- The Spanish government is funding the 7.78 million project aimed at the development of materials and research into advanced manufacturing technologies to obtain components for the development of the Spanish nuclear fusion industry.
- The consortium is composed of five companies and four research centres that seek to solve current technical challenges to obtain critical components of large dimensions and complex geometries for nuclear fusion reactors by combining additive manufacturing and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) technologies.
Nuclear fusion is presented as one of the most promising energy solutions for the future, thanks to its safety and the virtually inexhaustible availability of resources. However, it requires the manufacture of large components with extremely complex geometries and excellent mechanical properties, capable of resisting very high temperatures and radiation, which remains the key challenge for the development of this technology. With the aim of overcoming these barriers, the ‘RODAS’ project was born, an initiative that seeks to develop advanced manufacturing technologies, focused especially in the field of additive manufacturing combined with technologies such as Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP), for the production of critical components for nuclear fusion reactors.
The project, with a duration of four years, aims to provide companies with knowledge and technology that will enable them to take on future projects in the field of nuclear fusion in Spain. The project, with a budget of €7.78 million, has received funding of €5.54 million from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the Centre for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI) and the State Research Agency (AEI), within the framework of the TransMisiones 2024 initiative.
RODAS will help solve the current challenges in obtaining nuclear fusion reactor components, such as long lead times, complex manufacturing processes involving a multitude of successive stages of machining, joining and heat treatment, as well as high raw material and energy consumption.
Innovation in materials, manufacturing technologies and testing
RODAS is a project articulated around three key areas: materials and manufacturing technologies and advanced testing. ‘The results obtained will provide companies with the knowledge and technology to tackle future projects and tenders related to nuclear fusion,’ says Nerea Ordás, director of Additive Manufacturing at CEIT.
In the field of advanced materials, work will focus on the development of new powder metallurgical alloys, such as EUROFER and CuCrZr, capable of withstanding high temperatures and radiation. In addition, the gas atomisation process will be optimised to improve the production of metal powders used in additive manufacturing, thus facilitating their integration into industrial processes.
In this regard, work will focus on the research and development of new material alloys with high performance and advanced thermo-mechanical properties specially designed for nuclear fusion components, ‘also demonstrating that additive manufacturing technology is technically and economically feasible to obtain actively cooled components of complex geometry and large dimensions, capable of meeting the stringent requirements of nuclear fusion,’ says Marcos Pérez, business development manager at Leading Metalmechanical Solutions.
In terms of advanced manufacturing, different manufacturing techniques will be investigated using powder or metal wire, such as PBF-L (Direct Metal Fusion by Laser), DED (Focused Energy Deposition), WAAM (Additive Manufacturing by Arc and Wire) or the new ROV-MAM technique, with the aim of obtaining parts with complex geometries and large dimensions while achieving a significant reduction in material waste. The hybridisation of manufacturing processes will also be investigated.
One of the main innovations of the RODAS project will be the possibility of simultaneous application of heat treatments and the Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) technology developed by Hiperbaric. ‘We are developing a new generation of HIP press and furnace of large dimensions, unique in Spain, with high cooling speeds and equipped with an advanced control architecture through the application of Artificial Intelligence,’ says Andrés Hernando, CEO of Hiperbaric.
Finally, advanced testing will be carried out to validate new materials and processes using non-destructive techniques, such as computed tomography and ultrasound, thus ensuring the integrity of components without the need for destructive testing.
Impact and benefits for Spanish industry
The development of these technologies will have a significant impact on industry, science and sustainability, contributing to the development of nuclear fusion as an energy source. By optimising advanced manufacturing processes, production times of key components are expected to be reduced from eight weeks to two weeks and material waste will be minimised by up to 80 %, thus respecting the environment. In addition, the use of the new materials will improve the lifetime and efficiency of fusion reactors.
A tractor effect will be generated in the Spanish industrial network, promoting the training of companies in thematic areas related to materials with advanced properties, allowing these companies to position themselves in the science industry sector, facilitating their access to public tenders for IFMIF-DONES (International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility – DEMO Neutron Source demonstration oriented) or ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor).
A reference consortium for an ambitious project
The ‘RODAS’ project has a consortium formed by two clusters. On the one hand, the grouping of the Centre for Technological Development and Innovation CDTI, led by Leading Metalmechanical Solutions and composed of the companies Hiperbaric, Rovalma, Innomaq21 and Novadep NDT Systems. On the other hand, the grouping of the State Investigation Agency (AEI), led by the CEIT Technology Centre Association and formed by CIEMAT, IDONIAL Foundation and the University of Granada.
While the AEI cluster will undertake research, materials development, manufacturing process optimisation and component validation, the CDTI cluster will focus on the validation of advanced manufacturing technologies and development of full-scale applications. This combination of research knowledge and practical industrial experience ensures the feasibility and success of the project, enabling the effective transfer of scientific advances to industry.
The project was launched last January with a meeting held at CEIT’s premises, in which all the consortium partners took part. During the meeting, the first steps were defined and the roadmap for the coming years was established.
About CEIT
Ceit is a technology centre integrated in the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), created in 1982 on the initiative of the University of Navarra.
As a private non-profit organisation, its mission is to improve the competitiveness of companies through the generation and transfer of knowledge in the field of applied research. With a strong focus on industry, Ceit works in close collaboration with companies from different sectors to develop innovative technological solutions that respond to their strategic needs. It specialises in three main areas: advanced manufacturing, sustainable mobility and circular economy.
About Leading Metalmechanical Solutions
LEADING is an SME established in 1972 and focused on the design, development and manufacture of precision machining and welding, prototypes, short-medium series production of components, as well as tooling and models, in a wide range of materials, both ferrous and non-ferrous, and in all types of production forms. LEADING’s core business is therefore precision machining and welding; the delivery of complex mechanical assemblies, offering the possibility of complete process management through the supply of turnkey projects. LEADING focuses on obtaining the best design solution to improve product performance based on the customer’s initial specifications and requirements, working closely with each customer, delivering the finished product with all the required certifications.
About Hiperbaric
Hiperbaric is a company from Burgos dedicated, since 1999, to the design, manufacture and marketing of high pressure technology and industrial equipment. For more than two decades it has been a supplier of machinery for High Pressure Processing (HPP) applied to the food sector, in which it is a world leader with more than 65% of the market share. In 2019 it opened a new business line focused on the design and development of industrial equipment for Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP). In 2021, it launched another innovative line of business: Hydrogen Compression (H2) technology at very high pressure, from renewable energies, to participate in the challenge of sustainable mobility and the decarbonisation of industry. In 2024, the company celebrated its 25th anniversary.
