| Project Detail |
Making manufacturing portable and affordable
In the world of machine prototyping and production, the reliance on large, specialised machines – whether for machining, additive manufacturing, or welding – presents challenges. These systems are often bulky, costly, and dedicated to a single process, making them inaccessible to small investors or start-ups. The EU-funded TWIN-IT-ROMANS project addresses these issues by developing a lightweight, portable and affordable manufacturing cell capable of precise production and quality control. This initiative, led by Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH) in collaboration with top European partners, aims to bridge the research and innovation gap between Türkiye and the EU. The project will enhance IZTECH’s capabilities and foster scientific excellence across Europe, revolutionising the accessibility of advanced manufacturing technologies.
When prototyping or producing a machine or its parts, several methods of manufacturing are used, such as machining, additive manufacturing, laser cutting or welding. These manufactured parts are investigated for their manufacturing tolerances upon production via quality control systems, such as a coordinate measurement machine. However, at the current state of the art, one production machine can only perform its one designated process. Additionally, these machines are generally large and bulky computer numerical control systems. As a result, these manufacturing machines are heavy and non-portable products with high investment costs. For these reasons, small investors or start-ups cannot invest in these machines, or very few of them can invest in only one type of manufacturing machine.
The aim of this project is to develop a lightweight, portable and low-cost manufacturing cell that can perform precise manufacturing and quality control. This challenge can only be solved by the collaborative work of interdisciplinary partners. Inspired by this action, Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH) has been firmly committed to developing and promoting enabling technologies for robotic and manufacturing systems. However, IZTECH could not fully exploit its technological and innovation potential in this field due to limited resources in research and project management. There is a clear need for concrete partnership between IZTECH and internationally leading counterparts to bring this potential into play, and thus to spread scientific excellence in robotics and manufacturing systems over the European Research Area and industry. In this way, Türkiyes excellence capacity and resources can be improved, and the research and innovation gap between Türkiye and the European Union can be closed in this specific area. As a consequence of this project, IZTECHs reputation and capacity to carry out advanced research are expected to grow due to this collaboration. |
