Successful technology transfer in joint service in international cooperation

The KETGATE project facilitated successful technology transfer cooperation.
The collaboration between the Slovenian Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI) and the Hungarian Bay Zoltán Nonprofit Ltd. (BZN) was established in order to provide a joint service as a solution for the problem of Phoenix d.o.o. from Croatia. 
A preliminary service request of the Croatian SME Phoenix d.o.o. was sent for KETGATE proposal call in March 2019. Afterwards BZN and JSI started to discuss with SME to identify the challange exactly and find out the content of service provided. 
Phoenix Ltd. produces spiral spring making machine. Main critical elements of this machine are rollers, central knives, upper and lower knives produced by Phoenix as well. Due to the high loading of these parts damages of them are very serious. Great portion of knives and rollers material is broken away after a quite short working period, by this way the life time of them will be less than expected. Due to the high strength of spring material, damage of rollers and knives is a key problem. BZN investigated the actual tool steel materials, their composition, microstructure, fractured surface and heat treatment technology. Optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at the BZN have been applied for these investigations. BZN proposed to use advanced tool steel materials with higher toughness and by this way longer service period.
Phoenix provided JSI with samples of cutting knives used for a spring production machine. JSI coated knives with innovative coatings and sent them to Phoenix, which tested the protective effect of the coatings. The SME was content with the services provided.