants and environmental vectors
at different working scales, laboratory, pilot plant and natural environment, including the
modeling of the processes.
· Evaluation of the risk for determining the possibility of adverse effects on human
health and ecosystems in contaminated locations and design recovery actions.
· Evaluation of the impact indicators and modeling of the reactive transportation of
pollutants such as in river basins, riverside forests, dumps and soils, among others.
· Follow up studies of methodologies for the treatment and recovery at different scales;
from laboratory to field (i.e. follow up on invader species, behavior of reactives used for the
treatment, etc.).
Soils and subterranean water
The contamination of different environmental vectors such as soil, groundwater, surface water
and sediments as a consequence of industrial, agricultural and livestock farming activities
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TECHNOLOGY
is one of the most important environmental problems that most countries have to face. In
Catalonia alone, it is estimated that there are more than 2100 inventoried locations that can
present signs of problems related with the subsoil and more than 1000 soils declared as
potentially contaminated, which need and will need recovery projects in the next few years.
The current legislation regarding contaminated locations gives priority to those recovery
methods which apply the best available techniques, therefore, that make it possible to
reduce contaminants in situ using low cost technologies that minimize the removal of the
contaminated vector (soil, sediment, groundwater) to special waste sites.
In this context, the area is working on the development and improvement of several recovery
technologies that include treatments for contaminated soils, sediments and groundwater
through biological methods (bioremediation, natural attenuation), physical treatments
(vapor extraction, tensioactives) and chemical treatments (advanced oxidants, reactive
barriers). These recovery methods are potentially very important, which is a fact to be taken
into account and which makes them highly competitive and sustainable environmental
technologies
The most common typology of contaminants that are treated includes mineral oils, heavy
metals, BTEX (benzene, toluene, etilbenzene and xylene), HAPs (aromatic polycyclic
hydrocarbons), chlorinated hydrocarbons (perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and
byproducts) and other compounds such as nitrates, different types of pesticides and
cyanides.
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TECHNOLOGY
Based on these alternatives, research and development of recovery technologies is being
carried out in the laboratory so as to evaluate the best recovery alternatives at real scale.
In order to carry out these studies, the area counts with instruments and equipment that
make it possible characterize the contaminated environment and processes under study
from a physical, chemical and microbiological point of view. The area also counts with tools
for modeling the reactive transportation of contaminants for the design, optimization and
validation of technologies.
Industrial Ecology
The different types of waste flows constitute a great loss of raw materials and energy, which
should be minimized. In fact, so much that they can be considered resources out of place.
Traditionally, R+D activities have been more concerned with the manufacture of products
and the management of final waste materials than with the minimization of wastes and the
prevention of contamination. On the other hand, the increase in manufacturing activities,
the growing concern for the environment and the lack of resources force us to see waste
materials as potential resources.
In such a context, the area of Environmental Technology is working on the application of
new technologies for the valorization of wastes or by-products, combining eco-efficiency
and profitability. This makes it possible to keep on with the productive structures that are
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TECHNOLOGY
necessary for creating wealth while at the same time provide greater protection for the
environment. Despite the fact that the production of wastes will never cease altogether, no
matter how hard we try, the ATA also works in the study of the behavior of wastes and how
to stabilize them.
As well as that, they carry out activities related with the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of products
and processes so as to evaluate their environmental impact. The LCA methodology consists
basically of drawing up an inventory of the consumption (raw material and energy) and
emissions (air, soil, water, residues) during each of the stages in the life cycle and of an
evaluation of the Impacts that such consumption and emissions could have on the environment
based on the objective and functional unit. From a broader perspective, the LCA evaluates
the impacts from the extraction and processing of raw materials till the stage of the end of
life, perspective called “from the cradle to the grave”. The LCA is also coordinated at times
to the Cost Cycle Analysis (CCA) which permits the simultaneous study of environmental
and economic aspects.
Actinides
The countries that use nuclear energy have to be able to manage the wastes that come from
it. One of the areas of expertise of the Area of Environmental Technology is the study of the
behavior of actinides; products of fission and activation produced in nuclear power stations
under the expected conditions in the safety repositories of radioactive wastes.
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TECHNOLOGY
Research is mainly focused on the behavior of nuclear fuel irradiated in a geological deep
repository. The research group is developing theoretical models to predict radionuclide
release resulting from the interaction between spent fuel and groundwater. It has also
studied the uranium mineral dissolution used as a natural substitute for spent fuel as well as
actinide and fission product migration in natural systems.
In the mentioned studies different experimental techniques are used; some of these are:
X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (EXAFS, XANES),
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and of Atomic Force (AFM), Time-Resolved Laser
Fluorescence Spectroscopy (TRLFS) or mass spectrometry (ESI-MS).
During the year 2012, the area renewed the agreement for studying the behavior of fuel
irradiated in different conditions at the facilities of the German center ITU (Joint Research
Centre, Karlsruhe) in collaboration with ENRESA. The area also works with INE (Karlsruhe
Institute of Technology, Germany), Institute of Radiochemistry (Forschungszentrum,
Rossendorf) and CEA (France).
Transfer of technology and R+D+I together with companies
By means of its own R+D lines, the area of Environmental Technology makes firm technological
bids in the medium term and later on, once they have ripened, finalizes the corresponding
transfer of technology. The constant contact that the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic has
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TECHNOLOGY
with the different companies and entities guarantees the approach of this R+D and that
these technologies meet the strategic needs and requirements of the target sectors.
Simultaneously, the Area of Environmental Technology of the Fundació CTM Centre
Tecnològic is recognised as a technological partner of reference for companies that need and
wish to carry out R+D in similar areas. Thus, the area’s team of professionals with experience
in the private sector and insights into their inherent values, works in the projects according
to the customers’ needs, and proposes collaboration in a diverse and competitive working
group company – Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic .
By carrying out these research projects with companies, the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic
endeavors to obtain financial backing whether state, autonomic or European. They also
inform the customer of the deductions that are applicable in the case of R+D+I.
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AREA OF
SUPPORT TO INNOVATION
Support to innovation
The Area of Support to Innovation (ASI) develops its activity in different fields that are
considered to be crucial for those companies that want to take a step forward and get ahead
their competitors: innovation, environment, technical advice in management and training.
It is of paramount importance that the research work carried out by the different research
centers reaches the business network. The Area of Support to Innovation lays the foundations
so that this transfer of technology can be carried out efficiently, thus providing customer
companies with a qualitative IMPROVEMENT of their capacities.
With this aim, the center establishes a set of internal and external objectives:
Internal objectives:
• Create a product portfolio of specific and differential products with a high added value
• Develop solutions for complex problems at a global level.
External objectives:
We want our customers to achieve, through this Area, the following objectives:
• Generation of their own products
• Improvement of their innovation process
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AREA OF
• Reduction of their environmental management costs
• Improvement of their organizational systems
These objectives are developed in different projects of support for companies, which have an
eminently practical character and are directed to results. These projects are carried out taking
into account the necessities of companies and in close Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic
-company collaboration. The projects can be summed up in the following activities:
• The generation of their own products, both internally and externally
• Innovation and transfer of technology so as to increase the added value of our clients
So as to perform these activities, the Area of Support to Innovation carried out in 2010 a
structural reorganization; this way it will be able to achieve the objectives in a way that is
more focused on the client:
The Internal Ring is structured in the following Lines of Work that provide an answer, both
to the internal and external objectives and which, the external ring, has to be able to take
to the market:
• Generation at the company of products of their own (i-PRODUCT)
• Industrial Eco-innovation (ECO-i)
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AREA OF
• Creation of organizational models and ones for the management of innovation
• Production of a company’s own product
A high percentage of the manufacturing companies that form the business network have, as
social objective, the transformation of materials so as to grant them certain characteristics with
regards composition, shape or functions, according to the requirements set by a third party. In
other words, their function is about executing a series of more or less complex operations so
as to be able to provide their orders with the characteristics defined by another company, in a
way that it will be the latter one who will carry out the development of the products. For this
reason, companies act in fact as subcontractors, complying with the every time more demanding
requirements of a third party, while competing with other companies for carrying this task in the
most efficient manner, focusing all their efforts in the reduction of the lead time and the price.
For this reason, none of these lines of work, that would otherwise seam essential at a short
term, grant companies a solid position when facing the possible fact of the contractor
deciding to externalize his services to a third party because of better economies or the
logistic facilities, or even because of their own relocation. A possibility that together with the
increase in the number of companies that are closing due to the present economic situation,
will happen more often in the next few years.
For this reason, in 2010 started this Line of Work, which is aware of the need that many
companies have to incorporate to the market their own high added value products.
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AREA OF
The objectives are:
• To become a partner that offers support globally throughout the creation process of
the product
• To become a referent in the creation of their own products among the companies of
Catalonia
The following could be customer-companies:
• Companies with little-differentiated products or with little added value
• Companies that act as third party contractors. No products of their own
• Companies with a turnover that concentrates in a small number of clients
• Companies with a turnover that concentrates in a small number of clients
• Industrial Eco-innovation (ECO-i)
Projects focused towards innovation and the transfer of technology for solving problems
and environmental challenges related to the processes and products of companies. These
projects not only seek an environmental improvement of the processes and products but
also a cost reduction for making possible an increase of competitiveness.
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AREA OF
Fields of action:
• Technological transfer and innovation in the treatment and valorization of wastes:
minimization, reuse, recycle and valorization of wastes
• Industrial symbiosis. New strategies for sustainable production
• Development of technology and creation of environmental products of their own
• Development of methods and implementation of solutions for the environmental
optimization and cost reduction for companies
• Strategic advice in environmental legislation
• Environmental innovation projects, transfer of technology and sustainability
Some examples of ECO-i projects are:
• Project for the valorization of residual green molding sand that comes from the
process of iron casting
• Project for the valorization of the fine fraction of residual green molding sand that
comes from the iron casting process in different industrial applications
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• Project for the valorization of the slag that comes from the iron casting process
• Resolution of problems related to the minimization and valorization of different kinds
of industrial wastes
• Collaboration in the design of an innovative productive process based on sustainability
criteria and kick off of a pilot plant for the production of biodiesel
• Project for the synthesizing and industrialization of liquid copper-citrate for using it as
an algaecide (CITCO)
• Development of a method for the study and environmental improvement of industrial
sites
• Design and development of a pilot gasification module starting from biomass for the
generation of electric and calorific energy at domestic level (MOGASBIO)
• Advice on environmental legislation (REACH regulation, Environmental responsibility,
etc.)
International Collaborations:
• Eco-Design for Eco-Innovation: the Green-Car case (Green-Car Eco-Design)
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ECO-DESIGN FOR ECO-INNOVATION: THE GREEN-CAR CASE (GREEN-CAR ECO-DESIGN)
The ECO-i unit takes part in the project Green-Car Eco-Design, which is coordinated by the
Centre Tecnològic Cartif and was approved by the Programa de Cooperación Territorial del
Espacio Sudoeste Europeo (SUDOE) from 2010.
This initiative for transnational cooperation has obtained a FEDER aid for the development
of a study on the subject of eco-innovation about the new sustainable mobility paradigm:
the electric vehicle. The development of the project involves the incorporation of the
environmental variable in the design stage of the main components of the electric vehicle,
in a way that we will obtain safer vehicles that are more respectful with the environment.
The project is being developed in collaboration with partners from other regions of the
SUDOE: Cartif (Castilla y León, Spain), Mondragón Goi Eskola Politeknikoa S.Coop. (País
Vasco, Spain), IAT (Andalucia, Spain), ITA (Aragón, Spain), École Supérieure des Technologies
Industrielles Avancées (Aquitània-France) and Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal (LisbonPortugal).
COLLECTION SYSTEM OF USED COOKING OILS IN EDUCATIVE CENTERS AND BIODIESEL
PRODUCTION TESTS WITH CAVITATION TECHNOLOGY (EDUCO).
The ECO-i unit of the Area of Innovation Support leads the project “Collection system of used
cooking oils in educative centers and biodiesel production test with cavitation technology
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(EDUCO)”. The EDUCO project has been approved by the LIFE + Programme of the European
Commission in the 2011 edition, where it will feature the participation of Associació de l’Oli al
Biodièsel (AOB), Inèdit Innovació S.L., Green Hel 2012 SL y CET Nou Verd SCC.
The EDUCO project’s main objective is to design and build a pilot plant for the treatment of
waste cooking oils to be collected and subsequently used in a pilot plant for the production
of biodiesel by cavitation technology. The pilot plant, owned by one of the project partners
will be adapted and optimsed in the course of the project to allow the use of waste oil as raw
material. Waste oils will be collected in schools in nine counties of Catalonia..
• Creation of organizational models and models for innovation management.
The objective of this line of activities is to provide companies with the concepts, methodologies
and tools for improving their competitiveness through innovation allowing them to incorporate
and improve the innovation management systems and the projects related with R&D&IT activities.
The aim is to guide these activities towards developing processes and products that anticipate
the current necessities and problems of companies and customers and situates them at the avantgarde of the market at a technological level.
The field of action of this line of the area is very wide. From the start it has worked in numerous
sectors and different geographical spaces providing the area with extensive experience in
the field of innovation.
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At present, the sorts of projects that are being carried out are mainly projects for the creation
of methodologies that will help companies to systematize their innovation activities.
The Area of Support to Innovation has extensive experience in advice and implementation of
management systems, product development, services and technical support and therefore,
it offers support in different fields such as:
• Quality Control Management
• Environmental Management
• Risk Prevention Management
• Management of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Industrial Security
• Technical information
Work has been carried out in these fields for the implantation of reference norms, development
and implantation of their own methodologies, design of computer applications in the fields
of quality, environment, risk prevention and machine safety management, as well as for the
design of specific references.
These services allow companies to improve and optimize different parts of their processes
such as:
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• Implantation of the norm UNE-EN ISO 9001: Advice on the implantation of a quality
management system.
• Implantation of the norm UNE-EN 9100: Advice on the implantation of a quality
management system in the aerospace sector.
• Implantation of the norm ISO/IEC 17025: Advice on the implantation of a management
system for laboratories in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025.
• Implantation of the norm EN-UNE 13816: Advice on the implantation of a quality
management system of public transports in accordance with UNE-EN-UNE 13816.
• Implantation of the norms BRC, IFS and ISO 22000: Advice on the implantation of
management systems for food safety and food inocuity in accordance with regulations IFS,
BRC and ISO22000.
