Rationale:
3D production relies heavily on titanium for manufacturing powder bed fusion (PBF). They use titanium to create various components, including bike parts, robot grippers, and hunting gun silencers.

However, there are some drawbacks to using titanium. Titanium has a complex and energy-intensive extraction and purification process, contributing to its high price tag. On the other hand, aluminum is abundant in the Earth’s crust, and the energy consumption during extraction and refining is relatively low, resulting in moderate production costs. It is 60% lighter than the commonly used titanium alloy, Ti-6AL-4V. However, AlSi10Mg does not concerns, 3D production is no exploring using recycled aluminum. Due to gas to the gas filters.

Thus, a fraction of larger particles will help mitigate losses during the PBF process. The resulting “green series” parts are expected to be faster to produce, more cost-effective, and slightly bulkier than their titanium counterparts while maintaining their essential function.

Challenges:

• AlSi10Mg size distribution for faster production with less waste to filters.
• Dealing with impurities in recycled materials.
• Process parameters for small chemistry changes.
• Material property deviations due to trace elements.
• Acceptable element contents for the process.
• Process-specific problems due to trace elements.

Rationale:
A vast amount of modern research is concerned with the recycling of polymeric materials. Many successful technologies have emerged, focusing on nanomaterials and composites with low or nano-scaled reinforcements. Stricter demands that require the development of circular materials have put pressure on the need to recycle polymeric materials with varying compositions and high heterogeneity. In GEAR-UP, patented technology of CelluCircle will be used to develop (nano)cellulose-based filaments that will be applied for 3D-printing of high-performance and high-volume materials.

Incorporation of high content of carbon fiber (CF) well dispersed into thermoplastic will provide the filaments and printed parts with an improved mechanical response to tensile and compressive stresses. On the other hand, the incorporation of nanosized titanium dioxide (TiO₂) by COLFEED4Print will develop into the filament a photo-catalytic capacity valid to the design of new sustainable filters for water cleaning applications.

This case is to be performed by two deeptech start-ups founded as spin-offs of public research institutions (Stockholm University and the Spanish National Research Council-CSIC-) to transfer patented technologies developed inside.

Vidde Mobility is developing the world’s first circular, electric snowmobile that aims to break records. As a Swedish entrepreneurial company, Vidde is dedicated to accelerating the transition to sustainable mobility in winter and mountainous terrains. Their goal is to create a completely new type of electric-powered, future-ready snowmobile that boasts a long service life. 3D-printed cogwheels for snow scooter tracks must meet stringent requirements to ensure they function effectively in demanding environments. These demands can be categorized into mechanical, thermal, environmental, and design considerations.

Challenges:

• High level of heterogeneity and complexity in the recycled materials.
• The challenges with degradation during recycling and circular use of recycled materials.
• Mechanical & Thermal: Strong, wear-resistant, impact-tolerant, and stable in freezing temperatures. 
• Environmental: Resistant to moisture, UV, and abrasion from snow, dirt, and debris. 
• Design & Manufacturing: Lightweight, precise, customizable, and supports post-processing for durability.