- The initiative, which has a 6-million-euro budget, is being funded by the European Horizon 2020 programme designed to drive forward research
- The project, in which 14 partners from six European countries are collaborating, will be modifying the consumption patterns in the production line in order to cut the consumption of materials, energy and CO2 emissions
The quest for maximum efficiency in the consumption of resources is a constant concern of companies in the industrial sector, but until now the strategies for optimising energy and raw materials have been restricted to the individual needs of each player in the process.
In order to establish lines of action allowing resources to be used more efficiently across the production value chain of the metal mechanic sector, the European Commission has launched the MEMAN (Integral Material and Energy flow MANagement in MANufacturing metal mechanic sector) project in which the IK4-IKERLAN R&D centre is performing an important function.
The MEMAN project is aiming to modify the consumption patterns of the entire metal mechanic value chain in order to achieve a cut in the consumption of material and energy, reduce CO2 emissions and cut the costs of the life cycle of existing and future products.
Specifically, the initiative is seeking to get the technologies and synergies designed to account for a cut in energy consumption and CO2 emissions of between 20% and 30% in the final product from the start of the manufacturing process up to its completion, and a cut of between 30% and 35% from gestation to the end of the life cycle of the product.
Research into factories of the future
The consortium of the MEMAN project, led by the MONDRAGON Corporation, has the participation of 14 partners from six European countries with a significant representation of small and medium-sized enterprises.
With a budget of 5.99 million euros, the project is being funded by the European Commission through the Horizon 2020 programme to support R&D, and is part of the ‘Factories of the Future’ initiative devoted to developing high added-value technologies for the so-called factories of the future.
The initiative, set to take 42 months, is aiming to transfer its results to the market so that use can be made of them.
“A strategic project for the European economy”
“Bearing in mind the significance of greenhouse gases as well as the increase in the costs of energy resources and raw materials, this project is of strategic importance for the European economy," stressed the IK4-IKERLAN researcher Juan María Goenaga.
The expert explained that there are decisions about product design, the processes used and the technologies associated with them that are taken in a very specific link in the process but which have an impact on the entire production chain and determine efficiency in consumption of everything involved.
The MEMAN project is seeking to come up with strategies in the quest for the global optimisation of resources in order to increase competitiveness but also to reduce the environmental impact.
The role of IK4-IKERLAN
The R&D centre is participating in the project through the evaluation of the degree of efficiency of the processes currently being used and in the spotting of opportunities for improvement and collaborating in introducing and validating them.
What is more, IK4-IKERLAN will be in charge of leading the section relating to the development of business models adapted to the value chains and clusters that are participating in the project from a collaborative perspective and with the aim of cutting the consumption of energy and resources in the global chain.
“The project allows IK4-IKERLAN’s multidisciplinary knowledge in the fields of energy efficiency and the design of business models to be combined in an innovative way on a tremendously important scenario for the Basque industrial base: casting, machining and surface finishes,” said Goenaga.
About IK4-IKERLAN
IK4-IKERLAN is a leading centre in technology transfer and in the contribution of competitive value to companies, thanks to its capacity to offer comprehensive solutions by combining various technological domains. This is possible due to its high degree of expertise in six major domains: embedded systems, power electronics, microtechnologies, energy efficiency and storage, mechatronics and advanced manufacturing.
Project details
Name: MEMAN (Integral Material and Energy flow MANagement in MANufacturing metal mechanic sector)
Funding body: European Commission
Programme: Horizon 2020-FoF-03-2014
Contract number: 636926
Project leader: MONDRAGON Corporation