• Implantation of the norm ISO 14001:04 o EMAS: Advice on the implantation of
environmental management systems in accordance with the ISO regulation 14001:04;
elaboration of environmental licensees or environmental audits for evaluating the degree of
fulfillment of the regulation. Study of the adequacy of the regulation to the company.
• Risk prevention: The projects that have been carried out have been executed in
several sectors. A management system based on the regulation OHSAS 18001:07 has been
implanted.
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• CE Marking: Support to companies in the CE marking of machines.
• Environmental risk: Implantation of methodologies for the analysis and evaluation of
the environmental risk (UNE 150008)
Likewise, the area carries out audits on all these points of reference by request of the
company. The integration of the processes of the management systems of companies
in this field of work has been carried out with advanced characteristics by developing
different methodologies and computer applications with the objective of optimizing these
management systems; providing that way a new working approach eminently orientated
towards processes.
Projects carried out by the Department of Innovation Support in 2012
The Department of Innovation Support has a list of methodologies developed under various
programs funded by the government and have been implemented and tested in a first phase in a
number of companies in order to validate the methodologies.
Currently, they are part of a portfolio of methodologies that can be implemented with the assistance
of the technical staff of the area in the frame of a project in any company, regardless of the industry
or its size.
Below is a list with the description of the methodologies established in the year 2012:
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Global Innovation
Is a project which proposes the introduction of a modular platform of global management.
The function of this platform is the systematisation and optimisation of the process of
obtaining information from different management systems of the company and of the
resources used in this process.
The implementation of this tool, improves the flow of information between the different
management systems, minimising the resources used in the transmission of information
and the risk of losing it. With this tool, the company will, at first, be given a guide to the
implementation of the management system of R & D and technological surveillance and
enforcement of the R & D, and secondly get optimal and efficient management of both its
management system for R & D and technological surveillance.
The main advantages are:
• Implementation, management ease and structured management systems
• Improving the flow and storage of information
• Facilitating the creation and subsequent management of the R & D
• Allocation to the company technological monitoring system
• Guide the company in the management of their own R & D
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Ecoinnova
It is a Project in the field of eco design for the design of industrial products where environment
is taken into account at the moment of making decisions during the development process
of products as an additional factor to the ones that have traditionally been considered
(costs, quality, safety, ergonomics…). The aim is to reduce the environmental impact of the
product throughout its life cycle, from the obtaining of raw materials and components, to its
elimination once it has been rejected.
This tool has the aim of promoting the development of the management of ecodesign, so
as to improve competitiveness and to increase the innovation factor of companies. So as to
achieve the objectives of this project, from the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic we have
designed and developed a software support tool for ecodesign projects. Its implementation
follows regulation UNE 150301:2003 of environmental management of the process of design
and development - Ecodesign.
Ambigest
It is a project with the objective of improving the environmental management of companies
through the monitoring and computerizing of their activities and environmental processes
through a computer application. With this application companies will be able to collect,
organize and control the data, documents and activities of a whole environmental
management system.
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This tool has the objective of improving the environmental management of companies by
monitoring and computerizing its activities and environmental processes through a computer
application. This application software follows regulation NORMA-UNE-EN-ISO 14001:2004.
Among other advantages, we should mention:
• Improvement of the environmental management of companies and of the performance
of their activities.
• Cost savings in the short/long term through the control and reduction of raw materials,
energy, water, wastes, etc.
• Image improvement and marketing possibilities.
Ecotec
This tool allows the automatic safety evaluation of a machine with a view to fulfilling the
applicable legislation (machine directives 98/37/CE, 73/23/CEE low tension, 89/336/CEE
electro-magnetic compatibility, 94/9/CE ATEX) with two basic aims: to carry out the CE
marking through a standardized method and to be able to control the technical records of
the machines.
With this tool unnecessary costs can be avoided through the validation of prototypes during
the design phase; we have access to the documentation; we control versions and drawings;
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it facilitates the realization of new machines built from modifications of other machines and
it integrates in the design process, regulation UNE-EN ISO 9001:2008.
Systems for the management of innovation
During 2011 the center has developed a methodology for the management of the innovation
activities carried out in the organization. This methodology systematizes the following activities:
• Technological surveillance and creativity: The objective of this part is to establish a
methodology for systematic production, observation and search for signs of change and
novelties, focused towards the capture of information, selection and analysis, spreading and
communication for turning it into knowledge. On the other hand, it also systematizes the
generation of a suitable environment so as to facilitate the creativity of the people that form
the organization. • Definition and analysis of project proposals: Starting from the ideas generated in
the Technological Surveillance and Creativity process, the system that has to be followed
is established by defining and analyzing the project proposals that will be used for the
subsequent development of innovation projects.
• Elaboration, planning and execution of innovation projects: The objective of this
process is the definition, execution and evaluation of the innovation projects of the company
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that have emerged from the process of definition and analysis of project proposals. On the
other hand, this process has the aim of regulating the planning, organization, assignment of
resources, control and follow-up and closing and revision of the portfolio of projects of the
company.
• Protection and exploitation of results: This activity has the aim of systematizing the
process of protection of the results of the company´s innovation process. On the other hand,
it also systematizes the process for the transfer of the results of the innovation process,
observing the possibility of acquiring knowledge outside the company.
In the field of Technical advice in management:
From the Area of Support to Innovation the center has carried out many projects for technical
advice:
• Quality Management: design of specific references and working methodologies.
Quality SG: ISO 9001, EN 9100 (aerospace), TS 16949 (automotion), ISO 17025 (laboratories),
etc.
• Environmental Management: execution of diagnosis and internal audits. Permanent
advice on environmental legislation and technical support. Development of environmental
programs and implantations of management systems according to regulation ISO 14001 and
EMAS regulation.
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• Risk prevention management: Implantation and design of risk prevention management
systems according to regulations OHSAS 18.001 and UNE 81.900 EX.
• Corporate social responsibility management: Implantation of ethical management
according to regulations SA8000 and SGE21.
• Environmental risk: Implantation and design of methodologies for the analysis and
evaluation of the environmental risk (UNE 150008).
• Industrial safety: Advice on the certification and CE marking for machines to comply
with machine regulations regarding mechanical and electrical security and electromagnetic
compatibility. Adaptation of old machines as part of the production process. Advice and
elaboration of safety cards for products. Advice on the correct storing of toxic, dangerous
and inflammable products.
• Projects execution: Support and advice on the execution of technical projects and on the
development of management and organizational systems for the improvement of the existing
quality management systems. Advice on the design phase of machines and processes of quality
control systems. Development of design and R&D organization systems.
• Technical information: Support to companies on issues regarding norms and standards,
compliance of technical questions and ways to access finance programs for different kinds
of projects: I+D/IT, FORCEM, CIRIT-CIDEM...
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• Health sector: support and advice on the CE marking of medical products and the
implantation of quality management systems of the sector taking as a reference norm UNEEN ISO 13485:2004
• Energetic efficiency: a methodology for the implantation of energy management
systems based on the norm UNE-EN ISO 50001.
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AREA OF ENERGY
Energy
The Area of Energy of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic has the objective of proposing
and developing projects that have the aim of promoting social development and improving
the competitiveness of companies, by understanding their needs, the transfer of technology
and knowledge in the field of energy efficiency in industry and electric transport and
renewable energies.
The mission of the Area of Energy is:
• To favor the integration of renewable energies in society and industry.
• To work together with companies and institutions for the optimization of products
and processes through the improvement of energy efficiency.
The Area of Energy integrates knowledge in different fields such as electrical technology,
electronic technology, thermo-energetic technology and computer science. The area has at
its disposal high quality commercial simulation tools for working on the design and simulation
of electrical, electronic and thermo-energetic systems and technicians, laboratories and the
necessary equipment for the development of the systems and facilities.
The lines of activity of the area are focused on the following subjects::
• Improvement of the energetic efficiency of components and systems
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Energy
• Application of power electronics, control and communications in the management of
energy
• Research and development of systems for the management of the energetic demand
in buildings and industrial sites
• Integral use of Energy and integration of distributed generation systems
• Development and implementation of renewable energies
• Conceptualization, design, control and supervision of Electric Distribution Micronets
• Development and integration of technologies for electric vehicles
• Supervision and control of energetic generation plants with renewable energies for
the improvement of efficiency and maintenance
The main activities carried out by the Area of Energy in 2012 are:
• Development of algorithms for helping in the design of energetic systems and in the
prediction of the demand
• Conception of systems for energetic management in buildings and industrial sites
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Energy
• Design, control and supervision of electric distribution micronets
• Integration of technologies for electric vehicles
• Creation and design of hybrid energy generation plants
Development of algorithms for helping in the design of energetic systems and in the
prediction of the demand
The activity of the new ESCO companies is linked to the conception, design, construction
and exploitation of systems for the generation and consumption of electricity and energy.
The computer tools for the prediction of the demand, design of plants and support for
making decisions are essential for developing the activities of these companies.
Conception of systems for energetic management in buildings and industrial sites
The Energy Management Systems seek to improve the safety of energy supply and
efficiency by the acquisition, processing and intelligible presentation of consumption data;
development of tools for the global diagnosis of the system; automatic management of the
consumption; adaptation of the consumption to the instantaneous conditions of the plant
through automatic modeling of consumption rates and self-generation; expert systems;
management of records by statistics and proposals for improvements of the facilities and
the generation and notification of alarms.
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Energy
Design, control and supervision of electric distribution micronets
This line of work seeks to make progress in the study, knowledge, design and application of
distributed generation Micronets by feeding resistive, inductive and harmonic loads present
in buildings of the tertiary sector, groups of individual homes or small production plants,
increasing this way the knowledge on the operation of these Micronets so as to facilitate their
implantation in the market. The objectives include the determination of the methodologies
for the conception, design and practical implementation of low power (lower than 5MW)
Micronets with renewable distributed generation and loads with an arbitrary profile and the
development of the control and maintenance algorithms of the Micronet for its application
in residential environments.
Integration of technologies for electric vehicles
The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic is working on the technologies that will allow the
future integration of commercial Electric Vehicles and their introduction in the market. In this
field, the Area of Energy of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic works on the integration
of mechanical and electrical technologies, the conception and development of electric
traction systems, load balancing systems for chemical batteries, development of the net of
electric vehicles CAN and the study and conception of the new charging infrastructures in
both, public environments and private homes.
Creation and design of hybrid energy generation plants
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Energy
The generation of electric and thermo energy in hybrid plants produced with renewable
and sustainable energies is now a reality. The concept, design, dimensioning and control
of these plants constitutes a technological and innovative activity closely connected to the
concept of a sustainable society.
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AEROSENS
Investigation of the dynamic cables for floating wind turbines: fatigue
behavior, and wireless sensing and connection to the platform
The objective of this project is to investigate the behavior of dynamic cables, starting with
their response to fatigue, the design of new stiffeners, the integration of optical fiber sensors
and connecting the wind turbine to provide robust solutions that allow exporting energy
from floating wind turbines.
Participants: Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic, PRYSMIAN, ALSTOM-WIND, SABACAUCHO
and TECNIPUL.
AMORMOTO
The project’s main objective is the development and implementation of new technologies
for steel extrusions, to industrial scale, to manufacture shafts (or bars) for motorcycle shock
absorbers.
The project will also study the possibility of avoiding certain processing steps used to date,
such as stretching, calibrating and rectifing (for shaping the damper shaft) with regards to
up rightness, diameters and other parameters.
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AQUAREHAB:
“Development of rehabilitation technologies and Approaches for multi
pressured degraded waters and the integration of Their impact in river
basin management”
The objectives of this European project involving a large number of companies and
research centers in Europe, is to develop a variety of innovative rehabilitation methods for
representative types of pollution (source areas, pollution plumes, diffuse pollution) and
compounds of concern in degraded water bodies (pesticides, nitrates, CAHs, BTEX). The
AQUAREHAB project also aims to develop methods (viability testing), tools (numerical
models) and guidelines for the design of rehabilitation technologies and to determine the
long term, impact on local pollutant flows. The project will also develop a management tool
“WATER PROTECT” that may be used by employees and managers of the water bodies to
assess the ecological and economic impacts of various remedial measures in river basins, in
addition it will also develop a method for linking the effects of rehabilitation technologies
with this tool. Finally, the project will be disseminated for rehabilitation generic guidelines,
approaches and tools applicable to other river basins with similar conditions.
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ATOMTOOL
Development and manufacturing of tool steels made severe
The aim of the project is the development and manufacture of new tool steels forming
applications (metallurgical processes for the formation or part modeling) to industrial level,
through powder metallurgy.
The ultimate goal of the project is that the company, will become not only the first Spanish
company that produces metal powder tool steels, but that it becomes a comprehensive
metallurgical company where it will continue to develop their own materials, of metal
powder, which consolidate and settle. All this will be a major industrial challenge with a solid
scientific, technological and market base.
BIO-K
Planning, building and operating a generating plant / electricity
cogeneration using biomass as fuel
The BIO-K project’s main objective is the technical and economic evaluation of a hybrid
plant between energy utilization technologies of biomass and solar thermal technology to
generate electricity and heat in Syria. The points included in this project are:
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• Biomass fuel use: types, supply, logistics and pretreatment
• Process energy recovery from biomass and equipment available in the market
• Most appropriate solar thermal technology
• Type of hybrid plant
• Definition of all effluent and waste products generated in the plant (mainly ash)
and analysis of the industrial use of these
• Evaluation of energy and economic results of the hybrid plant
• Analysis of the regulatory state and future prospects
• Analysis of project financing options and / or premium subsidies
COMPOFIVI
“Compounds made to reinforced polymers pultruded fiberglass”
The objective of this project is to develop a structure made from an innovative composite
material for the replacement of current metallic structures for static and dynamic support
that are exposed to environments that are working under high demands of durability, with
high maintenance and costs, to be replaced by others requiring less maintenance but with
the same resistance.
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CPM
Development of a knee rehabilitation device using continuous passive
motion.
The CPM project is an initiative of the Fundació CTM Technological Centre, together with
the Foundation Altahia hospital and professional world of Physiotherapy. This project
has allowed the design and manufacture of the first working prototype of a continuous
passive motion device for the human knee. Tests have shown, both clinical and technical,
that current devices of knee rehabilitation by passive movement do not demonstrate the
correct physiological movement, forcing the joint and therefore leading to pain and possible
damage . The new design also raises the possibility to be marketed as a “dockable kit” to
the current device. This strategy enhances the ability to place the product on the entire fleet
of devices in rehabilitation centers. The mechanism has been patented both at national
(Spanish patent) and global (PCT) level.
