The “Fast Track to Innovation Pilot” programme, with the University of Manchester materials science department and partners in France and Italy, will see technology move from proven prototype to live deployment in manufacturing plants.
Says Laurent Espitalier, Wallwork technical manager: “We hold key patents on an electrolytic plasma process that is able to remove excess material on even the most complex components effectively and economically.
“Energy use is relatively low, there are no toxic by-products and cycle times are far shorter than existing methods, so the process is very attractive, both commercially and environmentally.”
The programme of process development, machine build and live trials to prove the effectiveness of the system in manufacturing environments will last 29 months, after which the partners anticipate they will have sufficient data to proceed to full commercial exploitation of the technique.
