Prof. Norberto López de Lacalle

Professor at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and appointed director of CFAA in 2015

Aeroengines: Manufacturing and Machines

Aeroengines and turbines are a high-added value system, in which precision, quality and productivity is demanded to manufacturing processes, and difficult-to-cut materials, safety demands and other aspects are involved. Safety comes up first, and to achieve that precise machines, metrology in process, NDTs, and quality aspects are ingredients in the recipe of success. The only way to accelerate the evolution of processes in this industrial niche is cooperation between tier 1 aeroengine makers, and machine tool and technology provider, along with university. The Aeronautics Advanced Manufacturing Centre (CFAA) is a research facility for collaborative projects.

The speech will star with a global view of current engine evolution, to going on with a review of all technologies involved, including machining, EDM, additive manufacturing, welding, metrology and of course IoT initiatives. Contributors are all companies and experts working daily in CFAA projects, the centre for advanced manufacturing technologies for aeronautics.

Prof Norberto López de Lacalle is Professor at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and was appointed director of CFAA in 2015.  He is a leading expert in machining and machine tools and has over 30 years of experience in researching.  He is an Author of more than 130 JCR papers, and several books and patents.  Lecturing is also an inspiring daily activity, in graduate and postgraduate levels.   Students of the Professor have participated in several euspen challenges in the past.

The Basque Country is a fruitful location of advanced manufacturing companies, universities and technological center, being the professor a promoter of close collaborations, doctoral activities and technical events.

Prof. Han Haitjema

Professor at KU Leuven, BE

Error separation and noise effects in surface metrology in times of big data and AI

The talk will cover the following:

• Review of error separation for absolute flatness
• Gradient measurements – extension to small scale
• Averaging method for absolute flatness: method, limitations – possibilities for extension using big data and maybe AI
• Noise effects, measurement; limitation when ‘aligning’ a reference in contrast to a bit tilting
• Chromatic aberration in WLI: detection by a reversal method (new !); error separation for groove depth/flatness
• Traceability issues of ‘intelligent’ data evaluation, especially when combined with AI: risk of ‘Volkswagen’ software
• Outlook, possibilities for further work

Prof Han Haitjema studied physics in Utrecht and obtained his PhD in technical physics at the TU Delft. He then specialized in dimensional metrology at respectively the VSL in Delft as a researcher, at the TU Eindhoven in the precision engineering group of Prof. Schellekens as assistant professor “precision dimensional metrology”, at Mitutoyo Research Center Europe as director, and since 2018 as professor in “Dimensional and surface metrology of complex surfaces” at the KU Leuven. He is member of Euspen and Fellow of CIRP.

Prof. Dr Ir Egbert-Jan Sol

TNO/Radboud University, NL

Program Director Smart Industry, the national Dutch fourth Industrial Revolution initiative

Success in precision engineering is all about people and their ambitions

With a tradition of more than a century in “Machinenbau”’, Europe is still leading in equipment and instrumentation. Large scale measuring of nano particles for semiconductor EUV, mechatronics for the E-ELT telescope, and laser-based data communication with microsatellites are recent examples. Technology and in particular, new very powerful, digital tools evolves rapidly. No one, even large companies, can do everything by themselves.  So today’s successes are also determined by regional innovation eco-systems. But building and shaping such eco-systems, also in precision engineering and nanotech, is a social skill and in the end it comes down to people and their ambitions.

Prof Dr Ir Egbert-Jan Sol (1956) is a board member of TNO Industry, program director of the Smart Industry program, the Dutch Industrie 4.0 platform, and 1d/w professor of Research Management at the science department of the Radboud University in Nijmegen.

Egbert-Jan Sol has a Master and Doctor degree in Mechanical Engineering (Kinematics and dynamics of multi-body systems, 1983) from the TU/e. He started his industrial career starting as robotics system architect, became project manager (Hoogovens), software development manager (Philips) and managing director of a 500 person R&D centre of Ericsson in the Netherlands (Rijen) before joining TNO in 2003. At TNO he was 11 years responsible for the Hightech Systems and Material unit. He is board member of EFFRA, the Factory of the Future. From 1990 till 1998 he was part time professor at Technology Management on Manufacturing Automation at the Eindhoven University of Technology.

“It is very easy to make a complex system, it is extremely hard to make it as simple as possible. In manufacturing only the most simple systems survive.”

 “It is the first time in mankind no one will reach retirement with only initial school knowledge. Now we must make lifelong learning on digital skills for every one above 35 years a success”