Partners

As the lead partner of the Agility project,

CRITT Matériaux Innovation provides companies with its equipment and expertise in various specific technological fields such as:

Material characterization: metallography, mechanical testing, analysis and microanalysis, surface and coating characterization.

Processing of metallic and ceramic powders through its Powder Platform (injection processes, catalytic or aqueous debinding, sintering, etc.).

Additive manufacturing from thermoplastic pellets (Arburg Freeformer).

Within the Agility project, CRITT Matériaux Innovation will contribute both to process aspects for polymer printing, densification steps of filled parts, and their characterization.

CRITT Matériaux Innovation has built up expertise and know-how in powder technologies over the past decade, which has become one of its strategic focus areas.

Certech is an accredited Walloon research center. It supports companies in the chemical sector, particularly in the fields of environment, polymer materials, and processes.

Environmental protection and sustainable development are integrated into the R&D projects carried out by the center in partnership with industry.

Certech’s expertise in polymer materials covers everything from material design (blends, formulations…) to transformation and processing techniques.

Its activities promote a Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) approach and are integrated into the principles of the circular economy.

Polymers and composites are the main studied materials, for which Certech has access to most conventional processing technologies as well as advanced analytical techniques.

Within the Agility project, Certech will focus on:

• Formulation
• Extrusion
• Shaping (filaments, pellets, …)
• Material characterization (rheology, scanning electron microscopy, …)

IMT Nord Europe is an engineering school and research center comprising five departments, including the Department of Polymer & Composite Technology and Mechanical Engineering (TPCIM). The multidisciplinary TPCIM team includes professors, researchers, engineers, technicians, and administrative staff. Its activities focus on optimizing the processing and forming of polymers—including bio-based polymers—and composites, as well as their performance for different application sectors in plastics processing. The TPCIM relies on a technological platform encompassing most industrial-scale polymer and composite processing/forming technologies (modular twin-screw extruders, extrusion-blowing lines, multi-material injection platform, 3D printers, etc.) and specific polymer characterization tools.

Its contribution to the Agility project focuses mainly on the development and shaping of materials for additive manufacturing using fused filament deposition or pellet-based Arburg Freeformer, along with their physico-chemical, mechanical, and morphological characterization.

As a research partner, CRIBC will provide industrial solutions in the following areas using its technological platforms:

• Development of molds and inserts (sacrificial or not) with advanced functionalities via additive technology (stereolithography) for the production of tooling in very small series, through a hybrid Freeform Injection Molding (FIM) approach.
• Improvement of surface finish for parts produced by FDM or PIM-like processes via mechanical post-processing (resurfacing), taking into account geometrical specificities and developing adapted post-processing tools.
• Participation in the development of ceramic-filled feedstocks for the above processes and characterization of the resulting parts.
• Study of thermal treatment (debinding and sintering) of manufactured parts with the aim of reducing environmental impact.