Project Title: High-Strength Fasteners Made of Nanocrystalline Alloy Steel Processed by Plastic Deformation
Beneficiary Name: INTER-METAL Sp. Jawna Mirosław Radomski Wiesław Jerzy Fąfara
Total Expenditure: 2,917,607.88 PLN
Eligible Expenditure: 2,721,566.00 PLN
Funding: 2,090,664.10 PLN
EU Funding: 2,090,664.10 PLN
Start Date: 2025-01-01
End Date: 2027-12-31
Contracting Institution: Mazovian Unit for Implementation of EU Programs (IP.01.FEMA)
Fund: European Regional Development Fund
Program: European Funds for Mazovia 2021-2027
Priority: European Funds for a More Competitive and Intelligent Mazovia
Action: Research, Development, and Innovation in Enterprises
Project Description:
The main objective of the project is to increase the competitiveness and innovativeness of Inter-Metal Sp.J. by enabling the production of fasteners made from austenitic, austenitic-ferritic (duplex), or ferritic steel groups, characterized by unique strength and service properties unattainable with existing production processes using conventional materials processed by classical plastic deformation and heat treatment methods.
The project implementation also includes cooperation with a research organization, specifically the High Pressure Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Specific project objectives are defined as:
- Achieve increased mechanical strength in at least two steel grades. Tensile strength (Rm) increased by at least 50% compared to the base material. Typical commercial strength values for such steels are: duplex – Rm = 600 MPa, and for 304L steel Rm = 700 MPa.
- Increase the coefficient of variation (CV) in hardness distribution across the cross-section of the semi-finished product in the form of threaded rods. Commercial materials typically show heterogeneity ranging from 0.06 up to 0.08 (baseline value). Semi-finished products produced under task no. 2 will exhibit high homogeneity in the range of 0.02 to 0.035 (target value).
- Manufacture prototype fasteners made of corrosion-resistant nanocrystalline steel in class A-120. The decisive parameter allowing classification of fasteners from selected materials in class A-120 will be tensile strength Rm exceeding 1200 MPa (target value). Baseline values – high-strength fasteners currently available from these materials have strength not exceeding Rm = 900 MPa, for the strongest duplex steel fasteners. Most of such steels are offered in class A4-70, where strength is up to 700 MPa. Achieving these specific objectives is planned within the project period, i.e., by 2027.
To achieve the project goal, it is necessary to develop new or modify and adapt existing manufacturing technologies for basic types of fastener products to ensure the possibility of their production and the efficiency of manufacturing processes using materials with nanocrystalline structures. Another goal is to implement the above-mentioned fasteners into production and introduce them into Inter-Metal’s manufacturing and product offerings. This will fill the market gap in fasteners with high strength and plasticity properties.