The Centre for Precision Technologies (CPT) at the University of Huddersfield has successfully secured €377k in a joint bid to Horizon Europe for a research project. The collaborative effort involves 17 European partners and aims to develop a flexible laser-based manufacturing system.
Led by Dr. Shan Lou and Professor Jane Jiang, the three-year research project, named FLASH (Flexible Laser-based mAnufacturing system through preciSion pHoton distribution), will bring together academic, manufacturing, and enterprise expertise. The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), specifically the Laser Processing Group and the Modelling and Simulation Group, will collaborate with CPT on surface metrology for laser processes verification and simulation validation.
The FLASH project addresses the need for customisable tools in manufacturing due to emerging materials and digital technologies, providing a solution for the evolving product design space. The manufacturing industry requires tools that are applicable to multiple processes and can be rapidly reconfigured to respond to changing needs.
The project will focus on leveraging the benefits of laser-based manufacturing, which is more flexible, digitally controllable, and generates less waste compared to traditional processes. FLASH aims to develop a futureproof system with three built-in laser sources, allowing multi-wavelength emission, dynamic beam shaping, and a flexible robotic/CNC cell with three different beam delivery heads. The system is designed to handle at least 10 macro and micro production processes over all major material types.
The project’s industrial demonstrations will take place in the automotive, medical, e-mobility, and tooling industries, showcasing significant time, cost, and energy savings and unlocking product benefits through design modifications and material substitutions not possible with existing technologies.