Innovative Automated and Adaptive Manufacturing of low-pressure turbine vanes (IHAP)

Scope (N/R/Trans):
National

Description /Main activities:
IHAP is a user controlled innovation project (BIA) sponsored by the Norwegian Research Council. The project is aiming at a higher automation level in manufacturing of jet motor turbine vanes at Volvo Aero Norway resulting in less labour intensive production. Targets of automation are internal transport, part handling and fixturing, machining, and documentation.

The consortium includes 6 partners: the end-user, a machine builder, a manufacturing cell integrator, a manufacturing software developer, a research community, and the university sector. The project is organized in the following aggregated research areas with underlying work packages:

• Production system design and development
• Process development for automation
• Agent-based distributed control

The general results obtained in the project will be presented in a set of demonstrators, both physical and virtual, for technology transfer to other industrial sectors. The project is coordinated with the national CRI Norman program and the European IFaCOM (Intelligent Fault Correction and Self Optimization Manufacturing) project.

Expected results and impact:
The project is expected to develop and industrialize a series of new manufacturing concepts developed in the research community during the last few years.

Specifically, the following results are expected:
• Reduced time consumption
• Increased utilization of manufacturing equipment
• Reduced quality assurance cost
• Reduced throughput time
• Reduced work in process (WIP)

Time window:
Start: September 2011 / Duration: 4 years

Budget/Funding:
Budget: 2.88 M€ / Funding: 0.87 M€

Participants:
6 participants: 1 manufacturing company, 2 production technology companies, 1 software company, 1 research organization, 1 university.

Relations/connections with the EU initiatives:
The project is fully aligned with the European IFaCOM (Intelligent Fault Correction and Self Optimization Manufacturing) project.