Funding programs
Developments of AQWIA Környezetbarát Technológiát Fejlesztő és Gyártó Kft. supported by European Union and Hungarian funding.
Digital technologies and 3D printing in composite manufacturing
About the project
The research and development project of AQWIA Kft. aims to create a new, marketable technology: a manufacturing preparation technology for the composite industry that is suitable for the series production of large, high-precision parts made from different — even hybrid — composite materials.
Manufacturing preparation for large composite parts (especially in the automotive sector) currently relies on less environmentally friendly materials and a significant amount of manual labour. It is therefore essential to develop a preparation technology that uses today's most advanced 3D printing technologies and high-precision CNC milling equipment, and that enables:
- the industrial, cost-efficient use of 3D printing technology,
- a significant reduction of manufacturing waste (up to 25% less),
- the use of recycled and environmentally friendly materials (3D printing materials typically are),
- a significant reduction of manual labour (by up to 30–40%),
- the highest possible level of automation, i.e. the full digitalisation of design and manufacturing preparation,
- the greatest possible dimensional accuracy and manufacturing precision through the integration of digital technologies.
The development integrates new technologies into the manufacturing preparation processes of the composite industry, on the basis of which an entirely new technological methodology and the related know-how are established. The developers' main objective is to eliminate the problems and drawbacks listed above, and to make the manufacturing preparation of plastic products complete and up to date with the increasingly widespread automated CNC and, above all, 3D printing systems.
The target market of the resulting manufacturing preparation technology is composite manufacturing companies. As mentioned above, in Hungary alone there are roughly 50 to 100 companies producing this way. These companies typically manufacture:
- automotive parts (buses, special trucks, motorhomes, horse transporters, etc.),
- floating structures (hulls, decks, superstructures, etc.),
- rail vehicles (washroom units, partitions, panelling systems, etc.),
- construction products (bathroom units, panelling systems, etc.),
- wellness equipment (bathtubs, whirlpools, pools, etc.).
Alongside licensing the resulting know-how, the entire production technology of our electric boat manufacturing will also switch to the newly developed manufacturing preparation practice, so after a successful implementation our products will be built with the modernised technology. Based on our preliminary business and financial plan, even in the pessimistic scenario the total cost of the project returns by the end of the fourth year.
Working capital financing — procurement and stocking of raw materials and parts
Acquisition of new equipment and machinery, new technological systems and capacity
About the project
Within this investment the company acquired one Unitech LRP-SD100 5-tonne lifting and rotating device and one BL24tM radio-controlled mover with a 20-tonne load capacity, to raise the standard of its services and improve the efficiency of its work.
The project modernised the company's technological readiness: the extended machinery significantly improved its level of mechanisation and thereby its competitiveness within the sector, as the new machines allow special products to be made to a higher standard with less working time.
Loan program for the technological modernisation of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises
About the project
The loan was used to acquire the dedicated production mould of the WIA 365 boat, which makes it possible to produce the experimental prototypes in series. With this tooling at least a further 50 WIA 365 electric boats can be built, allowing us to serve the demands of an ever-widening market to an even higher standard.