We continue making progress in the GRANADA Project, which promotes the development of DED (Directed Energy Deposition) technologies applied to strategic materials such as titanium and INVAR—both of which are essential in today’s aerospace sector. We are collaborating on this project with CITD Engineering & Technologies and AIMEN Technology Centre.
CITD Engineering & Technologies has developed an operational and efficient simulation of Directed Energy Deposition (DED) processes, aimed at maximizing the potential of additive manufacturing in real-world applications. In this case, they’ve successfully worked on the rehabilitation of an INVAR tool, simulating its modification to extend its service life. This simulation enables:
- Optimization of the process to reduce the risk of failure
- Prediction of distortions in the existing substrate
- Definition of the printing strategy and the amount of material to be added
Currently, the project is focusing on optimizing the printing strategy—a critical aspect when covering large pre-existing surfaces, where the deposition sequence and cooling times are key to the quality of the final result.
GRANADA is project CPP2021-008841, funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union – NextGenerationEU/PRTR.
Its aim is to offer a comprehensive solution for the manufacturing of large-format parts, with complex geometries and high added-value materials used in the aeronautical sector, through WLAM (Wire Laser Additive Manufacturing) technology. This solution encompasses everything from part design and optimization, laser-based AM process simulation, and implementation of monitoring systems to the functional validation of the manufactured structures. Validation will be carried out through two demonstrators made with two high value-added materials—Titanium and Invar—used in the aerospace industry.
