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INCOMEF - Engineering and Fibrenamics developed a load monitoring platform
INCOMEF - Engineering and Fibrenamics, interface of Minho University, developed a load monitoring platform capable of being integrated in the industry 4.0.
Aiming to grow and reach international markets through the differentiation of their products, INCOMEF - Engineering decided to embrace this ambitious project, exclusively destined to the industry 4.0. In order to achieve this, they found in Fibrenamics a partner “highly specialized and capable of developing composite materials”, as mentioned by Rui Rigor, Key Account Manager at INCOMEF - Engineering.
In this line of thought, this partnership between INCOMEF – Engineering and Fibrenamics – University of Minho resulted in the Smart_Tech_Platform project, which had as main goal the development of a platform with cargo monitoring capacity, capable of being integrated in the Industry 4.0. In this context, one of the main focus of innovation of the project was the development of the upper deck of this type of platforms, using composite materials, replacing conventional elements such as steel. Thereby, in a first phase, it was proceeded with the study and numerical simulation of the composition of the composite material to be developed, in accordance with the criteria defined by EUROCOMP - structural design code for composite polymeric materials. Subsequently, through science and technology, the functionalization of fibrous glass materials with carbon nanoparticles was studied, as well as the capability of endowing them with monitoring capacity, by varying their electrical resistance as a function of the applied mechanical deformation.
With this approach, it was therefore possible, in addition to the developed sensing capacity, to obtain a deck for lifting platforms and load transport, with a weight reduction of approximately 45%. In Rui Rigor's point of view, with the development of this project, INCOMEF - Engineering will be able to broaden their product range as well as penetrate the French and German market.