CUNA
This Nucli (Catalan funding program) project aims at studying and developing new grades
of copper alloys with high mechanical and electrical properties. In the CUNA project
two concurrent paths are raised, first a careful selection of micro-alloying elements and
the application techniques of Cold Severe Plastic Deformation, specifically ECAP (Equal
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Channel Angular Pressing) for continuous and cold formation, of copper for nanometer or
submicron structure.
FICOTRIAD TERMOCEL
Electrochemical cells of the type Pouch of a Battery pack of an electric vehicle tend to
significantly increase their temperature during the charging and discharging processes. In
order to maintain a suitable temperature range of the cells, the company wants to calculate
and design an optimal cooling system to both extend the life of their cells and to reduce the
cost and weight of the assembly.
The following summarizes the most important tasks:
- Determination of a model of thermal behavior of the cell to simulate heterogeneous
heating. To develop this model, the Fundació CTM Technological Centre has several
experimental thermography.
- Performing an experimental system to determine the contact thermal resistance
interface of different materials. These values are
to be entered into the simulation models.
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- Study by CFD simulation from finite volume method, in different packaging configurations
cells to determine the most optimal system in different conditions (fast loading, unloading at
maximum power NEFZ cycle, etc..).
FIRST NUCLIDES
“Fast / Instant Release of Safety Relevant Radionuclides from Spent
Nuclear Fuel”
This is a collaborative research project funded by the European Commission from its
EURATOM programme, which has the aim of providing a better understanding of the
processes governing the release of radionuclides contained in spent nuclear fuel at high
burn-up, and more specifically the fast release fraction or instant release Instant Release
Fraction (IRF).
Technically, the project involves a combination of experimentation and modeling for
the integration of both the knowledge generated under the project and from previous
investigations, in view of the subsequent implementation in the safety assessment exercises.
The main issues addressed include speciation, retention of radionuclides or correlation
between the release of fission gas and fission products as a function of initial enrichment and
irradiation history.
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INNPLAGENO
Innovation in manufacturing technologies and coatings for
performance optimization of bipolar plates for fuel cells of hydrogen
polymer membranes
The INNPLAGENO project’s main objective is the development of new manufacturing
technologies for metallic bipolar plates and protective coatings for the hydrogen fuel cells
PEM polymer membrane. The bipolar plates are a key element of the hydrogen fuel cell as
its durability and performance will determine, in large part, the final implementation of this
technology in sectors such as the automotive sec tor.
Participants: Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic and AJUSA.
INNPLASTO
New technologies for induction heating, PVD coatings and advanced
steels in injection molds for the manufacture of plastic coated metals
for components for the automotive industry
The main objectives are:
(A) The development, analysis and optimization, through numerical simulation techniques
for modeling through injection using technologies such as electromagnetic induction
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heating and resistance heating by high thermal conductivity of ceramic embedded in the
mold.
(B) Development and implementation of new steels for the construction of molds.
(C) Development of alternative technologies and new coatings obtained by PVD techniques
that increase the durability of the mold and preserve the high surface quality of the molded
parts required.
Participants: ZANINI, Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic and ROVALMA
JOINOX
The JOINOX project will study the corrosion resistance of the welds made using different
techniques (MIG, TIG, laser, etc..) with different types of stainless steels (ferritic, austenitic
and duplex). There will be a full investigation into the types of oxides formed at different
solders and their role in the initiation of the corrosion process. Subsequently, different
appraise post welding treatment processes and its effectiveness in eliminating the oxides
formed and restore corrosion resistance of the welded joint. The corrosion resistance is
evaluated at laboratory scale (in saline and sulfuric acid) and also at industrial level.
Participants: Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic, KIMAB, OUTOKUMPU, SANDVIK and ITW.
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MOICT
“Morocco Research Advance in ICT for Water”
The MoICT project, funded by the European Commission Cooperation Programme has the
main objective of establishing an innovative framework for collaboration between researchers
and the private sector aimed at improving the research capabilities of Morocco in the field
of information technology and communication (ICT ) applied to the management of water
resources. In this case, the project is coordinated by the University of Sidi Mohamed Ben
Abdellah of Morocco while the Fundació CTM Centre for Technology is responsible for
analyzing the main applications of ICT in the field of water management within the economic
framework of Mor.
MOSYCOUSIS
The Mosycousis project is a project funded by the European Commissions Capacities
programme whose main beneficiaries are SMEs. The project is intended to develop
an intelligent diagnosis system based on acoustic emission detection, for monitoring
and preventative maintenance of machinery. This predictive maintenance system will be
developed by a new generation of wireless sensor networks installed in different parts of the
machinery. When the materials are subjected to a high level of tension, prior to malformation
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or breakdown, it generates a rapid release of strain energy by elastic waves which can be
detected by these sensors on machines that want to control it. The sensor detects, identifies
and diagnoses the cause of the anticipated fault, and sends an alarm signal to a central
computer, for recording and analysis.
NEWQP
NEWQP is a European project funded by the RFCS programme which aims at developing the
third generation of advanced high strength steels for application in the automotive sector. These
new steels will improve the strength, ductility and strain hardening for improvement in terms
of composition, treatments and properties such as formability, weldability and galvanization of
these steels. This project will enable the development of production processes controlled and
reproduced by these new materials.
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OILCA
Improving competitiveness and reducing the carbon footprint of olive
oil sector by optimizing waste management and the implementation of
an eco-label
Is a European project funded by the Interreg program under the second call for projects
of territorial cooperation program (Interreg IV B SUDOE). With a total budget of € 900,000,
the project, which began in early 2011 and will last 24 months, aims to improve the
competitiveness of the olive sector in the SUDOE region by reducing the environmental
impact of oil production by applying the principles of eco-efficiency.
OiLCA will develop a specific methodological tool, which through the Life Cycle Analysis
(LCA) of the production processes, including olive oil and environmental management,
identify and value those actions which will reduce their carbon footprint. In addition, the tool
offers the possibility to generate an environmental label that communicates to consumers
the effort of the product and contribution of the sector to mitigate climate change.
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OPTIENER
Optimizing energy efficiency in facilities
The purpose of this project is to optimize the energy efficiency of facilities in the tertiary sector,
which will enable improved energy efficiency in end-use energy, energy demand management
and the promotion of renewable energy production.
The overall objective of the project is the development and integration of technologies to offer
products and energy optimization control of higher quality and performance that exist today,
both from the point of view of system design, and its energy management during operation.
This project also has the participation of the UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya).
OPTIMA
Increase efficiency and competitiveness by powder metallurgical
process optimization and performance prediction of compaction and
sizing tools
Powder metallurgical processes is the production of parts by powder metal compaction
(compacting step) and subsequent heating (sintering step) at temperatures below the
melting point of the material. During the compaction step high pressures are required to
plastically deform the metal powder by copying the shapes and dimensions of the matrix
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where the compaction is done so that the mechanical stresses on the tools used are extremely
high and its service life tends to be short. In this context, the OPTIMA project aims to study
and understand the origin of failed mechanisms of these tools and to develop innovative
methods of tool design, so that you can select the tool materials (steel and / or hard metals)
more optimal for every application with reliable and accurate prediction of its production
life.
Participants: AMES and Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic.
PERA
“Palestine for European Palestine Research Area”
The PERA project, funded by the European Commissions Cooperation Programme, looks at
the specific characteristics of the region of Palestine with regards to water and energy. In this
case, the Environmental Department at CTM works with the Palestine Technical UniversityKadoorie (PTUK) to improve their capacity in water management, renewable energy and
other related areas, facilitating participation in European research initiatives and facilitating
its inclusion in the European Research Area. Specifically, CTM researchers are responsible
for defining the research priorities in the water sector to meet socio-economic needs of the
region.
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PROJECTE PVV
Prototype Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) with parallel architecture
The PVV project aims at developing a prototype of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) to
boost electric vehicle technology and facilitate its onset on the market, starting from concept
studies to tests conducted during the CENIT VERDE project. The project consortium led
by STC (Seat Technical Centre), will address end developments initiated from the VERDE
project, and develop new components (eg. cooling) essential for the subsequent integration
of the vehicle. The project is therefore a combined effort of a consortium participating from
the leading designer and producer of vehicles (STC), to suppliers of systems and subsystems
thereby integrating the entire value chain, from the sub to the final vehicle.
The general objectives include predevelopment and manufacture of new components for
PHEV, and specifically a Battery Pack with lithium ion cells with independent power control
and reliable compressor variable electric speed compact design and internal ferrites to
optimize costs, with the addition of new refrigerants parallel branch circuits.
PULVIHOT
The PULVIHOT project’s main objective is to develop new steel tools of high thermal
conductivity, for hot stamping and to acquire new scientific and technological knowledge to
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manufacture through powder metallurgy. The ultimate goal of the research proposed in this
project can be described through an industrial objective in starting the implementation of a
manufacturing plant to supply small amounts of steel and tailor-made products, specific to
each particular client.
SEDAGUA
Development of advanced simulation methodologies and experimentation
to design sedimentation systems in water treatment plants
The main objective of the project is to optimize the design of water treatment tanks for
water treatment, waste treatment and desalination. The project will use the calculations of
computerized fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation, characterization and advanced experimental
validation to suggest improvements in the design and operation of the tanks. During the
execution of the project a pilot plant will be constructed to analyse the results in large real
scale plants and verify the improvements made in the proposal.
The ultimate goal is to have more efficient sedimentation processes, obtaining cleaner water
with fewer economic, personnel and material resources.
99
SMARTSTRIPPING
Study of soil decontamination using minimal impact techniques for
the environment
The SmartStripping project focuses on the extraction of contaminants from soil and
groundwater pollution without any pollutant releases to the environment. This is a project
that is funded by the European Commission, led by the company LA152 SRLY which also
involved the company Felsilab and Fundació CTM Centre for Technology.
The technology developed by the project SmartStripping consists of a closed loop system
that favors the volatilization air pollutants and extraction of these in a controlled manner
without producing any emissions to the atmosphere. Thus, the treatment has a minimal
impact on the environment. The SmartStripping technology features an innovative design of
injection and extraction wells that minimize the costs of the treatment plant while decreasing
energy consumption of the process. The effectiveness of the new technology also permits
the reducing of the treatment time on site, making this type of treatment feasible with
respect to the other current methods available in the market.
100
TAILORTOOL
Development of New Tool Materials with Tailored Thermomechanical
Properties
TailorTool is an R & D project, funded by the European Commissions Cooperation Programme,
whose main objective is to develop a new generation of materials for forming tools, the
thermomechanical properties of which vary gradually (ie Functionally Graded Materials,
FGM). These materials make it possible to obtain car parts with a unique combination of
mechanical properties that will reduce weight and increase vehicle safety.
Participants: Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic, VW, GESTAMP-HARDTECH, OerlikonBALZERS, ROVALMA, TUM, Tecnalia, LTU i CROMEP
101
TEST TOOL
The European project TEST TOOL aims to study the wear mechanisms operating in
hot stamping tools of high strength steels for manufacturing automotive structural
components with complex geometries. A laboratory apparatus will be constructed
and a methodology developed to help study the tribological behavior, the interaction
between the tool and the component under conditions thermomechanical processes
of stamping, to carefully set the quality of components that can produce a tool. This will
enable the efficiency to be increased for the production process and to evaluate and to
optimize the different materials, tool steels such as high strength steels, for increasing
productivity of the hot stamping process.
Participants: Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic, VW, GESTAMP-HARDTECH, ROVALMA,
ARCELOR-MITTAL, LTU, KASSEL UNIVERSITAT
102
TREVA
(Technologies for recovery and recovery of nutrients in the water
cycle).
The main objective of the project is to develop new systems of nitrogen and phosphorus
removal and recovery from wastewater so that it can be exploited for agriculture or gardening,
either directly or after being treated. The project is funded by ACC1Ó, and has the participation,
besides CTM, of 4 companies: INAGUA, ABMJG, MOIX and BIOMA.
The project will address two issues related to environmental nutrient cycling. Firstly, to efficiently
remove nutrients from the wastewater to minimise their release into the environment and to
solve the problem of nitrate contamination in groundwater. Secondly, to reduce the problem
of scarcity of natural resources from the reuse of these nutrients as fertilizers in agriculture and
gardening.
This dual objective of the project puts the project in a privileged position compared to competing
technologies, addressing two problems at the same time. The new system aims to optimise
the technical processes, both environmental and economic, thanks to the incorporation of
environmental criteria.
103
VELOW
(Vehicle Electric LOW cost per carsharing)
The VELOW project aims to develop technology for an all-electric city car, framed within the
segment of powerful quads (up to 20HP) and specifically adapted for rental applications and
urban mobility CarSharing.
The project will use a vehicle structure that is currently available on the market to use it to
test platform innovations that will be developed during the project. CTM will be responsible
for the overall project management, the overall simulation of modeling of the vehicle and
the development of a storage system, smartphone applications and integration. In a period
of a year and a half it is expected to have the prototype ready for dynamic testing.
104
VERDE
The CENIT VERDE project is led by the Centre Tècnic SEAT and is administratively and
technically coordinated by the Fundació CTM Centre for Technology. The project is
dedicated to the study and development of technologies to enable the future integration
and introduction of electric vehicles onto the Spanish market. The 7 project activities deal
with studying the different types of electric vehicles and their drive chains to the interaction
of the vehicle with the distribution network.
The main project activities VERDE project are:.
• To study and to define the mechanical and electrical technologies in an electric vehicle
• To research and develop the energy storage systems (batteries)
• To research and develop the electric drive systems for PHEV / EV (traction)
• To design the control converters for charging and discharging batteries PHEV / EV
(charger)
• To design the local infrastructure systems for energy recharge PHEV and EV
(infrastructure)
• To Integrate the electric vehicle load on the electrical system: infrastructure, networks
and services (networks)
• To Integrate and validate the electric vehicle developed technologies: energy and
environmental balances (integration)
105
ZINCOBOR
The Zincobor project will explore the mechanisms of nucleation and propagation of cracks
that occur during the hot stamping process of components in the automobile industry.
These components which are manufactured from boron steel and are actively protected
from corrosion by zinc-based coatings.
Participants: Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic, KASSEL UNIVERSITAT, TATA STEEL and
VOESTALPINE.
106
Publications, congresses
and PhD thesis
Articles 2012
J. J. Sidor, K. Verbeken, E. Gomes, J. Schneider, P. Rodriguez Calvillo, L.A.I. Kestens
“Through process texture evolution and magnetic properties of high Si non-oriented
electrical steels”
“Materials Characterization” Vol. 71, pp 49-57, 2012ISSN: 1044-5803
L. Rancel, M. Gómez, J.M. Cabrera, S.F. Medina
“Influence of chemical composition and tempering treatment on toughness of bainitic
38MnV7 steel”.
