Francesco Leali

Directed Energy Deposition (DED) is increasingly utilized for the construction of large components, repair of worn and damaged parts, and integration into Hybrid Manufacturing systems to leverage diverse technological features. A burgeoning application of DED is in Additive Remanufacturing (ARem), by which existing components can be enhanced with additional features and materials to improve functionalities. This paper presents a systematic and integrated approach for Design for Additive Remanufacturing (DARem), focusing on the optimization of product structural requirements to enhance performance and the process design to minimize flaws while ensuring material integrity and expected tolerances. The suggested approach involves product and process design phases within a computer aided design platform. Identification of critical issues in the original product design is the fundamental phase that drives the selection of the appropriate materials and quantities for deposition. Next, topological optimization is employed to shape and position additional volumes, generating enhanced design variants. A simulation phase ends the product design steps, assessing the actual improvement of the component over its original design. Subsequent phases are related to process design assessment. Selection of process parameters and build strategies, and next, the behavioral simulation of deposition are fundamental to verify feasibility and generate paths instructions. Finally, thermomechanical simulation is conducted to estimate the final component state accurately, ensuring it meets functional requirements before proceeding to actual manufacturing pre-processing, material deposition, and post-processing phases. A case study involving an automotive suspension component is used to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed integrated approach. Experimental phases are performed to define DED material properties for the redesign and investigate the reliable simulation of process-induced distortions. By reducing stress in critical areas through localized deposition of 316L stainless steel alloy using laser powder DED, the study explores the impact of toolpath strategies on process-induced distortions through a Design of Experiments (DoE) approach. The results confirm the feasibility of the deposition process in meeting functional requirements, particularly geometrical tolerances, highlighting the potential of DARem for the redesign and enhancement of existing components. This integrated approach not only consolidates remanufacturing procedures but also promotes the use of simulation tools to preemptively address potential issues, ensuring efficient, one-shot component creation.

In recent years, Additive Manufacturing has experienced significant growth, yet its full potential is constrained by the lack of clear and easily replicable Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) methodologies. Focusing on the product design stage, the current design approach for topology optimized parts involves an iterative re-design process to identify and reduce stress concentrations based on NURBS modelling, which is hardly replicable and heavily influenced by the designer’s experience. This work aims to define two new workflows for DfAM that are easily replicable, highly automated, and based on numerical optimization tools. Leveraging the optimization tools available in 3DExperience integrated CAD platform, after topology optimization, the first workflow involves generating the skeletonization of the resulting geometry and reconstructing it with parametric surfaces, reducing maximum stresses via parametric optimization. The second workflow reconstructs the resulting optimized geometry as a non-parametric B-Rep surface, optimizing maximum stresses through automatic shape optimization. Validation through a case study compares results with the current state-of-the-art approach, evaluating mechanical performance and development lead time, while highlighting designer working time and the pros, cons, and limitations of the proposed methods.

Car safety can be enhanced by enabling the Airbag Control Unit (ACU) to adaptively deploy different charges based on the occupant’s position once the crash occurs. In this context, monitoring the occupant’s position using a sensorized seat integrated with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) offers a practical and cost-effective solution. However, certain challenges still need to be addressed. The adoption of sensorized seats in research and vehicle set-up is still under consideration. This study investigates an interface device that can be reconfigured to suit almost any seat model. This reconfigurability makes it easily adaptable to new vehicles under development and applicable to any passenger seat in the vehicle. This paper details the device’s design, including its programming using calibration and monitoring features, which significantly improves its reliability compared to earlier prototypes. Extensive testing through real driving experiments with multiple participants demonstrated an accuracy range of 45–100%. The testing involved both drivers and passengers, showcasing the device’s ability to effectively monitor various in-car scenarios.

The MUNER Association is finalized to carry out innovative teaching-by-learning methodologies in a multidisciplinary approach. Based on this framework, it offers three inter-universities Master's Degree programs on the Automotive theme, with the aim of attracting international talent and training them on extremely specialized topics. These programs were pioneers in the adoption of teaching methods characterized by a strong contamination of the academic world with the industry realities, by a strong interdisciplinary approach, especially on the themes that characterized the technological innovation in the automotive sector. The present contribution discusses how innovative educational programs can be designed and implemented in collaboration between universities and industry.

The Modena Automotive Smart Area (MASA) is an experimental project, based on a public-private partnership, aiming at the development of an urban living lab to test, evaluate, and implement connected and autonomous vehicles. It is proposed as a case study that contains all the key elements to convey scalability, replicability, and operational flexibility. MASA is an example of public-private partnership with the Municipality of Modena and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, strengthened by the endorsement of the Italian Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport and the support of the Emilia-Romagna Region, also involving industrial partners, in the implementation of a triple helix model. The research and experimentation activities concern interactions between vehicles, between vehicle and moving obstacle, between vehicle and city. The present contribution discusses the impact on the complexity of the urban environment both as digital and physical transformations and the possibility of a scalable model from a district area to an urban network.