THERMACH: THERmally assisted MACHining of difficult-to-cut materials

Important results from the project

Project goal is to model, develop and test the Induction Assisted Machining (IAM) technology, which combines rapid induction heating and softening of difficult-to-cut materials and its removal by a following cutting action. Overall, modelling and induction heating unit design were successfully completed, but testing of induction coils revealed their low energy efficiency or heating insufficiently rapid to match the industrial process data. Laser Assisted Machining developed by UK and Canadian partners yielded better precision, energy efficiency and product quality.

Expected long term effects

Despite the innovative modelling outcomes and advanced induction power unit solutions developed in the project, the Induction Assisted Machining (IAM) has not reached the level of maturity necessary to become an efficient and sustainable process. It appears that IAM is currently hindered by materials available for coil design. While implementable for simple lab cases, IAM is not yet feasible for industrial cases of complex machining processes and high demands on generated product quality.

Approach and implementation

Because Induction Assisted Machining met a technological barrier in the second half of the project, the efforts of the Swedish partners concentrated primarily on induction and materials technology. Different induction coil designs produced and tested were however unable to resolve the problem, because it was essentially related to available flux conductor materials. Therefore, the partners have agreed to stop the IAM track of research by the end of Reporting Period 5. At the same time, UK and Canadian partners achieved successful solutions for Laser Assisted Machining.