Steel Research International, special issue “Metal Forming” pp 1171-1174, 2012ISSN 16113683
E.A. Cartaya, G. Varela, J.M. Cabrera, J.M. Prado “Thermomechanical behavior of a Nbmicroalloyed steel V”
“TraterPress. Heat Treatment Magazine”, nº 29, pp 28-34, June 2012ISSN: 188-4423
P. Rodríguez-Calvillo, Y. Houbaert, R. Petrov, L. Kestens, R. Colás
“High temperature deformation of silicon steel”
“Materials Chemistry and Physics” Vol. 136 (2-3) , pp. 710-719, 2012ISSN: 0254-0584
107
and PhD thesis
S. M. Fatemi-Varzaneh, A. Zarei-Hanzaki, R. Vaghar, J.M. Cabrera
“The origin of microstructure inhomogeneity in Mg-3Al-1Zn processed by severe plastic
deformation”
“Materials Science and Engineering A” Vol 551 pp 128-132, 2012ISSN: 0921-5093
H. Mirzadeh, J.M. Cabrera, A. Najafizadeh, P.R. Calvillo
“EBSD study of a hot deformed austenitic stainless steel”
“Materials Science and Engineering A” Vol. 538, pp 236–245, March 2012,ISSN: 0921-5093
F. González Cámara, K. Mostafa, R. Petrov, P. Rodríguez, E. De Grave, D. Segers, Y. Houbaert
“Isochronalannealing of a deformed Fe-7.5 mass.%Si-steel”
“International Journal of Materials Research”, vol. 103, núm. 12, pp 1440-1443, 2012ISSN:
1862 5282
F. Reyes, J. Calvo, J.M. Cabrera, I. Mejía
“Effect of V on hot deformation characteristics of TWIP steels”
“Steel Research International”, vol 83, pp 1-6, March, 2012ISSN 1611-3683
H. Mirzadeh, J.M. Cabrera, A. Najafizadeh
“Modeling and prediction of hot deformation flow curves”
“Metallurgical and Materials Transactions”, vol 43A, pp 108-123, January, 2012ISSN: 1073-5623/83
108
and PhD thesis
A. Mateo, D. Gutiérrez, A. Lara, A. Zapata, P. Rodriguez, G. Fargas, J. Calvo, D. Casellas
“Comportamiento a fractura de aceros metaestables”
Anales de mecánica de la fractura, vol. I, pp. 145-152, 2012ISSN: 0213-3725
N. Llorca-Isern, A. Escobar, A. Roca, J.M. Cabrera
“Equal channel angular pressing of Cu-Al bimetallic rods”
“Materials Science Forum” Vols. 706-709 pp 1811-1816, 2012ISSN: 0255-5476
G. Varela-Castro, J.M. Cabrera, J.M. Prado
“On the onset of dynamicrecrystallization in steels”
“Advanced Materials Research” Vol. 409, pp 431-436, 2012 ISSN: 1662 8985
J. Calvo, S. Shu, J.M. Cabrera
“Characterization of precipitation kinetics of Inconel 718 superalloy by the stress relaxation
technique”
Materials Science Forum Vols. 706-709 pp 2393-2399, 2012 ISSN: 0255-5476
G. Altamirano, I. Mejía, J.M. Cabrera
“Determination of the critical parameters for the onset of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) in
advanced ultrahigh strength steels (A-UHSS) microalloyed with boron”
“Computer Methods in Materials Science”, Vol. 12, Nº 3, pp 152-162, 2012.ISSN: 1641-8581
109
and PhD thesis
K.Nothhaft, J. Suh, M. Golle, I. D. Casellas, W. Volk
“Shear cutting of press hardened steel: influence of punch chamfer on process forces, tool
stresses and sheared edge qualities”
Production Engineering Research and Development, 6 (2012) 413-420
N. Cuadrado, D. Casellas, M. Anglada, E. Jiménez-Piqué
“Evaluation of fracture toughness of small volumes by means of cube-corner nanoindentation”
ScriptaMaterialia, 66 (2012) 670-673
D.L. Oatley, L. Llenas, R. Pérez, P.M. Williams, X. Martínez-Lladó i M Rovira
(2012) Review of the dielectric properties of nanofiltration membranes and verification of the
single oriented layer approximation.
Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 173, 1–11.
J. Torras, I. Buj. M. Rovira i J. de Pablo
(2012) Chromium recovery from exhausted baths generated in plating processes and its
reuse in the tanning industry.
Journal of Hazardous Materials 209-210, 343-347.
C. Valderrama, G. Ribera, N. Bahí, M. Rovira, T. Giménez, R. Nomen, S. Lluch, M. Yuste i X.
Martinez-Lladó
(2012) Winery wastewater treatment for water reuse purpose: Conventional activated sludge
110
and PhD thesis
versus membrane bioreactor (MBR) comparative case study.
Desalination, 306, 1-7
J. Oliva, J. Cama, J.L. Cortina, C. Ayora i J. De Pablo
(2012) Biogenic hydroxyapatite (Apatite IITM) dissolution kinetics and metal removal from
acid mine drainage.
Journal of Hazardous Materials 213– 214, 7- 18
J. Giménez, I. Casas, R. Sureda i J. de Pablo
(2012) Kinetics of hydrogen peroxide consumption in aqueous phaseat different hydrogen
partial pressures.
RadiochimicaActa 100, 1-4
D. Serrano-Purroy, F. Clarens, E. González-Robles, J.P. Glatz, D.H. Wegen, J. de Pablo, I.
Casas I J. Giménez, A. Martínez-Esparza
(2012) Instant release fraction and matrix release of high burn-up UO2 spent nuclear fuel:
Effect of high burn-up structure and leaching solution composition.
Journal of Nuclear Materials 427, 249-258
111
and PhD thesis
International Conferences 2012
Title: “Efecto de la composición química sobre el comportamiento a fluencia en caliente de
aceros al carbono”
Authors: G. Varela, J.M. Cabrera
Name of the congress: 19ª Conferencia de Laminación, 6ª Conferencia sobre Otros Usos
del Acero
Place of celebration: Rosario, Santa Fé, Argentina,
Date of the congress: 6-8 November 2012
Kind of participation: Oral and written presentation.
Title: “Propiedades mecánicas y físicas de cobre ETP nanoestructurado obtenido por
extrusión en canal angular de sección constante”
Authors: O.F. Higuera, J. M. Cabrera
Name of the congress: 12º Congreso Binacional de Metalurgia y Materiales CONAMET/
SAM 2012
Place of celebration: Valparaíso, Chile.
Date of the congress: 22-26 October 2012
Title: “Predicción de la microestructura de solidificación en una palanquilla de acero
fabricada con el proceso de colada continua”
112
and PhD thesis
Authors: J. L. Acevedo, J. M. Cabrera
Name of the congress: 12º Congreso Binacional de Metalurgia y Materiales CONAMET/
SAM 2012
Place of celebration: Valparaíso, Chile
Title: “Effect of the chemical composition on the mechanical and microstructural evolution,
thermal stability and electrical conductivity of copper processed by equal channel angular
extrusion”
Authors: O.F. Higuera, J.M. Cabrera
Name of the congress: 5th Latin American Conference on Metastable and Nanostructured
Materials NANOMAT 2012
Place of celebration: Sao Carlos, Brasil
Date of the congress: 30 September – 2 October 2012
Kind of participation: Invited lecture. Oral Presentation.
Title: “Evidence of strain-induced precipitation on ISO 5832-9 stainless steel biomaterial”
Authors: M.B.R. Silva, J. Gallego, J.M. Cabrera, O. Balancin, A.M. Jorge Jr
Name of the congress: 5th Latin American Conference on Metastable and Nanostructured
Materials NANOMAT 2012
Place of celebration: Sao Carlos, Brasil
113
and PhD thesis
Date of the congress: 30 September – 2 October 2012
Kind of participation: Poster.
Title: “Influence of chemical composition and tempering treatment on toughness of bainitic
38MnV7 steel”
Authors: L. Rancel, M. Gómez, J.M. Cabrera, S.F Medina
Name of the congress: Metal Forming 14th International Conference
Place of celebration: Cracovia, Polonia
Date of the congress: 16-19 September 2012
Title: “Hot deformation characteristics of an 18Mn-0.8Si-0.55C-TWIP steel”
Authors: J. Calvo, J.M. Cabrera, S. Yue, E. Essadiqi
Name of the congress: 4th International Conference on Thermomechanical Processing of
Steels (TMP2012)
Place of celebration: Sheffield
Title: “Calorimetric analysis of a Mg-Zn-Zr alloy processed by eqaul cannel angular pressing
via route A”
Authors: F.D. Dumitru, B. Gibhan, J.M. Cabrera-Marrero, O.F, Higuera-Cobos, M. Marin
114
and PhD thesis
Name of the congress: 5th International Conference “Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering and
Medical Devices” BiomMedD’2012
Place of celebration: Constanta, Rumanía
Date of the congress: 29 August – 1 September 2012
Kind of participation: Poster and written communication.
Title: “Characterization of defects during the annealing of deformed FeSi alloys by positron
annihilation lifetime technique”
Authors: K. Mostafa, F. Gonzalez Camara, P. Rodriguez, E. De Grave, D. Segers, Y. Houbaert
Name of the congress: 16th International Conference on Positron Annihilation
Place of celebration: Bristol, UK
Date of the congress: 19-24 August 2012.
Kind of participation: Written and oral communication.
Title: “Dynamically recrystallized austenitic grain in a low carbon advanced ultra-high
strength steel (A-UHSS) microalloyed with boron under hot deformation conditions”
Authors: I. Mejía, E. García-Mora, G. Altamirano, A. Bedolla-Jacuinde, J.M. Cabrera
Name of the congress: XXI International Materials Research Congress
Place of celebration: Cancun
Kind of participation: Poster and written communication.
115
and PhD thesis
Title: “Prediction of hot flow curves of construction steels by physically-based constitutive
equations”
Authors: G. Varela-Castro, J.M. Cabrera
Kind of participation: Invited talk. Written and oral communication.
Title: “Effect of Boron on the continuous cooling transformation kinetics in a low carbon
advanced ultra-high strength steel (A-UHSS)”
Authors: G. Altamirano, I.Mejía, A. Hernández-Expósito, J.M. Cabrera
Kind of participation: Written and oral communication.
Title: “Calorimetric analysis of ZK60 magnesium alloy processed by equal channel angular
pressing”
Authors: Florina-Diana Dumitru, BrândusaGhiban, José María Cabrera-Marrero, Oscar-Fabián
Name of the congress: Higuera-Cobos, GheorgheGurau, NicolaeGhiban
International simposiumonaircraftmaterials, ACMA 2012
Place of celebration: Fez, Morocco
116
and PhD thesis
Date of the congress: 09-12 May, 2012.
Kind of participation: Oral and written communication.
Title: “EBSD texture analysis of an AlCuMg alloy for different solidification rates”
Authors: D. Lopez-Galindo, A. Rodríguez, R. Colás, J.M. Cabrera, J. Talamantes-Silva
Name of the congress: 70º Congreso Mundial de Fundición
Place of celebration: Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
Date of the congress: 23-27 April 2012.
Title: “Copper processed by ECAP”
Authors: J.A. Muñoz, O.F. Higuera, J.M. Cabrera
Name of the congress: First São Carlos School of Advanced Studies in Materials Science
and Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos - UFSCar
Place of celebration: São Carlos – Brazil
Date of the congress: 25-31 March 2012
Title: “Stress Corrosion Cracking Resistance in Hot Forming Tools”
Authors: Gironès, S.Molas, M.D. Riera, D. Casellas
Name of the congress: 9th International Tooling Conference
Place of celebration: Leoben (Austria)
117
and PhD thesis
Date of the congress: September 2012
Publicació: Proceedings of the 9th International Tooling Conference (ISBN 978-3-901384-52-3)
Title: “Effect of cooling rate on the mechanical properties of Al-Si alloys using high thermal
conductivity tool steel”
Authors: S.Molas, D. Casellas, A. Hamasaiid, I. Valls
Title: “New tool steel with very high levels of toughness for cutting of press hardened steel
and other demanding applications”
Authors: A. Inngebrand, I. Valls, S. Molas, I. Picas, D. Casellas
Kind of participation: Oral presentation.
118
and PhD thesis
Title: “Toughness evaluation of high strength steels sheets by means of the essential work
of fracture”
Authors: D. Gutiérrez, Ll. Pérez, A. Lara, D. Casellas and J.M. Prado
Name of the congress: ECF-19, 19th European Conference on Fracture
Place of celebration: Kazan (Rusia)
Date of the congress: August 2012
Publicació: Proceedings of the 19th European Conference on Fracture (ISBN 978-5-905576-18-8)
Title: “Analysis of micro-mechanical damage in tool steels coupling fracture tests and
acoustic emission”
Authors: I. Picas, E. Martínez-González, D. Casellas, J. Romeu
Name of the congress: ECF-19, 19th European Conference on Fracture
Place of celebration: Kazan (Rusia)
Date of the congress: August 2012
Proceedings of the 19th European Conference on Fracture (ISBN 978-5-905576-18-8)
Kind of participation: Oral participation.
Title: “Characterization of abrasive wear in forming tools with polymeric replica profiles”
Authors: G. Ramírez, M. Vilaseca, J. Pujante, D. Casellas
Name of the congress: 15th Nordic Symposium on Tribology
Place of celebration: Trondheim (Noruega)
119
and PhD thesis
Date of the congress: June 2012
Title: “Adhesive wear analysis of PVD coated and uncoated hot stamping tools”
Authors: M. Vilaseca, J. Pujante, G. Ramírez, D. Casellas
Title: “Investigations into Wear and Galling Mechanism of Aluminium Alloy-Tool Steel
Tribopair at Different Temperatures”
Authors: J Pujante, L Pelcastre, M Vilaseca, D Casellas, B Prakash
Title: “Sheet failure prediction during forming of advanced high strength steels”
Authors: D. Gutiérrez, R. Hernández, A. Lara, D. Casellas, M.D. Riera, J.M. Prado
Name of the congress: 5th Forming Technology Forum
Place of celebration: Zurich (Switzerland)
120
and PhD thesis
Publicació: Proceedings of 5th Forming Technology Forum 2012. Advanced Failure Prediction
Methods in sheet metal forming (ISBN 978-3-906031-06-1)
Title: “High thermal conductivity tool steels for die casting applications”
Authors: A. Hamasaiid, I. Valls, H. Eibish, R. Heid, S. Molas, D. Casellas
Name of the congress: High Tech Die Casting 2012
Place of celebration: Vicenza (Italy)
Date of the congress: January 2012
Title: (2012) SMART-STRIPPING® Emission free groundwater remediation technology.
