The physical appearance of metal and plastic products is increasingly becoming a key contributor to quality perception and functional performances. Apart from aesthetics, an overall smooth edge and surface finish continuity can have a significant effect on performance, functionalities and service life of critical plastic and metal products, giving them a higher market value. Industries are thus pushing suppliers and mould/die makers for technologies with higher performance in surface texturing and engraving. In this context, traditional technologies – e.g. chemical etching and current laser texturing – are however hindered by severe limitations, most of all their lack of flexibility and repeatability, high installation and running costs. Addressing this big challenge, ML Engraving, expert in laser engraving and texturing, presents INFINITE 2.0, a reliable solution for surface processing for distinct functional and aesthetic properties. Aimed at the manufacturing and consumer product sectors, INFINITE 2.0 uses a combination of software and hardware innovations to drastically improve speed, accuracy & ability to reproduce fine details on complex 3D geometries, offering a new generation of laser machines for moulds, dies and components. Our innovative machine surpasses existing technologies through the provision of high precision, industrial productivity rate (process time reduced by 40-50%) and flexibility at market price (15-50% cheaper), allowing end users to achieve complex design and functional performance. Users from a wide range of industries can directly take advantage of the benefits of INFINITE 2.0 to extend their market and enhance their business exploits. With INFINITE 2.0, we expect to boost our company growth, generating within a 5-year period a cumulative revenue and profit of €74.4M and €30.5M respectively, and creating 40 additional jobs in our company.

Created 15 years ago, the innovative Italian company ML Engraving SRL is one of the leaders in laser engraving and texturing on moulds/dies and parts for automotive and consumer goods industries in one of the most industrialised regions in Europe, Lombardia. ML Engraving is also part of the partner´s alliance “Cactooos, The Engraving Network”, which gathers the best companies – ML Engraving, DS4 and 2 other Italian SMEs (Jockoo and NovaTex) – specialized in services connected to the creation and engraving and texturing on moulds. With INFINITE project, they are developing an innovative laser machine for high precision engraving and 3D surface texturing, fully adapted to these industries in terms of design requirements, productivity, repeatability, easy operability & price. This new technology will allow ML Engraving to consolidate its position in the laser engraving/texturing services (+32% services in 5 years) while extending its business – in partnership with DS4 – as laser machine supplier for these markets and other production lines industries in Europe and Worldwide (€25 million accumulated sales for 2017-2021).

Created 15 years ago, the innovative Italian company ML Engraving Srl is one of the leaders in laser engraving and texturing on moulds/dies and parts for automotive and consumer goods industries in one of the most industrialised regions in Europe, Lombardia. ML Engraving is also part of the partner´s alliance “Cactooos, The Engraving Network” , which gathers the best companies – ML Engraving, DS4 and 2 other Italian SMEs (Jockoo and NovaTex) – specialized in services connected to the creation and engraving and texturing on moulds. With INFINITE project, they are developing an innovative laser machine for high precision engraving and 3D surface texturing, fully adapted to these industries in terms of design requirements, productivity, repeatability, easy operability & price. This new technology will allow ML Engraving to consolidate its position in the laser engraving/texturing services (+32% services in 5 years) while extending its business – in partnership with DS4 – as laser machine supplier for these markets and other production lines industries in Europe and Worldwide (€25 million accumulated sales for 2017-2021).

Softslide project's main objective is to generate €60 M revenue, an EBIDTA of €19,9M and 350 new jobs with the commercialization of SoftSlide's technology estimated from a conservative sub-market share of 15% of the total elastomeric and plastic dynamic seals European market. SoftSlide technology will positively impact the seal industry by providing around €3315 M/year in energy savings for hydraulic and pneumatic end-users. Energy losses caused by friction within dynamic seals in rotating, moving and reciprocating devices (e.g. motors, valves, air compressors, accumulators...) represent up to 25% of total energy consumption. In addition, dynamic seals related friction, damages the seal surface overtime, thus reducing its lifetime. Although, it is of common knowledge that low-friction dynamic seals can be obtained by specifically designing and engraving micro-patterns on the seal contact area (area in contact with the moving mechanism), current seals' mass production processes do not incorporate this crucial step. To get a low-friction dynamic seal, the micro-pattern needs to be individually engraved, seal by seal at an independent later stage, once the seal has been produced. This greatly increases the cost and limits the productivity of low-friction dynamic seals being impossible for end-users to include these in their systems. SoftSlide project has created a mass production process that transfers micro-patterns during moulding stage to obtain low-friction, high performing dynamic seals. This process can be easily adopted by dynamic seals manufacturers seals with an insignificant cost increase.

Polymeric seals are essential components in almost every industrial and mechanical process enabling the effective containment and movement of liquids and gases under extremes of environment. Friction is intrinsically related to seal performance. High friction accelerates wear of the seal leading to leakage and/or premature failure, and increases the energy consumption of industrial processes. Surface (micro-) texturing is a proven technique for reducing friction across lubricated rigid materials such as metal and ceramic materials. Within recent years this technique has been applied and demonstrated for polymeric and elastomeric materials at laboratory level. The project will develop and demonstrate a novel methodology for the design and high volume manufacture of surface textured polymeric components tailored to the (friction) environment within which the component operates, achieving a friction reduction of >20% at a cost premium of <10%. The novel methodology combines: •advanced modelling software for the identification of surface texture patterns that lead to significant friction reduction for target rubber and plastic seals and applications •software for the design of mould tools that enable the reliable transfer of texture patterns onto the seal surface •novel automated laser system for the application of hierarchical laser induced micro- texture patterns to the mould tool surface •best practice for moulding and de-moulding using surface textured moulds •inline optical inspection for surface texture pattern quality control The project will establish three pilot lines for demonstration of: 1) mould tool design and manufacture; and the design and manufacture of 2) rotary seals for engine applications; and 3) reciprocating seals for industrial processes.