Abstract:

The Final Project is a course that all students must fulfil at the end of Master Degrees on Engineering. Linking final project topics to real industry matters constitutes opportunities to initiate University/Industry collaborations, hence helping them to integrate innovative methodologies and challenges.

In this sense, in the field of manufacturing processes, new technologies play a decisive role in terms of energy consumption and material requirements. Conventional manufacturing processes are sometimes unable to solve complex geometries or need subsequent operations that often increased the final price without being fully justified. Alternatively, additive manufacturing technologies, which through the deposition of multiple layers of material, can achieve any type of geometry as complex as it could be, with reduced post-processing. In this way, material waste is reduced, and an important potential path of energy savings is opened. Furthermore, maintenance logistics is an important discipline that has received considerable attention in recent years. The unplanned downtime of the equipment of a factory can be extremely expensive. The manufacture of failed parts with additive manufacturing techniques can be a good solution to create the spare parts needed.

We report the experience of a real case evaluation of the use of additive manufacturing, as a technology which facilitates the transition towards ‘industry 4.0’, in a chemical industry. Particularly, two case studies are reported which intend to manufacture components that require replacement for maintenance reasons using additive manufacturing techniques, thus helping to reduce the company's tangible fixed assets, downtime, and therefore, improve sustainability. The first case study focuses on the application of the reverse engineering process to obtain a common spare part in the industry. Specifically, the component consists of a flexible coupling for connecting the input and output transmission shafts between an electric motor and a centrifugal pump. After collecting dimensions and requirements of the component to be redesigned, a 3D CAD design is prepared. Subsequently, the selection of the appropriate material and filler for printing by additive manufacturing is made. Once the component is obtained, tests and simulations are carried out to ensure its correct functionality. Finally, the component is installed in the factory and monitored by maintenance staff, in order to verify that redesign meets the requirements. The second case study arises after the deterioration of a wafer butterfly valve type, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) seat, due to the contact with corrosive products. When the PTFE seat fails, the corrosive products attack the stainless steel body of the valve, requiring its complete replacement. The manufacture of the body of the butterfly valve using additive manufacturing has been analysed from an economical and environmental point of view.

The conclusions prove that additive manufacturing can reduce energy consumption, downtime, economic cost and environmental impact in comparison with traditional manufacturing in these two specific cases. Additionally, from an educational point of view, the two students got the highest score in their Master studies, and their work was recognized by both academia and industry.

Researchers want to acknowledge Fundación Campus Tecnológico de Algeciras and Indorama Ventures Quimica for their support.

Keywords:

Efficiency, 3D-printing, Industry 4.0, Final Project, Master, Engineering.