Authors: Caridei F., Pagano M., Mosangini C.B., R. Verri, Jubany I., Marti V. i M. Calderer
Name of the congress: REMTECH 2012 Remediation Technologies, Saipem
Place of celebration: September, 2012
Date of the congress: Ferrara (Italy).
Title: Study of groundwater denitrification in riparian zones by using soils from a wetland in
the Ebro river basin.
Authors: Rubalcaba A., García I., Martí V., Ruiz C., Jiménez P. J., Calderer M.
Name of the congress: First European Symposium on Remediation Technologies and their
121
and PhD thesis
Integration in Water Management,
Place of celebration: Barcelona. Spain.
Authors: Guillaume Busset, Caroline Sablayrolles, MireilleVignoles, Frederic Clarens i José
Jorge Espí.
Name of the congress: WasteEng 2012: 4th International Conference on Engineering for
Waste and Biomass Valorisation
Place of celebration: Barcelona. Porto, Portugal
Date of the congress: 10 – 13 September 2012
122
and PhD thesis
National Conferences
Title: “Modelado de la fluencia en caliente de aceros avanzados de ultra-alta resistencia
(A-UHSS) microaleados con boro”
Authors: G. Altamirano, I. Mejía, J.M. Cabrera
Name of the congress: 9º Foro de Ingeniería e Investigación en Materiales, Instituto de
Investigaciones Metalúrgicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo
Place of celebration: Morelia, México
Date of the congress: 5-7 December 2012
Title: “Análise da precipitação induzida por deformaçãovia microscopia eletrônica de
transmissão no açoinoxidávelaustenítico ISO 5832-9 utilizado como biomaterial”
Authors: M.B. Dos Reis, J. Gallego, J.M. Cabrera, O. Balancín, A. Moreira
Name of the congress: INOX 2012 - 11º Seminario Brasileiro do AçoInoxidável
Place of celebration: Sao Paulo
Title: “Endurecimiento de chapa de acero TWIP durante ensayos cíclicos traccióncompresión”
Authors: R. Cobo, J. A. Benito, J. Calvo y J. M. Cabrera
123
and PhD thesis
Name of the congress: XIII Congreso Nacional Propiedades Mecánicas de Sólidos
Place of celebration: Alcoy
Title: “Efecto de la distribución bimodal de grano en la ductilidad de hierro nanoestructurado
obtenido por proceso de molienda mecánica”
Authors: C.Casas, J.A.Benito, J.M.Cabrera
Title: “Características de la deformación en caliente de aceros TWIP”
Authors: J. Calvo, P. Rodríguez- Calvillo, A. M. Mateo, J.M. Cabrera
Title: “Aceros avanzados de ultra alto límite elástico empleados en el sector automotriz”
Authors: J.M. Cabrera
124
and PhD thesis
Name of the congress: 3ª Jornadas de Metalurgia y Materiales, UNAM
Place of celebration: México
Kind of participation: Oral communication.
Title: “Efecto de la distribución bimodal de grano en la ductilidad de hierro nanoestructurado
obtenido por molienda mecánica”
Authors: C. Casas, J.A. Benito, J.M. Cabrera
Name of the congress: IV Congreso Nacional de Pulvimetalurgia
Place of celebration: Sevilla
Date of the congress: 20 June 2012
Title: Comportamiento mecánico de una aleación Mg-Zn-Zr procesada por presión en canal
angular de sección constante”
Authors: Florina-Diana Dumitru, BrândusaGhiban, José-María Cabrera-Marrero,
GheorgheGuräu, Mihai Marin
Name of the congress: XII Congreso Nacional de materiales, Universidad de Alicante
Place of celebration: Alicante
Date of the congress: 30 - 31 May - 1 June 2012.
125
and PhD thesis
Title: “Estudio de la cinética de recristalización estática en aceros de construcción mediante
el método de relajación de tensiones”
Authors: E. A. Cartaya, J. M. Cabrera, J. M. Prado
Name of the congress: XII Congreso Nacional de materiales, Universidad de Alicante
Title: “Conformabilidad de chapas de aceros metaestables”
Authors: D. Gutierrez, A. Mateo, P. Rodríguez, G. Fargas, A. Lara, D. Casellas, J.M. Prado.
Name of the congress: XII Congreso nacional de materiales, XII Congreso IBEROMAT:
Universidad de Alicante
Date of the congress: 30 - 31 May - 1 June de 2012.
Title: “Tratamientos térmicos de reversión en un acero inoxidable metaestable”
Authors: A. Mateo, A. Hernandez, A. Zapata, P. Rodríguez, G. Fargas, J. Calvo, D. Casellas.
Name of the congress: XII Congreso nacional de materiales, XII Congreso IBEROMAT:
Universidad de Alicante
126
and PhD thesis
Title: “Textura y comportamiento microestructural de cobre de grano ultrafino procesado
por ECAP”
Authors: O. F. Higuera, J.A Muñoz, J.M. Cabrera
Name of the congress: XII Congreso Nacional de materiales. Universidad de Alicante
Date of the congress: 30 -31 May - 1 June 2012.
Title: “Fracture toughness evaluation by crack-opening displacement of cube-corner indeters”
Authors: N. Cuadrado, D. Casellas, M. Anglada, F. Garcia Marro
Name of the congress: CIEC13, 13th European Inter-Regional Conference on Ceramics
Publicació: Proceedings of the CIEC13, 13th European Inter-Regional Conference on
Ceramics (ISBN 978-84-615-9681-2)
Place of celebration: Barcelona
Title: “Tratamientos térmicos de reversión en un acero inoxidable metaestable”
Authors: A. Mateo, A. Hernández, A. Zapata, P. Rodríguez-Calvillo, G. Fargas, J. Calvo, D.
Casellas
127
and PhD thesis
Name of the congress: XII Congreso Nacional de Materiales / XII Congreso Iberoamericano
Date of the congress: May 2012
Publicació: Proceedings of XII Congreso Nacional de Materiales / XII Congreso
Iberoamericano (ISBN 978-84-695-3316-1)
Title: “Conformabilidad de chapas de aceros metaestables”
Authors: D. Gutiérrez, A. Mateo, P. Rodríguez-Calvillo, G. Fargas, A. Lara, D. Casellas, J.M.
Prado
Name of the congress: XII Congreso Nacional de Materiales / XII Congreso Iberoamericano
de Materiales
Date of the congress: May 2012
Publicació: XII Congreso Nacional de Materiales / XII Congreso Iberoamericano de
Materiales (2012) ISBN 978-84-695-3316-1
Title: “Comportamiento a fractura de aceros metaestables”
Authors: Mateo, D. Gutiérrez, Ll. Pérez, A. Lara, A. Zapata, P. Rodríguez-Calvillo, G. Fargas,
J. Calvo, D. Casellas
Name of the congress: XXIX Encuentro del grupo español de fractura
128
and PhD thesis
Place of celebration: Bilbao
Date of the congress: March 2012
Publicació: XXIX Encuentro del grupo español de fractura Vol. 1, pag 145-152 (2012) ISSN
0213-3725
Title: “Lightweight design of structural components resistant to dynamic loading”
Authors: D. Casellas
Name of the congress: Efficient LigthweigthStrucutre Solutions, STA Conference
Place of celebration: Barcelona
Date of the congress: January 2012
Title: Emission free Groundwater Remediation Technology (SmartStripping®)
Authors: Jubany I., Caridei F., Pagano M., Calderer M., Martí V., Mosangini C.B. i R. Verri.
Integration in Water Management,
Place of celebration: Barcelona.
Kind of participation: Poster
Title: Atrazine biodegration in groundwater by using bioaugmentation with Pseudomonas
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and PhD thesis
sp. strain ADP.
Authors: Calderer M., Martí V., Peteiro R., Salcedo A., Rubalcaba A., Weisbrod N. i Ronen Z.
Integration in Water Management
Place of celebration: Barcelona. Barcelona.
Kind of participation: Poster
Title: Simulación del proceso de emisión acústica. Generación de ondas elásticas transitorias
en un engranaje bajo tensión.
Authors: R. Cobo, T. Resano, M.D. Riera, L. Romeral
Name of the congress: Reunión de usuarios de SIMULIA. XVI Reunión de usuarios de
SIMULIA Place of celebration: Madrid
Date of the congress: November 2012
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and PhD thesis
Thesis 2012
Title: Disolución del combustible nuclear gastado en un almacenamiento geológico
profundo. Efecto de los productos radiolíticos y de formación de fases secundarias.
Candidate: Rosa Maria Sureda Pastor
Title: Aplicación de criterios de conformabilidad en productos planos de aceros de alta
resistencia
Candidate: David Gutiérrez Castillo
Directors: José M. Prado, Daniel Casellas
University: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Date: 28-11-2012
Title: Mechanical behavior of tools for shearing Ultra High-Strength Steels: Influence of the
microstructure on fracture and fatigue micro-mechanisms of tool steels and evaluation of
micro-mechanical damage in tools
Candidate: Ingrid Picas Anfruns
Directors: Daniel Casellas, José M. Prado
University: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Date: 10-12-2012
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Awards 2012
Award: Premi AMES R+D+i Joan Antoni Bas al millor treball d’investigació “Mejora de la
ductilidad en piezas de hierro con grano ultrafino consolidadas a partir de polvo obtenido
por molienda mecánica”
Authors: R. Rodríguez-Baracaldo, R. Tejedor, C. Casas, J.A. Benito y J.M. Cabrera.
Place of celebration: Sevilla
Date of the congress: 21 June 2012.
Award: Esment especial en la 5ª Conferencia sobre Usos del Acero del IAS, Categoría
Propiedades Mecánicas, al trabajo “Efecto de la composición química sobre el coeficiente
de difusión de la austenita en aceros estructurales”
Authors: G. Varela, J.M. Cabrera, J.M. Prado, Instituto Argentino de Siderurgia
Place of celebration: Rosario
Date of the congress: 5 November 2012.
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The Antena Tecnológica Tierras del Ebro
Research Centre prepares its arrival in
Amposta
In 2012, the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic, the City Council of Amposta
and the company, AmpostaTecnologics commenced the construction of
the Antena Tecnológica Tierras del Ebro Centre, dedicated to research,
development and innovation with among other objectives, the maritime
and windpower sectors.
On the 28th of February, in Amposta, the partners responsable for the
Antena Tecnológica de las Tierras del Ebro Project held the founding
assembly of the association in order to set out the development of the
new research centre and approve the founding document. The initiative
means the collaboration of three different sectors, the public, represented by the
City Council, the prívate sector, in this case AmpostaTecnologics and the world of scientific
research in the shape of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnológic.
Now formally created, the next step for the association will be the construction of the Antena,
which should commence in the September of 2013. The centre should open its doors in the
Spring of 2014.
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The building which will be of approximately 900 m2 and will be located in the Oriola de
Amposta technology park. The Project has the support of ACC10, which answers directly to
the Department of Enterprise and Employment of the Generalitat de Catalonia, the Provincial
Government of Tarragona and is financed with funds of FEDER (The European Regional
Devlopment Fund). The total projected investment for the construction of the building and
the acquiring of the necessary research equipment is 1,800,000 euros, of which 1 million
is for the actual construction and the remaining 800,000 for the aforementioned
specialized research equipment.
It is predicted that in the short term, more stakeholders be they private
or public will enter the association. The ultimate objective is that Antena
Tecnològica becomes a cluster of companies representing various industrial
sectors dedicated to the production of components made with composite
materials.
The Mayr of Amposta, Manel Ferré, thanked both the representatives of
AmpostaTecnologics and the Fundación CTM Centro Tecnológico and stated that
the beginning of the Project represented “ an opportunity for Amposta, the region of the
Ebro and Catalonia as a whole.” José Manuel Prado, Director of the Fundación CTM Centro
Tecnológico placed emphasis on the fact that “in Catalonia, there were only a few companies
interested in the research into composites and that there was no better place to establish
research centres than the province of Tarragona and the región of the Ebro.”
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Francesc Farga, CEO of AmpostaTecnologics insisted that with the creation of the association,
“we will have access to research and development and funding which would be imposible
if one were to work alone.”
A research centre for the maritime, aeronautic and wind power industries.
The result is a unique business commitment in Catalonia, of which there is only one similar
centre in Madrid. The Centre seeks excellence and has as its objectives the development of
research, technological transfer, training and testing so that it becomes a point of reference
both in the development of R&D and in the field of composite materials including carbon
fibre, glass fibre and reinforced thermoplastics.
The results obtained will be orientated towards the aeronautic, wind power and maritime
sectors, developing applications for these materials in highly-sensitive components,
studying new materials and applications. These are industrial sectors which require constant
technological and scientific innovation with a high level of added value so as to create
markets with an important growth potential in the coming years.
The project and construction of Antena Tecnológica Tierras del Ebro thus involves the region
in the technological development of a strategic sector, whilst the centre will be a member of
the TECNIO network, specialized in the transfer of knowledge between science, business,
universities and society in general.
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In conclusion the mission of the centre is that the knowledge generated by the investigated
applied technologies is transferred to business and society in order to ensure that national
industrial obtains a position on the cutting edge and a higher degree of competitiveness
within the composites sector.
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1st CTM International Conference 2012
I+D+I= Employment
The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològica organized on March 22, 2012 the 1st CTM International
Conference 2012 “I + D + I = Employment”. The event took place at the Mon Sant Benet
Congress Centre in Sant Fruitós de Bages.
The conference was attended by 140 representatives from the public and private sectors
attending debates about creating jobs on a large scale as a result of product research,
development and innovation in areas such as the environment, energy and materials.
During the day several round tables were organized entitled, “Innovation and crisis. How
to create wealth from knowledge”, “The responsibility of government in job creation”
or “The industry of the imagination”. The public also heard a number of
keynote speeches given by representatives of major companies and
administrations.
