22/08/2022

IDEKO will have a prominent presence at the CIRP Assembly, the most important international forum in advanced manufacturing

• The 71st General Assembly of the CIRP, the leading international organisation in Production Engineering, will be held in mixed format, in-person and online, from 21 to 27 August in the Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC).

• In addition to organising the event, together with Tekniker, the Higher Polytechnic School of the Mondragon University, and the University of Zaragoza, the research centre will give four keynote speeches on advanced manufacturing.

• Six IDEKO researchers are members of this prestigious academy, among them Xavier Beudaert, who was recognised in 2019 with the Taylor medal for best research work awarded by the Academy, and he became the first researcher in Spain to obtain this recognition.

The IDEKO research centre, a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), will be significantly involved in the upcoming General Assembly of the International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP), the leading international organisation in applied research in advanced manufacturing. The event, which will take place from 21 to 27 August at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC) in Barakaldo, Bizkaia, will bring together in this 71st edition more than 500 researchers from more than 40 countries throughout the world.

In addition to organising the event together with Tekniker, the Higher Polytechnic School of the Mondragon University (MU) and the University of Zaragoza, IDEKO will give four presentations from several of the centre's researchers that will focus on machine interfaces and the influence of friction on machine tools, topography of the wheel and damping for eliminating vibrations from the machines.

In the first talk, “Mechanical interfaces in machine tools”, Jokin Muñoa, president of the event and scientific director of IDEKO, will address the latest advances and trends as regards the future of mechanical interfaces which include machine tools, an issue that significantly affects performance, and he will also provide different solutions and techniques for monitoring the health of the equipment.

For her part, during the second presentation, “Rotary dressing model for grinding wheel active surface prediction”, Maria García, IDEKO researcher, will present a kinematic model of rotary dressing of grinding wheels. During her lecture, the researcher will show how the model has become a useful tool for selecting the ideal grinding parameters for achieving specific surface qualities.

Based on the grinding wheel and diamond dressing wheel specifications and the kinematics of the dressing process, it is possible to predict the effects that the rotary dressing parameters have on the generated wheel topography. For the validation of the model, the surface of the wheel has been characterised through the use of area roughness parameters, and deviations of less than 15% are obtained. Furthermore, the influence of the wheel topography on the surface quality of the ground part has also been researched. The results highlight the importance of the modelling of the dressing process and demonstrate that the model can become a useful tool for the selection of the best dressing parameters for achieving the required surface qualities, as well as facilitating the path for the prediction of possible defects arising during dressing.

The third presentation “Influence of guideway friction on the cutting point receptance in machine tools”, addresses the relationship between the movement friction of the guideway and the dynamics of the cutting point receptance of the tool. The researcher Xavier Beudaert, from the IDEKO Dynamics and Control research group will give this presentation.

Lastly, the fourth presentation, “Damping in ram based vertical lathes and portal machines” will be given by the researcher Zoltan Dombovari, and deal with the use of active dampers for moderating chatter vibrations.

Chatter that originates in the structure of the machine is a significant limitation on the productivity of ram-based machine tools that carry out heavy machining operations. Consequently, damping is of vital importance. It is known that the interfaces and guidance systems are the principal source of the damping. Recently, the use of active dampers has been introduced in the industry. In this work, the damping of hydrostatic guidance and recirculating roller systems with and without active damping by means of receptance coupling have been identified and compared experimentally.  The results show that hydrostatic guidance can provide 3 to 4 times more damping than a system based on recirculating rollers. However, the introduction of active damping changes the rules of play by increasing damping more than 30 times.

In total, during the seven days that the meeting lasts, 9 industrial and scientifically related keynote speeches will be given, as well as more than a 100 scientific presentations which will discuss the most recent advances in matters of industrial production, including different design approaches and tools, machines, production processes, tooling, metrology and inspection equipment.

IDEKO at the forefront of advanced manufacturing

The aim of the CIRP General Assembly is to drive R&D applied to manufacturing through a network of first-line international researchers who analyse the challenges of industrial manufacturing processes.

In this regard, the Academy has a restricted membership based on demonstrated excellence in research. In fact, as Muñoa explains, “a large part of the technology milestones that have contributed to revolutionising the industrial manufacturing sector have originated in research carried out by members of the CIRP”. Currently, there are around 145 active members of internationally recognised renown (Fellows) and 137 more recent members (Associate Members), from more than 40 countries.

In this regard, IDEKO, which has formed part of the International Academy for Production since 2003, is one of the State's centres with more members in the CIRP, a forum at the forefront of research applied to manufacturing. Specifically, it has six members among its research personnel: two Fellow Members, Jokin Muñoa and David Barrenetxea; the Emeritus Fellow Mikel Zatarain; Gorka Agirre and Alberto Echeverria who are Corporate Members and Xavier Beudaert, who in addition to being an Associate Member, was awarded the Taylor medal in 2019 for his scientific work in the field of portable active dampers.

This prize was an important milestone for IDEKO as it was the first time that a research centre located in Spain has obtained this recognition since its establishment in 1958. Furthermore, as stated by Muñoa, “to have a researcher of the stature of Xavier Beudaert in the team is a real source of pride. His work in the field of dynamic control of machines is establishing new standards in international research”.

Ultimately, the organisation of the CIRP has become a great opportunity for the centre on its path to strengthening its position in research and innovation applied to industrial manufacturing, as it will enable it to deepen its scientific knowledge as well progressing in its specialisation in manufacturing.

This meeting is part of the commitment of the Basque Government, the Council of Bilbao and industry in the territory to promote the presence of manufacturing in the economy in order to consolidate the stability of industrial employment, to encourage the development of the latest generation technological services, as well as optimising industrial processes. In fact, the opening of the event will be attended by the Minister for Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment, Arantxa Tapia and Xabier Ochandiano, Councillor for Economic Development, Commerce and Employment of the Basque Council.