General description

In line with Euro7 regulations, automotive OEMs must innovate advanced coating technologies for braking systems to drastically cut particulate emissions. Laser-based rapid coating (LRC) revolutionizes brake disc coating by offering substantial advantages in the application of novel materials and seamless integration into high-volume production lines. Already, 80% of automotive OEMs have adopted LRC for future Euro7-compliant products.

MaaSBrakeAM's vision is to develop a Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS) using LRC to deliver Euro 7 compliant coatings on brake discs, at scale, and on demand. The objectives to serve the vision of MaaSBrakeAM are:

The MaaSBrakeAM service will be validated on two different automotive industry segments (Trucks and Vans).

Objectives

The Key Marketable Innovation (KMI) of MaaSBrakeAM is a service that leverages the LRC technology to produce Euro7-compliant brake disc coatings focusing on powder recycling and brake disc remanufacturing (including training and consultancy). Specific objectives:

  1. Identify Sustainable Process Parameters for LRC of brake discs:A Design of Experiments (DoE) will be followed to identify process parameters minimizing energy consumption without compromising the quality & performance specifications provided by FORD.
  2. Maximize Recycled Powder Usage:Based on O1 insights, utilize the highest possible percentage of recycled material powder for LRC without compromising quality.
  3. LRC for brake disc remanufacturing:Demonstrate the application of Euro7-compliant coatings to end-of-life as well as in-service brake discs with LRC.
  4. Develop a dynamic LCA module for LRC:Utilizing the machine-integrated sensors (energy consumption, powder flow, gas flow meter, etc.), a dynamic Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) will be developed to enable the MaaSBrakeAM dynamic LCA module to calculate the carbon footprint of LRC, at the manufacturing stage, overcoming the accuracy issue of conventional LCA which relies on static LCI.
  5. Develop the MaaSBrakeAM Digital Product Passport (DPP): utilizing the dynamic LCA module to accurately report the carbon footprint of a brake disc both at the manufacturing and remanufacturing stages.

Expected results

ER1: Decrease energy consumption of LRC by 30% versus the current status (PRIMA) by optimizing the process parameters while ensuring the coating quality is not compromised. Energy consumption data will be retrieved by the integrated sensors of the LRC machine and will be correlated with the coating’s quality characteristics (thickness, porosity, hardness, etc.) and energy-efficient process windows will be selected.Associated Objective: O1.
ER2: Reduce carbon footprint of LRC technology by 25% by using recycled powder. An LCA study will be performed with the use of dLCA module (O4) quantifying the carbon footprint of LRC using only virgin powder(benchmark). Subsequently, investigations will be conducted by increasing the percentage of recycled powder, evaluating the coating’s quality characteristics. Based on the specimens which meet the quality specifications, the maximum recycled powder content for LRC will be identified.Associated Objectives: O2,4.
ER3: Extend the average lifecycle of an end-of-life brake disc by 100% through remanufacturing with the MaaSBrakeAM Service: End-of-life brake discs will be provided by FORD, and a remanufacturing strategy will be developed (e.g. surface preparation before and after LRC) to deliver EURO7-compliant brake discs that meet the quality standards of end users. The carbon footprint benefit of the remanufacturing step will be automatically calculated by the dLCA module and reported to the DPP.Associated Objective:O3,4,5.
ER4: Reduce LRC process costs by 25% compared to conventional DED coating techniques. The process cost models already developed by PRIMA and GOTEC for their clients will be used as a cot benchmark. Typically, the cost of powder can constitute between 20% to 50% of the total cost in DED based processes such as LRC. By decreasing the use of virgin powder (O2) and using the sustainable process parameters (O1), the process costs will be decreased giving a competitive advantage both to PRIMA (BO) and the end users (GOTEC,FORD). The remanufacturing of end-of-life brake discs (O3) will further contribute to this.Associated Objective:O1,2,3.

The test plan is presented in detail in the Use Cases section. MaaSBrakeAM will be validated on two different automotive industry segments (Trucks and Vans). Over 90 brake discs will be tested to ensure accelerated market penetration.

Consortium

Coordinated by the Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems & Automation (LMS)
Contact: Prof. P. Stavropoulos | pstavr@lms.mech.upatras.gr
Dr. P. Foteinopoulos | pfotein@lms.mech.upatras.gr

Novelty

Automotive OEMs and coating specialists are investigating various established processes such as plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO), cold spray (CS), ferritic nitrocarburizing (FN) in order to be in a position to meet the EURO7 emission standard regarding brake particulates. These processes have some fundamental disadvantages such as high capital expenditure (CS), limited depth of hardening (FN) and coating uniformity (PEO).

MaaSBrakeAM overcomes these challenges by developing the LRC technology, a DED-based process, where depth of hardening and coating uniformity are challenges already addressed by Additive Manufacturing applications. Furthermore, LRC provides important advantages including that it does not changes to the base disc material while it offers very fast cycle times, high productivity and good results, providing long-term corrosion protection with equally lasting abrasion protection. The novelty of the MaaSBrakeAM solution can be categorized as follows:

  1. Technological and Application Innovation: LRC is a DED-based process which within MaaSBreakAM will be modified, enhancing its existing capabilities, to meet the specific quality requirements in the context of EURO7 emission standard. The technological innovation lies in the fact that novel coatings, TiC and NbC, will be deposited on a specific substrate showcasing the multi-material [i)brake disc material (current status), ii) 430L/316L, intermediate layer ensuring adhesion of the iii) TiC or NbC-based coating] potential of AM in the long term.
  2. Green Technology Development and Circularity: MaaSBrakeAM has a holistic approach toward sustainable technology development. The project addresses sustainability on process level (O1), supply chain level through the use of recycled powder (O2) and final product level (O3) by offering a solution to extend the brake disc life through remanufacturing.
  3. Accurate Carbon Footprint Measurement and dynamic update of DPP: Traditional LCA methodologies are hindered by their dependence on static LCI, which compromises the accuracy of environmental impact forecasting. By developing a dynamic LCA tool (O4) that leverages primary data directly from manufacturing processes, we can significantly enhance the accuracy of environmental impact assessments. In addition, the MaaSBrakeAM DPP will have the capability to capture the carbon footprint of the remanufacturing stage of brake discs providing an accurate calculation at all times while the use of blockchain technology to ensure transparency and traceability of the entire LRC process, from material sourcing to end-of-life management and remanufacturing.
  4. Business Model: MaaSBrakeAM opens up the opportunity of a decentralized remanufacturing capability (e.g. at a dealership level) ensuring that in-service vehicles will be compliant with Euro7 particulate emissions as the deployment of LRC technology is associated with the commissioning of a laser based deposition machine. This approach not only reduces the carbon footprint associated with transportation and logistics but also supports local economies and enhances supply chain resilience by reducing dependence on global supply chains.