The event included speakers renowned in their areas of work
such as Richard K. Lester, Head of the Department of Nuclear
Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology; Markus Mutter, Head of Business Development at
EPEA Hamburg; Paul Fleming, of De Montfort University; Peter
Betzer, former Dean of Marine Sciences at the University of South
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Florida; Dominique Schemla, Vice President of Perpignan Mediterranée, Joan Josep
Escobar, Director of External Relations for the ICAEN; Xavier Ferrás, Director of the Business
Innovation Unit of ACC1Ó, Juan Miguel Rodriguez, Director of the Strategy, Planning and
Resources Division of the REPSOLTechnology Centre, Jose Antonio Martinez Alamo ICL
President and CEO Iberia IBERPOTASH, Pere Pedrosa ASTIC President, (The Association
of International Road Transport), Francisco Rincon, Head of Corporate Strategy at Siemens
Spain, among other relevent speakers.
The event concluded with the special public recognition of the Fundació CTM for Professor
Dr. Richard K. Lester, in recognition of his work and international influence in his field of
expertise.
Richard K.Lester commented on the importance of the role in creating jobs of the universities
and their connection with research and development centres. As an example, he spoke of
the alumni of the MIT (Massachussetts Institute of Technology), who were able to develop
more than 25,000 active companies, a third of which had established their corporate bases
in the vecinity of local investigation centres.
In the opinion of Lester “R + D + I should not have as a unique goal the creation of patents
and licenses, despite being important, but what is also vital is the possibility of the creation
of companies which emerge from the university itself.”
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Lester noted that for MIT students, advice, research, business collaboration and graduate
recruitment is more important than the creation of patents or licences.
Lester said that “there is a clear link between innovation and creating jobs, [...] and in
a study of 25 universities to analyze the impact of the implementation of the R &
D at a local level, the conclusion is this has always contributed very positively
to job creation in the area “. Moreover, research centres are also a magnet
for large companies, and cited as examples, Novartis and Pfizer who have
set up research centres in the region where the MIT is located.
During the course of the day other speakers such as Markus Mutter, Head
of Business Development at EPEA Hamburg, stressed the importance of
implementing R & D in waste management, and how this management
allows the generation of qualified workplaces noting that we cannot delay any
further our approach to environmental problems, we need to solve them from the
outset. Currently we are delaying our reaction to these problems and we will continue to
confront them in 20 or 30 years time.
Pere Pedrosa,
the President of the Association of International Road Transport, who
participated in the roundtable, “Industry and imagination” stated that we must set great
store on imagination and R + D + I, whilst stating that governments do not imagine or enter
into dialogue but rather limit themselves to working and raising taxes. He went on to claim
that administrations, must forget the European lobbying and strategic sectors that run the
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markets. What is needed is the creation of new funding systems in order to invest in research
whilst discontinuing the taxation which, for example, is being implemented in the transport
sector.
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The Minister for Business and
Employment, F. Xavier Mena, visits
the future headquarters of the
Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic
The Minister for Business and Employment, F. Xavier Mena, visited on
May 2, 2012 the future headquarters of the CTM Technological Centre
Foundation which is being built in the Central Catalonia Technology Park.
The host of the event was the Mayr of Manresa and President of the Fundació
CTM Centre for Technology, Valenti Junyent and Mr. Manel Rosell, President of the
Executive Board of the Fundació CTM Centre for Technology. The
Director of Regional Services of Business and Employment in
Central Catalonia, Ms. Barbarà Minoves and Mr. Xavier Ferràs,
Director of the Business Innovation Unit of ACC1Ó, Generalitat
de Catalunya also attended.
The ceremony began at 11.00 am with a meeting where the
different activities were explained and the existing facilities
located in Avenida de les Bases de Manresa, 1 were visited. In
the centre Mr. Mena met the Director General of the CTM, Mr. José
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Manuel Prado, the Commercial Director Mr. Jordi Martí and the internal
affairs Director, Mr. Xavier Codinach.
After the visit to the current facilities, institutional representatives and
the Executive Board of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic went to
the Central Catalonia Technology Park where CTM is carrying out the
construction of their future corporate building.
The laying of the foundation stone took place last July 2011 and is
expected to be completed in the summer of 2013.
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CTM presides a Conference in the European
Commission about Water
The Fundació CTM Centre for Technology participated as chairman and moderator of the
conference “EIP Water and Agriculture” aimed at discussing European policy on water,
within the framework of the “European Green Week”, at the Committee of Regions in
Brussels. The European Green Week is the continent’s largest conference on
the environment, and took place between the 24th and 27th of May in
Brussels.
The representatives of CTM presented their policy supporting
municipalities and regions in order to ensure the consensus and
continuity necessary guarantee a correct use of water, our most
important natural resource. This presentation was given before
political representatives, businessmen and academics from across
Europe during the course of the conference presided by CTM.
CTM, with the support of national and international institutions of great
prestige, has created NETWERC H2O, an organisation which aims to improve,
assist and support the implementation of good practices in water use in the cities and towns
of Europe and beyond . The NETWERC H2O initiative has received public support from
the European Commission, the OECD numerous international universities, private sector
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representatives and the scientific world. It is estimated that by the end
of 2013 this network will represent more than 1,500 local governments
from all of the member countries of the European Union, as well as the
Middle East and America.
With this participation as president and moderator at a major conference
on European policies on water, the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic has
positioned itself as one of the leaders in water issues at a European level.
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The XII European Green Week 2012
This year, the problems we face in order to ensure access to water whilst confronted with
climate change and population growth was considered.
The theme for this year was “Water Challenges - every drop counts”, and was attended by
some 3,000 people, among which were public authorities, NGOs, industrial representatives,
and the European Commissioners for the Environment and Climate Action.
To coincide with the event, there was an exhibition where companies and organizations
demonstrated their best practices in relation to the environment. The European Awards
for the Environment in Business were awarded and the III European Water Conference was
held, in order to debate policies in the sector.
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AMES R+D+i Joan Antoni Bas Award
On June the 21st, during the IV National Powder Metallurgy Congress held in
Seville, the CTM and UPC investigators, R. Rodriguez-Barakaldo, R. Weaver,
C. Casas, JA Benito and JM Cabrera received the AMES R & D + i Joan
Antoni Bas Award for the best research work on “Improving ductility in
iron pieces with consolidated ultrafine grain consolidated from powder
obtained by mechanical milling”. The project has been led by Prof.
Jose Antonio Benito, who accepted the award.
At the same congress the following paper was presented:
“The effect of bimodal distribution of grain in nanostructured iron ductility
obtained by mechanical alloying “
C. Casas, J.A. Benito y J.M. Cabrera
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The Sèquia Accessible Project
The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic, the Fundació Aigües of Manresa - Board of the Sèquia
Park and the MBICI (the Bicycle Service of Manresa Ltd.), presented last July 24th, 2012, two
new actions that are part of the project “ Sèquia Accessible “. The event was attended by
the Member of Parliament of Catalonia, Mr. David Bonvehí, the Vice President
of the Fundació Aigues de Manresa - Sèquia Board, Mr. Josep Alabern and
the Director General of CTM, Mr José Manuel Prado.
An application for the latest generation of mobile phones, the
smartphones, was presented whereby interesting information for the
tour of the park is provided for those with various types of sensory
disabilities. Furthermore a wheelchair fully adapted for this type of
terrain was also demonstrated
La Sèquia application for smartphones
Within the project “Sèquia Accessible”, an application for smartphones
named The Sèquia, was developed in collaboration with the bioinformation
technology company, Microart which allows users to have real-time information concerning
the seven points of interest on the circuit. The moment a user approaches a point of interest
with their phone, a screen automatically opens that offers videos and texts about where you
are. The text may be reproduced in audio, both in Catalan and Castilian. The user can also
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manually select the item they want information on.
The application serves both as a guide for access to the site (informing you how to get from
your current position to the first point of the route), as well as a map along the entire route
of the visit.
The mobile application is free to download and will be available soon in the “App Store” for
Iphones and “Google Play” for phones with Android OS.
The adapted wheelchair and hand bike
The Sèquia Park features a lightweight wheelchair, bought from the Catalan company ATBACH,
which consists of two elements, a wheelchair adapted for circulating on this type of terrain and
front electric propulsion system of the “hand bike” type adapted for users with reduced hand
mobility (model TETRA E-hand bike with TETRA with G & B control). The system has a range
of 30 km.
Both chair and chair + hand bike set have an on-line booking system for use
throughout a whole morning, for which is paid a token amount to be
determined destined for maintenance, transfer, tutoring , guidance and
technical assistance.
Reservations can be made on the website: www.parcdelasequia.cat.
By this means, it is intended that approximately 1,500 people a year enjoy
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the natural spaces of Manresa’s green area without problems of mobility. This electric hand
bike is the property of CTM and the cooperative bike whilst the MBICI is responsible for the
management, maintenance and advice to users.
The following phases of the Sèquia Accessible Project
The project will continue with the architectural adaptation of the complete route of the
Sèquia, in order to increase accessibility to the area. During this phase, which is scheduled
for completion in late 2013, there will be specialist assessment and close collaboration with
the Provincial Government of Barcelona and the five municipal councils of the area of the
Sèquia: Balsareny, Manresa, Sallent, Sant Fruitós de Bages and Santpedor.
About the Sèquia Accessible Project
The Sèquia Accesible Project aims to make the Sèquia canal path accessible to people with
different types of disabilities. The project that will benefit at least 1,500 people each year, is
coordinated by CTM and is supported by the La Caixa Social Fund the cooperative bike service
of Manresa, MBICI and the Fundació Aigues de Manresa - Board of the Sèquia Park.
The project includes the installation of sensorial information panels, information devices for
the latest generation of mobile phones (smartphones), wheelchairs adapted to the terrain
surrounding the canal, architectural adaptation to improve accessibility to the area and so on.
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CTM and PIMEC sign an agreement of
collaboration for the development of
business in Central Catalonia
The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic and PIMEC signed on July 30th, 2012 an agreement
with the purpose of promoting the development of business whilst supporting projects and
activities that increase the competitiveness of the industrial estates.
The main areas of action include the development of sustainable and efficient industrial
areas, being foreseen collaborative actions with the aim of promoting the efficiency and
sustainability of industrial estates in Catalonia. In this regard, CTM and PIMEC will identify
and implement projects at a national and international level, holding conferences which
will present good practices for companies and those responsible for the management of
industrial estates.
The agreement also provides for the increase in the
internationalisation of R & D in SMEs and industrial
estates, both in the national and international
ambits, in areas in which CTM can offer advanced
knowledge such as the environment, materials,
energy and so on. In addition, the two entities
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work in a coordinated manner so as to benefit the region by increasing its competitiveness
and capacity for innovation.
The scope of this agreement is limited basically to Catalonia and especially to Central
Catalonia.
The agreement was signed by Mr. Antoni Cañete Martos, Pimec Secretary General, Mr.
Esteve Pintó Bascompte, President of Central Catalonia Pimec and in representation of
CTM by Mr. Manel Rosell Martí, Executive Chairman and Dr. Jose Manuel Prado Pozuelo,
the General Director.

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INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY
Internacional activity
The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic clearly identified in its strategic plan the participation
in international R+D projects as one of its priorities for the coming years. It is not merely
a question of statistics but rather an essential strategy for the future; the participation
in international consortium R+D projects with the aim of producing more and better
knowledge, new technologies and promoting the idea among companies of generating
their own products.
The internationalization of R+D and the promotion of collaboration in the shape of alliances
or consortium projects is the path, not compulsory but necessary, for achieving this maturity.
All of this with only one objective; the spirit of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic; the
spirit of providing a service with high added value for companies, customers and society in
general and now, more than ever, with the aim of helping them to prosper in an ever more
global and competitive environment.
Thus the creation of the International Unit (IU) of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic was
the answer to the necessity of executing high added value and high quality international
projects. Since it was created, in the heart of the Commercial Area of the Fundació CTM
Centre Tecnològic, the IU has had the explicit support of the Management of the center
constituting a firm, strategic bid for the future of the foundation.
During the year 2012 the IU has continued to consolidate its work dynamics and the coordination
mechanisms established during previous years, which have proved to be efficient for all the
multidisciplinary teams involved in the international activities carried out by the centre.
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For the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic, 2012 has been a year of consolidation in several
international R+D collaboration programmes and cooperation programmes aimed at
technological and innovation transfer.
Within the 7th Framework Programme of the European Community (VII PM), the Fundació
CTM Centre Tecnològic has kept up the hard work on ongoing projects, such as TailorTool,
Recosy, Aquarehab, Pera, MoICT, CB-WR-MED, MOSYCOUSIS i First-Nuclides. To these
must be added further projects such as WELL, the CSA INCO project with Libya in the
field of water, with which the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic has established itself as a
leading entity in the sector of water R+D in the region of the Southern Mediterranean.
Furthermore, the NANOREM project, focused on the development of nanotechnologies
with the purpose of recuperating contaminated sites has been added to the range of FP7
projects.
In 2012 apart from the 7th Framework Programme, the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic
also continued working on the Research Fund for Coal and Steel programme. 2012 was the
year the new projects Zincobar and Joinox were approved to be added to TestTool and New
Q&P which are already under way. Coordinated by the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic,
the latter signified the centre’s introduction to a programme which has a tremendous
thematic affinity with the centre, enabling quality research to be carried out side by side
with important international centres and major companies in the world of steel.
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During the course of 2012 the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic has continued working
on the the CIP-EcoInnovation Smart-Stripping programme related to the remediation of
contaminated soils. With regards to the environment, 2012 witnessed the implementation
of the EDUCO project, the first LIFE+ to be led by the centre which seeks to demonstrate
the efficiency of the new technologies in the production of biodiesel.
Within the framework of the SUDOE program, the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic
continued in 2012 with the execution of the projects OILCA and Green Car EcoDesign,
approved in 2010.
2012 has seen the closing of the first stage of the groups Connect-EU Materials and Water,
supported by ACC1Ó and Agaur. These two groups, the first coordinated by and the second
co-directed by the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic , are structured in the same manner
as the European technological platforms and represent the R+D interests of all the agents
(companies, universities, technological centers, administrations, associations, etc.) in those
sectors to which they refer. 2012 has been the year during which the strategic research
agenda of each group has been promoted, especially before the European Commission
and both formal and informal work channels so that the future R+D support calls gather the
interests and meet the needs of the group.
2012 has also been the year in which Horizon 2020 has acquired a solid structure. The
7th Framework Programme follow up showed how numerous workshops and consultative
processes have defined its future form. The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic has been
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participating actively in these processes, which not only states the positioning of the centre
in this programme, but also that of all the agents it represents through the Connect-EU
Materials and Water.
