The EU-funded OPeraTIC project aspires to use high-power ultra-short pulsed lasers (USPLs) to make surface micromachining of large 3D parts more efficient and sustainable. Through the use of advanced optics, precision robotic arms, and artificial-intelligence planning, researchers will make USPL manufacturing more reliable and replicable.
Laser manufacturing offers the capacity to produce complex parts with custom surfaces, more easily than ever before. The EU-funded OPeraTIC project aspires to use high-power ultra-short pulsed lasers (USPLs) to make surface micromachining of large 3D parts more efficient and sustainable. Through the use of advanced optics, precision robotic arms, and artificial-intelligence planning, researchers will make USPL manufacturing more reliable and replicable. New AI-backed manufacturing controllers will be able to offer a digital twin of real-life conditions, yielding higher production quality as part of a strategy for zero defects. The advancements will then be demonstrated on four industrial case settings in the automotive, aeronautic, lighting and white goods sectors, using lasers to provide the products with advanced surface functionalities under realistic production conditions.
OPeraTIC will develop a highly efficient and modular manufacturing platform to boost the adoption of high-power Ultra-Short Pulsed Lasers, as a sustainable alternative to current surface processing. The OPeraTIC open, interoperable and expandable architecture will tackle the industrial entrance barriers of laser microstructuring of large 3D parts.
OPeraTIC provides the required productivity/quality through different developments: (i) combination of advanced optical modules for beam transport and manipulation (ii) dexterous and precision robotic manipulator. iii) AI-enhanced process planning and adaptability. OPeraTIC proposes a modular and automated routing of optical components guaranteeing versatility and replicability, i.e beam delivery (polarization maintaining fiber), management (dynamic control beam shaping) and metrology (novel optical setups for product & process monitoring).
On top of that, OPeraTIC will develop a system architecture for the upscaling of USPL machines to large envelope and complex trajectories, driven by a novel RAMI4.0-compliant controller (merging dexterous manipulation with high level CNC motion accuracy and full synchronization of motion, laser process and quality control). Finally, OPeraTIC proposes an I4.0-compliant platform for systematic data exchange and integrated bidirectional communication (Automation-ML and OPC-UA standards) between real environment and its digital representation. This end-to-end seamless connection enhances a Machine Intelligence Framework for the definition of Zero Defect Manufacturing strategies, empowered by AI and real-time monitorization and control, for process optimisation.
A consortium of 4 top Research Institutions and 7 laser sector industry partners, backed by 2 adoption-oriented partners, will demonstrate OPeraTIC potential on relevant and high impact large-scale use-cases by 4 industrial end-users in the automotive, aeronautic, lighting, and white goods sectors.