Open Call

Access for free fracture toughness characterisation tests to understand cracking problems

The ToughSteel project launches an Open Call to help companies of the metal manufacturing sector evaluate crack initiation and propagation resistance of thin metal sheets.

Through this OpenCall, ToughSteel will provide to the industrial applicants a full fracture toughness material characterization in accordance with the EWF methodology to solve the cracking problems not detectable using conventional characterization approaches, such as tensile tests, FLC or global ductility approaches.

The Open Call will give the chance to European companies to be the first recipients of the benefits that fracture toughness measurements could have on their daily problems related to sheet metal cracking, allowing for a better materials’ selection and a steel coil quality assessment for cold forming. 

The fracture toughness characterisation services will be offered by the partners of the ToughSteel project as in-kind support to the awarded companies. The Open Call will benefit up to 5 European companies.

 

This Open Call has been closed, for more information about the selection process, eligibility criteria or other please contact [email protected] 

Open Call guidelines

Download the Application Guidelines where you will find all the relevant information on ToughSteel Open Call and application processes
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What problems will be investigated?

  • Edge-cracking
  • Flangeability
  • Crashworthiness issues

Who can apply?

  • Any company headquartered in the European Union
  • Consortiums between companies are not allowed
  • Only one application per company is accepted

What you can apply for

Test the benefits of fracture toughness to rationalise crack-related problems in Advanced High-Strenght Steels

Access an innovative fracture toughness characterisation service in accordance to the EWF methodology to solve the cracking problems.

This method is one of the most suited to evaluate the crack initiation and propagation resistance of thin metal sheets, as the values obtained by means of the EWF methodology are useful to assess the cracking susceptibility of high-strength sheet metal products and predict in-service crack-related problems that cannot be addressed using conventional ductility criteria, like edge-cracking in cold forming or crack formation under crash loading.

  • Ensure zero-defects production by the reduction of the number of rejected parts.
  • Develop new high-performance sheet materials at reduced costs by the optimisation of the design, production and performance of the sheet material.
  • Increase productivity in the manufacture of sheet metal parts.
  • Build robust processes to prevent unexpected failures due to deviations from batch to batch of the sheet metal coil or plates, using tests to control raw material properties.

Open Call process

October 1st, 2022, 9:00 CEST

November 7th, 2022, 17.00 CET

What are the elegibility criteria?

Replicability and transferability

Possible application to a number of sectors of industrial production (e.g. transport, machinery manufacturing, home appliance, food, cosmetic, energy, chemical).

Presenting a cracking issue

Proposals should allow a cracking related problem, in accordance with the scope of ToughSteel project, helping to detect issues and ensure quality.

Geographic representation and accessibility

Including companies located in countries with no ToughSteel partners.

Large SME representation

Detailed eligibility criteria can be found in the Application Guidelines

Any questions?

If you need any further assistance please contact us at [email protected] or get in touch with us through our social media.

All the information you need about the Open Call, application process and evaluation criteria are in the Application Guidelines.

Get in touch!

If you have any questions please refer to contact the ToughSteel team
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