STITCHING Project
immc | Louvain-la-Neuve
Ready for an alloy that repairs itself and reshapes large‑scale additive manufacturing?
STITCHING Project (Starring Innovative Treatments for Component Healing with New Grade-aluminium alloy)
Elimination of porosity by healing heat treatment (HHT), observation by 3D X-ray tomography
The STITCHING project aims to extend the additive manufacturing (AM) capabilities of ALMAZIUM®, a lightweight, self-healing Al-Mg-Zr alloy with high strength (350–400 MPa), ductility (20–25%) and unique heat-activated self-healing capabilities.
Building on M-ERA.Net’s HAMAAC results, STITCHING will
- adapt ALMAZIUM® for wire-based AM (DED-arc/laser) to enable large-scale and sustainable production,
- assess its weldability and thermal stability,
- perform multiscale in-situ characterisation of healing mechanisms, and
- conduct a full Life Cycle Assessment.
Potential applications include thermal management systems, aerospace and defence structures, and high-performance industrial components.
The project aims to demonstrate the alloy’s reliability in relevant environments.
STITCHING will enhance the European expertise in advanced AM materials, reduce environmental impact and manufacturing costs, and strengthen industrial competitiveness across the consortium.
Date (start and end): 2026-2029
Funding: M-ERA.NET 2025
Budget: 1.600.839€ (UCLouvain: 452.992 €)
Partners: UCLouvain (Aude Simar, coordinator), AnyShape (Belgium), EHP (Belgium), BWI (Belgium), CEITEC BUT (Czech Republic), CactuX (Czech Republic), ONERA (France), Institut Maupertuis (France)