In the same way, the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic has actively involved itself in some
of the European Innovation Partnership initiatives, which will determine the future R+D
strategic and priority guidelines for Europe and consequently, the policies and specific
support guidelines for these. With regards to this, it is worth highlighting the involvement
of the centre in the EIP on Water, which has included the centre creating the platform
NETWERC H2O, The Network for Water in European Regions and Cities. A global initiative
led by CTM, it is an association for municipal and regional governments with the objective
of promoting the development of sustainable practices in the management of water.
In 2012, CTM continued working in the technological platforms in which it is a participant:
Manufacture, ESTEP-PLATEA, Sustainable Chemistry, Rapid Manufacturing, Eumat, Sernet
and Water Supply and Sanitation (WSSTP). It is worth highlighting the important role of
the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic in the latter platform, the WSSTP, in which it has
participated very actively in the production of strategic documents regarding European
positioning on the topic of R+D and has become co-chairman of the Water Reuse Task
Force. Neither must one forget that in 2012 CTM became a member of Working Group,
Transport, of the European Steel Technology Platform (ESTEP).
The Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic has also continued to work hard to establish
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technological collaboration links with Latin America. On the basis of an ambitious strategy
designed to bear fruit in the medium term, Mexico, Chile and Columbia have been initial
targets selected and where specific actions have been carried out within the framework of
environmental materials and energy technologies.
During the year, 2013, the International Unit continues to progress in accordance with the
strategic plan of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic, and will be intensifying its efforts in
those areas of action described above.
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The Bio-engineering division is a strategic line that began in 2008. As a result of various
unique projects in the health sector previously developed in the centre and the relationship
with reference groups in this field, a working group has been created which permits the
existing potential of the Fundació CTM Centre for Technology to be fully exploited, while
allowing us to improve the offer of knowledge that we are able to place at the disposal of
companies in the sector.
The division is staffed by professionals from both the academic world and the private sector
in bio-engineering. Furthermore and following the modus operandi of the centre, there
exists a close collaboration with the various areas of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic.
Lines of action
A strategy has been defined that seeks to maximize the benefits of the centre’s know-how
while taking into account the requirements of the sector. In this way, the following lines of
work within the fields of biomechanics and biomaterials has been established:
• Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies
• Prostheses, Implants and Medical Devices
• Study of tissue behavior (bone, cartilage, etc.)
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With regards to Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies, there have been
significant advances in the degree of specialisation in the implementation
of virtual musculoskeletal models employing the “Anybody Modelling
System” software. This new tool, acquired in collaborationwith the City
of Manresa, is able to simulate and calculate the biomechanics of the
human musculoskeletal system at in any condition, thus increasing our
ability to design medical devices and the corresponding transformation
into innovative products for companies and society as a whole (Figure 1).
It is important to note in this regard, the biomechanics laboratory installation
itself (Figure 2). The laboratory employs motion capture systems using infrared cameras
and will be supplemented with additional technology depending on the requirements
of future projects (dynamometry, electromyography, etc.). The fact that we have our own
biomechanical functional assessment laboratory allows us on the one hand to develop
more efficient models, whilst on the other hand it offers us the freedom to innovate in the
Figura 1:
Detailed
musculoskeleteal
models set in
complex physical
environment help
us to design better
rehabilitation and
assistive devices.
methodology employed. As has already been discussed, the installation of this laboratory
has been conducted in collaboration with the Althaia Hospital, a fact that evolves into a
number of possibilities for future projects. This action has been possible thanks to the
financial contribution of ACC1Ó linked to the Action Plan devised by TECNIO agents.
Employing these tools, work continues on the development of devices that improve standing
exercises necessary in the rehabilitation after spinal injuries. A project has been developed
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in collaboration with the Step by Step Foundation whereby the level
of physical and social satisfaction with regards to the development of
existing devices on the market has been assessed. Once the first phase
of the study was completed, there began the design and manufacture of
a new device that is at present, in the prototype stage. This development
has been patented and a series of contacts have been initiated in order to
find industrial partners interested in the manufacturing and / or distribution
of the product.
Meanwhile, through the Action Plan Incentive call for members of TECNIO (ACC1Ó)
the development of a computational model of the musculoskeletal system of spinal
cord injury (VSCI Project) has been initiated. Using data taken from the biomechanics
laboratory within the AnybodySim simulation software it has been possible to implement
different models depending on the level of the injury. These virtual models that have been
developed in collaboration with the Step by Step Foundation serve as design tools for the
Figura 2:
The new
biomechanical
laboratory with
infra-red cameras to
capture movement
future development of rehabilitation devices and technical aids (Figure 1).
In collaboration with the Aigues de Manresa Foundation - Sèquia Board of Directors (The
Sèquia Park) and MBICI (Bicycle Services of Manresa), the results of the project “Accessible
Sèquia” were presented last July. The project consists of a state-of-the-art mobile phone
application that provides information of interest on the tour of the park to people with
various types of sensory decline and a wheelchair fully adapted for circulating on this type
159
of terrain (Batec Mobility). The project has received an economical contribution from the
La Caixa Social Foundation after being selected as one of the four initiatives in Central
Catalonia to benefit from its grant programme.
Furthermore, within this line, work has continued on the development of a device to improve
the current conditions in rehabilitation by Controlled Passive Motion (CPM). This is being
carried out in collaboration with a specialist physiotherapist and with Althaia Hospital.
The previously filed Spanish patent has been extended to a PCT and advanced towards a
functional prototype. Future steps include clinical validation and the continuity of contacts
with companies interested in manufacturing and / or distribution.
Within the line of Prostheses, Implants and Medical devices, the industrial research project
“Immediat-os” (ACCIÓ, ERDF) has been successfully completed. This project has been led
by the dental implant company Klockner in collaboration with TM Comas and TT Carreras.
Together with the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic, research groups at the UPC (BIBITE)
and UB (CPT) have also participated. At the same time, the necessary technology has been
developed to obtain an immediate dental implant that will allow the company to position
itself in the world market with an innovative product. The Bioengineering Division has
coordinated the project, working closely with the Area of Materials Technology and the Area
of Simulation and Innovative Design of CTM.
Deserving special mention is the project launched by the local company Tecnobionic with
the aim of entering the sector by introducing to the market a new line of prosthetic leg.
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Thanks to partial funding received from ACC1Ó, CTM is already working alongside the
company in the prototype and validation phase.
Along similar lines in collaboration with the Areas of Materials Technology and Innovative
Design and Simulation a number of actions to validate the fatigue behavior of dental
implants according to ISO 14801have been executed.
Finally, with regards to the behavioral study of tissues, there is progress in the creation of
a protocol regarding the risk of osteoporotic fracture. The project entitled DSS Femur is
partially funded by a PID of CDTI granted to the leader, Microart. Both CTM and the Althaia
Hospital participate. Having completed the first phase of development, the first clinical
assessment may now be carried out.
Strategic Partners
For the division it is vital to maintain strong partnerships with experienced groups in this
field. Bearing this in mind, it continues to work closely with the CREB (UPC), specifically with
the division of Biomaterials and the division of Biomechanics, with whom it has signed a
collaboration agreement that governs the use of facilities and the search for joint projects. On
the other hand, with the Fundació ALTHAIA Xarxa Asistencial an inter-agency assessment
and project management commission has been created with the objective of promoting a
synergy between the clinical capability of ALTHAIA and the ability of technology transfer
of CTM. Similarly, CTM continues to actively participate in working sessions with other
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technology centres in order to establish an ongoing collaboration that will result in a new
Centre of Medical Technologies.
One must highlight the support received for participation in local networks such as the
Medical Technology Cluster of Catalonia driven by ACC1Ó and XISCAT the network of
medical centres. Subjects of mutual interest and possible collaboration have also arisen with
other local institutions involved in the sector such as the Fundació Universitària de Bages
(FUB) and the Escuela Politécnica Superior de Ingeniería de Manresa.(EPSEM, UPC).
162
Agreements and contracts
with public entities
The confidentiality agreements that we have with a number of our customers impedes us from
citing an exhaustive list of all agreements we currently have in force at Fundació CTM Centre
Tecnològic, but below we have named a few that were brought into force during the year 2012:
• Collaboration agreement with the CITY OF Manresa for the development of projects to
reinforce the business structure.
• Collaboration agreement with the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) in order
to coordinate the actions of the Fundació CTM Centre for Technology and XIT MCIA
Center of Electronic Engineering Department of the UPC in training, scientific research,
technological development and transfer of technology in the area of energy efficiency
and optimization, renewable energy, industrial electronics and information technology,
through specific agreements within the departments, institutes and universities.
• Collaboration agreement with the PRACTICAL TRAINING CENTRE OF THE FOUNDATION
Lacetània (PIC) for conducting various tests on the 5-axis machine and industrial design
that is available at the PIC center.
163
• Collaboration agreement with D’ENGINYERS SCHOOL UPPER TECNIA Aeronautics
INDUSTRIALS I Terrassa (ETSEIAT) for sponsoring the Solar Endeavour.
• Collaboration agreement with the Province of Tarragona to develop projects related to
environmental initiatives on energy, water and sustainable mobility and funding sources
thereof.
• Collaboration agreement with the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) for the
development of the project of the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union titled
“Fast / Instant Release of Safety Relevant Radionuclides from Spent Nuclear Fuel (FIRST
nuclides).
• Partnership with the Association / College of Industrial Engineers of Catalonia to regulate the
actions that the two parties have to carry out to Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic to obtain
and exploit the conditions of the Empresa Adherida.
• Collaboration agreement with the Polytechnic University of Catalonia - BIBITE for the
achievement of the projects: “R & D BIBITE - CTM for Pure Tension Tests “ and “ R & D
BIBITE-CTM for Pure Torsion Tests “and” R & D BIBITE -CTM for multiaxial fatigue tests
combined traction-Rotation “.
• Collaboration agreement with FOUNDATION BARCELONA MEDIA in order to establish
the basic principles of cooperation for joint initiatives on prescription, recruitment and
support of new clients and projects.
164
• Collaboration agreement with TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION CENTER FOUNDATION
OF COLOMBIA-CITIC INDUSTRIAL to establish a framework for collaboration in advocacy,
dissemination, training, formulation of proposals and development of R & D and innovation
in Colombia.
• Collaboration agreement between Pymec, Small and Medium Enterprises of Catalonia
with the aim of establishing a collaborative framework for the development of business
and the promotion of projects and activities that promote the competitiveness of the
industrial parks.
COLLABORATIONS WITH
PRIVATE COMPANIES
• Collaboration agreement with BOSCH BRAKING SYSTEMS, SLU for the implementation
of the project called “Project development and application of servo brakes”.
• ENRESA collaboration agreement to carry out experiments in hot cells with spent nuclear
fuel, together with the Karlsruhe Institute Transurànids (ITU).
• Collaboration agreement with ROVALMA, SA, VOLKSWAGEN AG, ARMINES, Technische
Universität München, METAKUS Anwendungszentrum Metallformgebung, OC Oelikon
165
Balzers AG, Gestamp HardTech AB, INASMET Foundation and Luleå University of
Technology for undertaking the TAILOR TOOL European project “Development of New
Tool Materials with Tailored Thermomechanical Properties “.
• Collaboration agreement with Technologisch Onderzoek voor Vlaamse Instelling NV
(VITO) and 18 entities, to carry out the AQUAREHAB European project “Development of
technologies for multipressured Rehabilitations degraded waters and the integration of
Their impact in river basin management”.
• Collaboration agreement with ECOCAT, SL for advice on risk analysis for human health in
contaminated soils.
• Collaboration agreement for the realization of the European project “2Redox Phenomena
Controlling Systems (CP-ReCosy)” within the VII PM.
• Collaboration agreement with SGAB, ATLL, Amphos21, CETaqua, Fundació CTM Centre for
Technology, Kemira Water Simpple and Levante, for the project OPTIMECA.
• Collaboration agreement with the Center for Research and Development in Transport and
Energy, FUNDACIÓ CIDAUT and Technological Institute for Footwear (INESCOP) for the
project “Analysis and Modeling of Fatigue Phenomena in Elastomers (AMFFE)”.
• Collaboration agreement with the company INFUN, SA development project called
“Research for ductile iron crankshaft by vertical molding”.
166
• Collaboration agreement with SERVAQUA companies, SAU, COASTAL ZONE, SL,
D’ENGINYERIA I SERVEIS ABM CONSULTING, SL, REGIONAL BARCELONA, SA
and FLUIDRA SERVICES, SAU for the development of research related to the project:
“Development and integration of new sustainable technologies in Life Support Systems
for Artificial Aquatic Ecosystems (ARTSEA)”.
• Collaboration agreement with BLUE REED, SL to improve the finish of metal slitting textiles
(TALLTEX).
• Collaboration agreement with SEAT, SA for the project VERDE: “Investigation of
technologies that enable the development of plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles” within
the CENIT program.
• Collaboration agreement with Klockner, SA, Cial. Heat Treatment, SA, Mechanical
Workshops Comas, SL for the project IMMEDIAT-OS: “immediate loading dental implants
with osteoinductive and sealing surfaces bio”.
• Collaboration agreement with Rovalma, SA, Axial Maquinaria, SL, Tecmar 2000, SL and
formin, S.A. for the project CONCRET.
• Collaboration agreement with the Foundation Cartif, Mondragon Goi Eskola Politeknikoa
S. Coop., Andalusian Institute of Technology Foundation, Aragón Institute of Technology,
Ecole Supérieure des Technologies Industrielles Avancées and the Polytechnic Institute of
Setúbal for the project GREEN-CAR ECO- DESIGN.
167
• Collaboration agreement with MAPRO Assay System, SA for the project PROSAVE2:
“Research in advanced systems for eco-efficient aircraft” within the CENIT program.
• Collaboration agreement with Mb Abrera, SA, Rovalma, SA, Mol-Matric, SCCL for the
project CONFORMABO: “Research in forming processes for structural safety components
with graded properties for the car.”
• Collaboration agreement with Endesa, SA, the Association Nuclear Asco-Vandellos II, AIE, the
Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of the Generalitat de Catalunya for the project
ZEBRAREG: “Draft vulnerability assessment, control measurements and their effectiveness in
preventing zebra mussel colonization irrigation network of the Ribera del Ebro”.
• Collaboration agreement with the National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia to
undertake the project DPeu: Technical and commercial validation of a new device type
bipedalor designed at the Fundació CTM Centre for Technology.
• Collaboration agreement with ESADE BAN to promote entrepreneurship and investment
through private investors (business angels).
• Collaboration agreement with PRYSMIAN CABLES AND SYSTEMS, SA under the CENIT
OCEAN LEADER: Leaders in marine renewable energy.
