GEAR-UP Project kicks off: Pioneering a Sustainable Future in Manufacturing

On October 21 and 22, 2024, the kickoff meeting for the GEAR-UP Project was held in Trondheim, Norway, hosted by SINTEF Manufacturing, who are also the Coordinator of the project GEAR-UP, which stands for Green Engineering, Analysis, & Reskilling for Unbounded Production, is an initiative under the Horizon Europe program aimed at transforming the manufacturing landscape through sustainability and innovation. The project spans from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2028.

The GEAR-UP Project focuses on integrating recycled materials into additive manufacturing (AM) processes. With increasing environmental concerns, this project emphasises the importance of using materials like stainless steel, aluminium alloys, and fibre-reinforced plastics in a way that maintains their performance standards while reducing reliance on virgin resources. One of its core missions is to address and reduce the variability often found in recycled materials to ensure they meet the same high standards as their non-recycled counterparts. The outcomes anticipated from the GEAR-UP project promise to drive significant change in the green industry. The project is expected to achieve a 25% reduction in costs and enhance productivity by 20% to 50%. Material durability will improve, extending fatigue life by an impressive 50% to 80%. Defects are projected to decrease by 50% to 80%, while material waste is set to be reduced by 25% to 30%. Furthermore, CO₂ emissions are forecasted to drop by 25% to 50%. Quality failures are expected to decrease by 70% to 90%, and design time will likely be streamlined by 20% to 50%, alongside a 25% to 30% reduction in component weight.

Along with SINTEF Manufacturing, The kick-off meeting saw participation from an array of consortium partners- Aerobase Innovations AB, Flowphys AS, Fundacio Eurecat, Cellucircle AB, Colfeed4print SL, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung EV, Technovative Solutions Ltd, Welding Alloys France SAS, EIT Manufacturing South SRL, Aker Solutions Hydropower AS, and 3D Production AS. Together, these partners are united in their goal to elevate manufacturing sustainability through cutting-edge technologies and collaborative frameworks.

Mohammad Atiqur Rahman (Senior Electronics Engineer, TVS) attended the kick-off meeting on behalf of the TVS team. In the Gear Up Project, TVS is leading Work Package 7, which focuses on Demonstrating Use Cases and establishing a Circularity platform that integrates the Digital Product Passport (DPP). According to Mohammad Atiqur Rahman, "this work package is crucial as it aims to create a framework that not only facilitates the integration of various technologies—including AI—but also promotes circular economy principles by ensuring that products can be continuously cycled through various stages of manufacturing and reuse. DPP will be used to electronically register, process, and share product-related information amongst supply chain businesses, authorities, and consumers."  

The GEAR-UP Project is set to promote a new era of engineering that balances the preservation of the environment and technological growth as sustainable practices become increasingly crucial for the future of the manufacturing sector.

The GEAR-UP Project is funded by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA); Grant agreement ID: 101178484.