Project to develop revolutionary single-stage remanufacturing system

Called RECLAIM, the project's aim is to develop an integrated production system incorporating all of the processes required for cost-effective, rapid and reliable remanufacturing. It is claimed that such a system will give the UK a vital technological advantage over other countries. A consortium of eight organisations is involved - Delcam, Renishaw, Electrox, TWI, Precision Engineering Technologies, Cummins Turbo Technologies, Airfoils Technology International and De Montfort University. RECLAIM is supported by the government-funded Technology Strategy Board to the tune of £½ million. The new system being developed combines laser cladding, machining and in-process scanning in a single machining cell. While the main focus will be on the repair of damaged parts, it is planned that the new equipment could also be used to manufacture new metal parts, to upgrade obsolete parts and to reconfigure standard parts for specialist, low-volume applications. Initiator of the project professor David Wimpenny from De Montfort University said: "The RECLAIM system will be the first in the world to combine laser cladding, CNC machining and in-process inspection in a single machine. This will provide a revolutionary, single-stage solution to remanufacturing." Currently, most remanufacturing involves a series of operations on different pieces of equipment, which might even be in different companies. Furthermore, each process is labour-intensive and dependent upon the skill of the operator. This makes the overall process inefficient, expensive and difficult to manage. "This project is extremely timely as the remanufacturing sector is entering a period of sustained growth that will see it double in size in the next 10 years," explained project co-ordinator Jan Willem Gunnink, Delcam. "The RECLAIM process will provide the UK with a vital technological advantage over countries where the remanufacturing sector is better developed currently and over those having lower labour costs. It will help to ensure that the UK becomes one of the world's leading nations for remanufacturing." To achieve the single-system goal, a number of important new developments will be required: (1) An innovative laser-cladding head, using the latest fibre laser technology, will be developed which will fit directly into the spindle of a conventional milling machine, thus simplifying the programming of the machine to perform the cladding process. (2) The CAM software to be developed will be the first to enable seamless control of cladding, machining and inspection processes via a single interface. (3) A new contact measurement system for remanufacturing applications will be developed to enable rapid inspection of parts. This scanning information will be used to locate the part accurately, assess the degree of damage, define the machining operation, and to inspect the part at the end of the process. (4) An integrated system that combines laser cladding, machining and in-process scanning in a single machining cell. Although laser cladding, high-speed 5-axis machining and contact scanning are well established as individual processes, they are not yet available in a combined manufacturing unit. Currently, three individual machines are needed, each requiring significant capital investment and shopfloor space. Moreover, the work pieces must be setup manually on each machine at each processing stage. This is labour intensive, can lead to errors in part set up and generates significant levels of work in progress. Similarly, each process has its own particular control software which has to be programmed individually. This adds additional cost and complexity to the remanufacturing process, and requires extensive training so that operators can master the different software packages. Delcam's main contribution to the project will be the development of a single piece of software to control the entire process from start to finish. Pictured: Members of the consortium