Project financed by the Veneto PSC
Implementation of a low energy consumption Friction Stir Welding 4.0 welding line
Thanks to participation in the Veneto Region's "Call for the provision of grants aimed at the competitive repositioning of SMEs, investment support, and the promotion of digitalization and circular economy models," ESAMETAL SRL has completed a project that involved the introduction of automated welding equipment based on the Friction Stir Welding process, which allows the joining of one or more metals at a temperature lower than their melting point. A rotating tool placed in contact with the edges to be joined produces heat due to friction and stirs the plasticized material, resulting in a joint with improved chemical, physical, and mechanical properties compared to traditional welding processes.
THE LINE, IN DETAIL, INCLUDES
a calender, used for the plastic deformation of sheet metal, in order to prepare them according to the curvature suitable for the production of the product and allow subsequent welding;
a locking bench functional for holding the rolled parts to be joined in position, essential for the correct operation of the equipment for carrying out the welding;
a movable motorized welding head equipped with special interchangeable tools based on the various thicknesses and materials to be joined;
A software component integrated into the line that manages the collection of information from the machines it comprises, its transfer to other machines, data processing, and communication with the company's IT infrastructure, which includes management software. The software is also capable of providing real-time diagnoses, prescriptions, and descriptive analyses.
ALLOWED TECHNICAL EXPENSES: €500,000.00
CONTRIBUTION GRANTED: €150,000.00
