Fives becomes member of ‘IRT Jules Verne’; to develop factories of future

By Niraj M Wanikar, Chief Editor, CNCTimes.com, 2015-06-19 09:55:57

By becoming a member of the IRT Jules Verne (a Technological Research Institute), Fives joins other key players in innovation to encourage the development of new production processes and products.

Fives and IRT Jules Verne: projects to develop tomorrow's solutions and equipment

Fives designs innovative, high-performance and distinctive technologies which respond to the needs of manufacturers in various sectors (steel, aluminium, aerospace, automotive, cement, energy, etc.) and contribute to the development of the factories of the future. With this objective in mind, by becoming a member of the IRT Jules Verne, Fives will collaborate on two strategic projects which relate to innovative processes (additive manufacturing) and the implementation of new materials (composites):

The ‘FATAL’ (Titanium & Aluminium Additive Manufacturing) project is based on new additive manufacturing ("3D printing") processes using titanium, aluminium and steel alloys, and aims to develop new applications in the fields of aerospace, automotive and energy, which require new lightweight designs that are more effective in terms of mechanical resistance. For Fives, this project could have interesting applications in the manufacture of industrial equipment for energy applications.

The ‘IMPACT’ (Investigation for Manufacturing Processes Adapted to ComposiTes) project, which mainly targets the automotive, aerospace and energy sectors, sets out to define the most relevant technological solutions for the forming of composite materials; the setup of an industrial research facility supporting these sectors is being considered.

Each of these projects is carried out jointly by research institutes (universities, engineering schools, CETIM) and industrial groups (Airbus Group, Daher, Renault…), therefore encouraging the development of the most advanced technological solutions which are best suited to manufacturers' needs.

IRTs: shared research centers for industry

France's 8 IRTs (Technological Research Institutes) concentrate academic and industrial skills from different players (companies, universities, start-ups...) allowing them to innovate in strategic fields, by working together to measure the technical and economic benefits of a given project.

IRT Jules Verne, based in Nantes, is a shared research center of excellence in advanced manufacturing technologies - Fives' core expertise - in industrial sectors such as aerospace, energy, shipbuilding and land transport (particularly the automotive sector).

Fives, using innovation to encourage growth

This agreement between Fives and IRT Jules Verne meets the Group's objective to adopt an "open innovation" approach by collaborating with other players (research, schools and businesses) in order to encourage the development of new technologies. In the same vein, a partnership was signed with CEA Tech at the end of 2014 to guide technological development programs in several areas.

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