Completion of PPS2 of the Add.Additive project with Lena Agregados

News date: 20 September 2022

The Add.Addrive project is one of the most emblematic research and development projects, with manufacturing in Leiria. Lena Agregados, from Grupo NOV Indústria, was one of the co-promoters, taking part in PPS2 – Additive manufacturing based on Ceramic, Cementitious and Ceramic Metal Composites.

Led by the Centro de Desenvolvimento Rápido e Sustentado do Produto do Politécnico de Leiria (CDRsp), this project, now completed, also had a partnership with the University of Aveiro, Centimfe, Costa Verde, Durit, Amcubed and Periplast.

The process began in 2016, as a result of the launch of programs for mobilizing projects aimed essentially at the economic valuation of scientific results/tests, which often do not pass on to the business market. The intention was to mobilize innovative products, processes and services (PPS), which would drive significant changes in production systems and business models.

Lena Agregados, in partnership with IPL-CDRsp, participated in the study and validation of new formulas for cementitious mixtures (PPS 2 – Cementitious), aiming at the development of cementitious mixtures for additive manufacturing, namely 3D printing.

In the closing session and demonstration of results, Professor Florindo Gaspar, presented the result of the PPS2 – Cementícios project: the additive manufacturing of urban furniture pieces, specifically, the BLOOM and BILUMEN garden benches.

For the creation of these projects, tests were carried out to evaluate consistency, shape retention and composition studies and the requirements of the materials used and printing tests, which began with the development of the printing machine itself, consisting of a robotic arm and a printhead made by the partner Periplast.

According to Professor Artur Mateus, from CDRsp, «6 years after the idea/concept until its realization, this project aims to consolidate the effective scientific-technological development of a set of materials, equipment, standardization of processes, development of design methodologies , new software, advanced training, internationalization of knowledge and the germination of new concepts that will contribute to the creation of the so-called Industry 5.0 that will add to digitization the concern with the ecological transition and with social responsibility for greater resilience of the Portuguese Industry

With the Add.Additive project, Grupo NOV Indústria seeks to reposition its products, anticipating the progress of the industry of the future. The industrial area of Grupo NOV also includes the companies Ecopaint, Lenobetão and Viamarca.