Press Release
Released February 2005
The EUPASS consortium is pleased to announce its successful
application and start of the EU funded project under the European
Commission's framework 6 programme. The total project is worth €
18 million with the European Commission funding € 10.5 million.
The project led by Philips, involves 21 partners in 9 countries.
The list of partners can be found at http://www.extra.research.philips.com/euprojects/eupass/partners.htm
The EUPASS project aims to develop the next generation
of automatic assembly machines with specific emphasis on precision
micro assembly. The consortium aims to develop an open machine architecture
and demonstration equipment to offer plug and produce capability.
The consortium also aims to set up a network of European Depots
for equipment modules to allow rapid deployment and reduce the time
to market for new products.
This will be achieved by developing and delivering
a number of breakthrough technologies and solutions including:
- The development of affordable,
cost effective and sustainable ultra-precision manufacturing solutions
by offering rapidly deployable ultra-precision assembly services
on demand.
- A European wide pilot infrastructure
of depots of micro-assembly modules and integration software,
enabling rapid configuration and deployment of flexible precision
assembly systems with minimum investment cost.
- The next generation of ultra-precision
enabling technologies, including modular high-precision manipulators,
grippers and feeders.
- The development of novel micro
joining techniques including micro-mechanical joints, nano-dispensing,
and laser welding.
- Robust and legacy-compliant knowledge
driven methodology, cost models and software tools to support
the offering of rapidly deployable ultra-precision assembly services
with low investment cost, high capacity utilisation and improved
equipment reusability.
- A set of new standards for seamless
integration of precision assembly modules and control systems
using open architecture approach.
For more information on this exciting and challenging
project please visit www.EUPASS.org
Within the UK there are two key consortium members;
The University of Nottingham Precision Assembly Group and TQC a
Nottingham based automated assembly and test system manufacturer.
In the UK, EUPASS with a DTI funded EUREKA Factory project E-Race
(http://www.e-race.info/),
places an emphasis in the UK on medical device assembly automation.
These projects build further on an already close working partnership
between TQC and the University that has resulted in research projects
worth more than £3.0M in the last 3 years.
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