Partners of the CastQC project

Iskra ISD is a group of 7 companies specialized in high-pressure die casting (HPDC) of aluminium, plastic injection moulding, turning, electroplating, robotization and automatization with over 70 years of experience. Currently it has over 500 employees, reaching revenue of 60 million €. Related to HPDC of aluminium, Iskra ISD exports to EU market to the respected automotive customers (over 80 % share in revenue) – Schaeffler, Alfdex, Mubea, Kolektor, Litens, BorgWarner, etc. Iskra ISD actively collaborates with academic and research institutions (Jožef Stefan Institute, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Polymer Technology) as R&D is the main strategic focus of Iskra ISD. Main three research pillars are: development of technologies for hybrid components, development of new materials and development of new coatings. CastQC project is perfectly alligned with strategical orientation of Iskra ISD.

Role in CastQC project: Project and consortium leader, Development of HPDC casting process for novel QC alloy, Go-To-Market Strategy leader and Commercialization partner (until start-up foundation in June 2024).

Kolektor Mobility is a multinational company with over 50-year-long tradition in production of components and systems for automotive industry. The whole group together with technologies and construction division employs over 5500 people worldwide and has turnover of € 1 billion. In Slovenia, it counts among most successful industrial companies. Kolektor Mobility is a renowned pre-development supplier for numerous globally leading manufacturers in the automotive arena (BMW, Renault, Bosch, Continental, Brose, etc). Basic business fields are systems and components mainly for the automotive, further divided into programs: commutators, hybrid parts, electronics and drives, and the magnets. Kolektor has built its competence based on own machine building and introduction of modern ICT solutions into production. Our technology excellence is proven by innovation with 50 international patents.

Role in CastQC project: Within the project Kolektor is responsible for validation of the material in an operational environment and is one of the potential customers of the QC alloy in the long term.

We are passionate about quality, precision and complexity. Since 1991, based on these characteristics, TEH-CUT has become a specialist in prototype and serial production tools for aluminium die casting. Our company has built its reputation on the construction of complex and process-safe die casting molds for the automotive industry.

At the core of the company’s success is a highly qualified team of approximately 50 experienced employees, who use state-of-the-art production and optimisation technologies. The company maintains a focus on quality control by producing high-quality products.

Thanks to our innovative approach and investment in technological development and automation, we enable young professionals to develop and improve their potential within our environment.

Role in CastQC project: Industrial partner.

The Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG) is a public, non-profit, state owned body. Its main activities include fundamental and applied research, testing and measurements. ZAG is equipped with an advanced laboratory infrastructure, which ensures high-quality performance in the individual fields of its work. Many testing methods are accredited according to SIST EN ISO/IEC 17025 for the testing of construction products. ZAG also holds ISO 9001 certificate and has strong collaboration with the industry, including regular organization of industrial symbiosis workshops and other networking events in the raw materials value chain. It was or still is involved in 5 H2020 projects, 5 Life, 19 EIT RawMaterials, 1 UIA, 2 Interreg and currently runs 11 ARRS (National funding agency) projects as well and is a holder of ERA-Chair in Fire sustainable materials research.

Role in CastQC project: The MAIN ROLE of ZAG is to perform laboratory testing of QC alloy (mechanical, corrosion tests) and conduct LCA and LCCA analyses.

In the CASTQC, Department of Materials is participating with activities divided among two laboratories.
LABORATORY FOR METALS, CORROSION AND ANTICORROSION PROTECTION  in WP4: Perform and evaluate the results of mechanical and corrosion tests on the casted novel QC alloy. Mechanical tests, namely tensile tests and hardness tests will serve for the initial selection of the optimal alloy. Later in the project, results of mechanical, fatigue and corrosion tests will be used to define selected aluminium alloy data sheet, and evaluate durability of the alloy in the presence of cycling load and in corrosive environment. Results of computed microtomography and XRD gained at ZAG will be used as supplement method for precise metallographic description of the alloy.
LABORATORY FOR STONE, AGGREGATE AND RECYCLED MATERIALS will participate in WP5 with assessment of  the environmental and economic benefits and potential impacts related to the casting of the novel QC alloy. Conduct LCA and LCCA in order to calculate the environmental performance of the new approaches and to make benchmarking with conventional alloys.
Both included laboratories will participate in WP1 and WP7 and additionally, ZAG’s TTO specialist will contribute to the development of IPR strategies, business models, market analyses and legislative framework under the WP0.

The University of Ljubljana is among the 3% of the best universities in the world. The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering (NTF) is one of the 23 faculties and three academies of arts that make up the university. The Department of Materials and Metallurgy of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering has expertise in the development of materials (metals, polymers, ceramics and composites) while also designing the technologies for their production. Management of such technologies takes place at the macro, micro (one-thousandth of a metre; we can still see it using an optical microscope, but it is still thousands of times larger than an atom), mezzo, and nano levels. The lower-level technologies are essential for the development of modern technologies and for our personal lives. Researchers in the Department of Materials and Metallurgy are the pioneers of the novel QC alloy. They are leading research and development of QC alloys from TRL 1 to TRL 5.

Role in CastQC project: As part of the CastQC project, UL will provide the knowledge and know-how for the synthesis and production of a novel QC phase reinforced aluminium alloy. UL will also be the lead partner for a patent application focused on the composition and properties of the alloy. Researchers from UL will also be involved in the know-how (IP) related to the production technology. Together with Iskra ISD, UL will be involved in the formation of a start-up company for the commercialization of novel aluminium alloys.

Zavod 404 cooperates with domestic and foreign companies in the areas of software and hardware development, product development, and consulting in the planning phase. Together with national and international partners, we complement our development activities by participating in tenders, where we strengthen the internal knowledge chain and establish long-term partnerships. We are especially active in the fields of 3D printing, construction of customized machine solutions for industry, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Role in CastQC project: Ensure thorough and equal dissemination and communication of the project goals, activities, progress and achievements between partners and to public, academia, industry, industry influencers, policy makers and other relevant stakeholders. Main role is to increase awareness about the ongoing development of new materials and its benefits for the sustainable economy and maximize visibility of the project amongst general public.