• Collaboration agreement with La Forge Lacambra SAU Rovalma, SA and MAPRO Test
Systems, Inc. for the project CuNa: Study and Industrial Research of CU’S NANOMETRICOS.
168
• Collaboration agreement with ENGINEERING AUTOTECH AIE for the project NOFALLEU:
“Fatigue Design: methodology for the predictions of fatigue components for automotion”
• Collaboration agreement with GESTIÓ OF PROJECTES VALLBONA, SLU (GEDPRO) for
the development of innovation projects.
• Collaboration agreement with MEXICAN CORPORATION MATERIALS RESEARCH, SA de
CV (COMIMSA) for the purpose of the interaction and exchange in science, education
and culture.
• Collaboration agreement with ELECTROMECÀNICA SOLER, SL, SOLER GLOBAL SERVICE,
SL, ELECTRIC CLOP, SLU and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya for research in
optimising energy efficiency in facilities (OPTIENER).
• Collaboration agreement with SAS LORRAINE ET ATLNATIQUE ACERLORMITTAL,
VOLKSWAGEN AG, ROVALMA, SA, GESTAMP HARDTECH AB, Tekniska LULEA
UNIVERSITAET UNIVERSITET Kassel and in order to study the wear mechanisms operating
in hot stamping tools of high strength steels for the manufacture of automotive structural
components with complex geometries (TESTTOOL).
• Collaboration agreement with FOUNDATION CITOLIVA, CVR-Valorização WASTE CENTRE,
TOULOUSE POLYTECHNIQUE INSTITUT NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYIAT ANDALUCIAN and AOTAD - Associação de olive growers OF AFTER-OI-MONTES
E ALTO Douro for the management and implementation of the project to improving
169
competitiveness and reducing the carbon footprint of the olive oil sector by optimizing the
waste management and the implementation of an eco-label (OiLCA).
• European collaboration agreement (FP7) for the project FIRST-nuclides for fast release /
snapshot of spent nuclear fuel radionuclides relevant for the safety assessment.
• Collaboration agreement with GEARBOX OF ART, SA for research in the increased
durability of aluminum injection molds for application of new high performance steels
(DURAMOL).
• Collaboration agreement with AGUA, RESIDUOS Y MEDIO AMBIENTE, S.A., SERVAQUA,
S.A., SANAJAMENT INTEL·LIGENT, S.L. and AREMA for the execution of the research
project entitled “Compact and modular device for the regeneration of waste water
through advanced control energy consumption and risk management (DRAAC)”.
• Collaboration agreement with SITEX 45 SRL, Ardoran OU, PRZEDSIEBIORSTWO PRODUKCY
Badawczo-JNE-LITE WIRE SENSORS LTD, ELECTROARGES SA, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
CORK. NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya for the
development of an intelligent diagnosis system based on acoustic emission detection, for
monitoring and preventive maintenance of machineries them (MOUSYCOUSIS).
• Collaboration agreement with the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL)
MONTERREY, MEXICO in order to coordinate scientific research, technological
170
development and technology transfer through specific agreements for the implementation
of projects.
• Collaboration agreement with STEP BY STEP FOUNDATION in order to establish a
framework of cooperation in the field of assistive devices for spinal cord injury as well as
to encourage and promote scientific research and innovation in the areas of mobility of
disabled people.
• Collaboration agreement with METALS SINTERIZADOS, SA and Universitat Politecnica
de Catalunya for research on enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of powder
metallurgy processes by optimizing performance and prediction of compaction and
calibrated tools (oPtiMA).
• Collaboration agreement with TecnoConverting ENGINEERING, SL to develop a project
called “Development of a new device for Foaming control in biological treatment systems
(DEFOAM)”
• Collaboration agreement with COMFORSA for the project “Reduction of thermomechanical
stresses are in the process of forging tools (EXTRUFOR)”.
• Collaboration agreement with the FOUNDATION LA CAIXA for the project Implementation
for Accessible Tourism in the itinerary of The Sèquia of Manresa (Manresa irrigation
channel).
171
• Collaboration agreement with ABM, INAGUA, AMBIOMA and MOIX for the project
research and technological development for the recovery and enhancement of nutrients
in the water cycle (TREVA).
• Collaboration agreement with Onderzoekscentrum Aanwending voor van Staal - OCAS,
ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG-TKSE, Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Materials
- IMDEA, Universiteit Gent - UGENT, Centro Sviluppo Materiali-CSM and the Technische
Universiteit Delft, TU DELFT to undertake the European project NEWQP.
• Collaboration agreement with the company Modern Metal Manufacturing, SA for the
realization of the project “Characterisation studies of material unions for the ozonator
system, OXIGENA “.
• Collaboration agreement with the Escola Industrial de Barcelona for the development
of the project “Analysis of acoustic emission microfracture phenomena and steel gears”
which is part of the task 2.2 and 2.3 of the European project Mosycousis project.
• Infranor collaboration agreement with Spain, SLU, Rucker Lypsa, SL, Rabassa Innova, SL,
Selba, Serveis Electrònics Bages. S. L. for research cooperation project “Electric Vehicle
for CarSharing (VELOW).
• Collaboration agreement to undertake the European project “Taking nanotechnological
Remediation Processes from Lab Scale to End User Applications for the Restoration of a
Clean Environment” (NANOREM).
172
• Collaboration agreement with Cloud9, Enric Ruiz Geli, design development and microwind energy.
• Collaboration agreement with TC Technologies, Infranor and the Autonomous University
of Puebla, Mexcio, to carry out the R & D project for the study and development of
technologies for the electrification of vehicle platforms. • Collaboration agreement with ROVALMA, SA for the completion of a research project
“powder metallurgy materials of high thermal conductivity for hot stamping tools
(PULVIHOT).
• Collaboration agreement with PRYSMIAN CABLES AND SYSTEMS, SA for the realisation
of a project to study the Fatigue Behaviour of Cables and Components for Offshore
Applications subject to its application to different sectors.
• Collaboration agreement with the Innovation Centre Foundation of Agricultural Maquinària
i dels Equips Industrials - MAQCENTRE, to carry out a study of acceptability of use of high
strength steels in different components for agricultural machinery..
• Collaboration agreement with SEBIR, SA to carry out a project to study the optimisation of
the application of phosphate-free lubricants in wire drawing operations.
• Collaboration agreement with AUTO JUNTAS, S.A.U. ( AJUSA) for research on innovation in
manufacturing technologies and coatings for performance optimisation of bipolar plates for
173
hydrogen polymer membrane fuel cells.
• Collaboration Agreement with La Cooperativa Manresa de Serveis amb Bicicleta SCCL
(MBICI) for the project under the Sèquia Accessible project and specifically to regulate
the conditions under which the transfer is made for a device handbike to MBICI.
• Collaboration agreement with QUIMICA DEL CINCA, S.L. for the realization of the project
“Study of a new brine primary treatment process for the production of chlorine and sodium
hydroxide through membrane cell treatment”.
• Collaboration Agreement with EMPRESA NACIONAL DE RESIDUOS RADIACTIVOS, S.A.
for the undertaking of services “Experimenting with Real Spent Fuel”.
• Collaboration agreement with ASSOCIACIÓ DE L’OLI AL BIODIÈSEL, INÈDIT
INNOVACIÓ, S.L., GREEN HEL 2012, S.L., CET NOU VERD, S.C.C.L., el Ayuntamiento
de Puig-Reig and the Ayuntamiento de Santpedor for the project “Collection System of
cooking oils used in educative centers and biodiesel productions cavitation tests with
Technology “(EDUCO).
• Collaboration agreement with the S UNIVERSITE SIDI MOHAMMED BEN ABDELLAH, RETE
EUROPEA DELL’INNOVAZIONE SRL y CONSORTIUM UBIQUITOUS TECHNOLOGIES S.c.a.r.l.
for the realization of the project “Research Advance in Morocco ICT for Water” (MoICT).
• Collaboration agreement with GRUPO GENERAL CABLE SISTEMAS, S.A. for the realization
174
of the project “Development of high voltage cables with welded metal screen resistant
plastic collapse”.
• Collaboration agreement with ROVALMA, SA for the realization of the project “Development
and manufacture of tools for severe forming” (AtomTool).
175
econOmic REPORT 2012
Economic report 2012
In this section the normal economic data of the year 2012 is presented together with that of
the three previous years, thus allowing the evolution of the figures to be observed.
The general economic situation has finally affected the results of CTM which have suffered
a decline in terms of global income, approaching the levels last seen in 2010.
During the year 2013, the situation is not expected to substantially improve and it is
for this reason that the centre reaffirms its belief in its own products and the process of
internationalization, seeking in the medium term, a stability that it cannot expect solely from
a local market.
Within this economic panorama, the centre has had to confront additional difficulties when
charging for completed projects. The lack of solvency which exists in the private sector but
above all in the public administrations has led to an increase in the length of the period of
payment with the resulting financial tension which this provokes.
Below we present in graphic form these and other aspects of the economic evolution of the
Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic during the period 2009-2012.
2
=
3
176
Economic evolution
2.431 K€ €
3.260 K€
2.645 K€
3.332 K€
3.046 K€
3.092 K€
3.863 K€
748 K€
2.943 K€
473 K€
586,4 K€
438 K€
507 K€
TOTAL
570 K€
337 K€
TOTAL
3218 K€
TOTAL
TOTAL
6.331 K€
7.368 K€
7.952 K€
6.943 K€
2009
2010
2011
2012
EVOLUTION
ECONOMIC
=
R+D of the centre
R+D under contract
Consultancy and technological services
Training, disclosure and others
2
3
177
Public Finance
50%
40%
49%
62%
39%
46%
27%
30%
4%
8%
2009
21%
24%
2010
2011
PUBLIC
2012
FINANCE
=
Regional Administration
National Administration
International Programmes
1
2
3
178
CLIENTS
Clients
In the year 2012 the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic worked with 258 active companies.
The different sectors for which we worked are the following:
• Public administration
• Food and agriculture
• Automobile Industry
• Railways
• Mining
• Construction
• Bioengineering and Health
• Waste Management and Environmental
• Metal – mechanics
Consultancy
• Materials
• Agricultural machinery
• Production of equipment and machines
• Maritime Industry
• Treatment of water
• Water Managers
• Water Management
• Naval
• Engineering
• Chemical Industry
• Energy
Most of these companies signed with the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic contracts related
to technological services or R+D+I projects whilst others requested laboratory services.
The transversality of the technologies of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic enable the
centre to work with many different sectors and the intention is to continue working for
companies from different sectors where the centre’s knowledge and experience can provide
a differential value.
179
FUTURE STEPS
Future steps
The main objective of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic is to foresee the technological
necessities of companies so as to work on a specialized technological offer that can become
a point of reference, not only in Catalonia but in the whole of Spain.
The growth of the centre in recent years has led to a lack of physical space in the building where
we are presently installed. Consequently, this is conditioning the growth of several areas.
This situation has obliged the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic to start the construction of
a new building in 2011 that would enable us to continue to grow. The new building is located
in the future Parc Central de Manresa, where it must constitute a focal point, becoming a
driving force and in years to come, one of the city’s main hubs of activity. It is for this reason
that this is an extremely important challenge for us, as much for the social implications as
for the economic consequences that will result from this project. We must now complete
the construction of the new centre, so that in the middle of 2013 the new building can be
inaugurated.
All this is new and exceptional for us but nevertheless, we are really looking forward to
taking on the challenge since the growth of the centre cannot be conditioned due to a lack
of space.
Furthermore, the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic has identified new objectives within
the more traditional areas of activity. Some inherited from previous years, actions that were
set in motion over the last few years that need to be consolidated, such as the activation
180
FUTURE STEPS
Future steps
of the Bioengineering Division, others that represent new technological challenges within
the centre, such as making a bid for work on emergent forms of energy in the field of nondestructive tests, and some that require a certain amount of time and that are now to be
materialised , such as the creation of the centre’s first Spin-off or the development of our
own products in strategic areas for the centre.
There also are some encouraging projects, such as the participation in the technological
antenna of Amposta in which, the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic seeks a high-profile
role in its creation, launching and above all, its scientific-technological excellence.
In the medium term, the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic has the following objectives:
• To complete the construction of the new facilities of the Fundació CTM Centre
Tecnològic.
• To consolidate the Bioengineering Division with agreements and projects linked to relevant
agents of the region, such as Althaia, FUB or EPSEM; or other important ones at a national and
international level, such as IBEC, BIBITE or the Centre de Biomecánica del CREB (UPC).
• To consolidate CTM’s collaboration with companies, technological centres and other
research centres so as to carry out important R+D projects, be they Spanish or international.
• To increase the development of our own technologies and products that will make it
possible to create patents and to be actively involved in the licensing of such products
181
FUTURE STEPS
Future steps
• To participate in the creation of companies with a technological basis by helping new
entrepreneurs and promoting the appearance of spin-offs from the Fundació CTM Centre
Tecnològic.
• To continue with the increasing internationalization of the activities of the center
placing special emphasis on the European and Ibero American markets. The signing of
an agreement of collaboration with the CTIC Colombia in order to work together in this
country deserves special mention.
182
THE NEW HEADQUARTERS
The new headquarters
2012 has been the year of the construction of the new headquarters of the Fundació CTM
Centre Tecnològic, The buiding wil be fully completed by the summer of 2013, being fully
operational by early September.
This building will allow us to regroup all the activities of the centre under one roof which
until now due to a lack of space have been distributed in different locations.
The project opens a new era of optimism and above all is the key to a period of growth
which will lead to the implementation of new projects.
The new installation boasts 7,030 m2 of workspace.
183
Laying of the foundation stone
On July the 13th, 2011 the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone of
the new building of the Fundació CTM Centre for Technology took place.
The event was opened by the Hon. Mr. Valenti Junyent Torras, Mayr
of Manresa and President of the Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic.
Speeches were also given by Mr. Manel Rosell Marti, President of Caixa
Catalunya and Chairman of the Executive Board of the Fundació CTM
Centre Tecnològic, Mr. Francesc Xavier Gil Mur, Vice Chancellor of
the UPC and Dr. José Manuel Prado Pozuelo, Director General of the
Fundació CTM Centre for Technology.
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The construction of the new Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic
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LOCATION
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Fundació CTM Centre Tecnològic
Plaça de la Ciència, 2
08243 Manresa BCN
Tel. (+34) 93 877 73 73
Fax. (+34) 93 877 73 74
info@ctm.com.es
www.ctm.com.es
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