AZTERLAN researcher PhD. Ana Fernández shared the main fields of action and outcomes of this visionary project targeted at integrating sensors at different depths of the “skin” of metallic components.
By means of Key Enabling Technologies such laser texturing, ink jetting, DED-LB, PBF-PB and FBG the MINAKU project consortium is working on the integration of cutaneous and sub-cutaneous sensing systems to monitor the service life of metallic components. With that aim, along the two-years research project the team has been working on complimentary fields of action as Surface sensoring, Underskin digital identification (ID), Buried fiber multipoint sensing and Power feeding and wireless signalling.
During her lecture, the AZTERLAN representative shared some of the main outcomes achieved up-to-date by the research team. “When it comes to working on the surface of components, surface texturing and conditioning have been proved to be viable for our purposes; we have also explored how to keep unitary part-ID throughout the process and service life by including anticopy ID technology”. With this aim, lasting ink solutions and X-ray detectable coding strategies have been developed, along with hidden Ultrasound, UT, barcodes incorporated in the metallic parts. When it comes to deeper sensing methods, the team has worked on the integration of glass fiber by means of laser welding.
Fernández shared with the audience that “even though all of these are quite promising achievements, they are low TRL approaches” and that “further research is necessary to increase TRL and make these solutions accessible for the industry and the society”.
The MINAKU project consortium is formed by a team of first-class technological agents, with own complementary knowledge and specialties, such as AZTERLAN Metallurgy Research Centre (project leader) and the technology centers LORTEK, TEKNIKER and TECNALIA (BRTA members), the UPV/EHU Department of Mechanical Engineering, the UPV/EHU Department of Communications Engineering and Applied Photonics, Mondragón Goi Eskola Politeknikoa and INVEMA.
MINAKU is funded by the Elkartek Program of the Basque Government’s Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment (Ref.: KK-2022/00080).
AZTERAN researcher Ana Fernández during her lecture at the CMH Manufacturing Congress.
