Partners: CETEMET (lead), ÉireComposites, Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Brightlands Materials Center, Airelectric, Thales, Prima Additive, Brunel University.
Funding: Horizon Europe. €4 million over the course of 72 months.
Disclaimer: “This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research & Innovation programme 2021 -2027 under grant agreement number 101091495.”
Project Background
MULTHEM (Multi Material Additive Manufacturing for Lightweight and Thermal Management) is an ambitious Horizon Europe project designed to address critical challenges in transport electrification by innovating in the field of polymer-metal composite housings. Funded with €4 million under the European Union’s Research & Innovation Programme 2021-2027, MULTHEM brings together a consortium of 9 partners from 8 different countries, which include:
- Fundacion CETEMET (Spain)
- Fraunhofer IPK (Germany)
- Luxembourg Institute of Science & Technology (LIST) (Luxembourg)
- Thales (France)
- Airelectric (Portugal)
- Brightlands Materials Center (Netherlands)
- Prima Additive (Italy)
- Brunel University London (United Kingdom)
- ÉireComposites (Ireland)
A Multi-Material Solution to Electrifying Transport
The transport sector is evolving rapidly with a strong emphasis on fleet electrification as a key strategy to achieve climate neutrality. MULTHEM is leading the charge in this transition by developing advanced polymer-metal composite housings for electrical devices, such as electric motors, batteries, and power converters. Carbon fibre reinforced composites (CFC) have been increasingly replacing metals to lighten products. However, inefficient composites manufacturing processes and poor thermal conductivity have limited this material to structural applications only. In contrast, aluminum is often selected as it dissipates heat more effectively, but it is heavy and costly in comparison to CFC. MULTHEM aims to achieve the best of both worlds by combining the benefits of metals and CFC materials via additive manufacturing to form new multi-materials. MULTHEM results are set to revolutionise sectors from aviation and rail to automotive, providing lighter, more efficient, and cost-effective solutions.
Project Objectives
The key project objectives for MULTHEM are:
- Light-Weighting Complex Shaped Components: Current composite lay-up options do not allow for cost-effective manufacturing of complex shaped components, especially in medium or low series production in automotive or aerospace manufacturing.
- Improving Heat Dissipation of Light-Weight Structures: While composites have high mechanical strength, they have poorer thermal conductivity than metals.
- Shortening Lead Times: Industrial processes for composites prototypes are notoriously long and laborious and require optimisation to reduce costs and increase production.
ÉireComposites are involved in product specification, design and optimization for the MULTHEM project use cases, in conjunction with partners Airelectric, Thales, CETEMET, LIST and Brunel University. These activities will inform material selection, modification, and the manufacturing process developed by fellow consortium members.
In summary, MULTHEM’s vision is to push the boundaries of what’s possible in transport electrification by leveraging the advantages of composite additive manufacturing and innovative joining technologies and introducing a tried and tested polymer-metal material option.
