Project Overview
The future of electromobility depends significantly on lightweight-optimized, recyclable materials. The ASAAP project (Advancing Sustainable Aluminium by Adaptive Processing) develops adaptive process chains to safely produce aluminum sheet metal components with increased recycling content from end-consumer scrap.
The goal is the adaptation of process chains to achieve highest product quality combined with maximum resource efficiency.
Goals and Innovations
ASAAP focuses on digital integration and model-based optimization along the entire process chain:
- Reduction of CO₂ footprint through recycling content in aluminum sheets for battery housings and lightweight structures.
- Adaptive Process Chains: Flexible manufacturing processes that optimally utilize recycling materials – without compromising strength or processability.
- Extended Alloy Space: Systematic investigation of millions of alloy variants of 5000-series aluminum alloys to precisely control brittle phases, solidus temperature, and solid solution strengthening (SSS).
- Data-Driven Alloy Development: Use of Design of Experiments (DoE) and exploratory data analysis to narrow the solution space and identify promising alloys.
Matplus Focus: Digitalized Process Chain and Evolution of Material Properties
Matplus contributes its expertise in digital integration of the process chain:
- Development of the Adaptive Circularity Monitor (ACM) – an integration environment that captures real-time data from the process chain and model-based generates control suggestions for adjusting process parameters.
- Through simulation-supported material modeling (e.g., with JMatPro) and exploratory data analysis, changes in material properties are predicted and specifically influenced.
- The ACM enables continuous optimization of final processing properties – from alloy composition to finished component.
Technological Core
ASAAP combines experimental materials research with digital tools:
- Model-based prediction of material behavior considering accompanying elements.
- Adaptive control of process parameters to compensate for variations in recycling material.
- Closed loop through feedback between simulation, production, and quality assurance.
Project Partners
- Speira - Industrial implementation and scaling of processes
- IBF RWTH Aachen - Forming technology
- LMW Uni Siegen - Materials science
- Matplus - Digitalization and optimization of the overall process chain
- MUBEA - Component development and application-specific validation
Funding
State of North Rhine-Westphalia and European Union
