New methods for surface hardening titanium can solve the problem with wear resistance for the material and open up for a wide range of new applications. Left:
A microscope image of a cross section of a pulley wheel before hardening. Right: The same cross section after the new hardening process, in this case the surface
hardness has increased 5 times. Images from Emilie H. Valente’s MSc project.
Understanding titanium: From patent to research project
to a new company
The ideas in the new FTP project, MixTi, build upon a patent application
that resulted from an earlier FTP project on metal release from implants,
MeTimp, headed by Morten Stendahl Jellesen. Thomas Christiansen is
project coordinator of MixTi, and he describes how that particular patent
application gave rise to new questions:
“One of the materials of the previous project was titanium, and we were
studying different kinds of surface treatments for it. We discovered that
new methods for surface hardening the material could result in very high
hardness and thick layers. These new solutions resulted in the patent
application. Now, we want a better scientific understanding of how
material is improved by the reaction with gases, so we are able to tailor
the process parameters to obtain optimal materials performance. This has
led to the formulation of the MixTi project.”
Titanium is a high value material, not only because of its biocompatibility,
but also because it is a lightweight material with excellent corrosion
resistance, and it can be used in 3D–printing processes. The only
disadvantage is the low degree of wear resistance and the high cost, facts
that have limited the applications so far.
“Only imagination sets the limits for how we can use titanium, provided
that we solve the problem with wear resistance. The MixTi project runs
like a spine through a number of our research and innovation activities,
and we hope to start a new company soon based on our research,” Marcel
Somers finishes.
A creative space for student start-ups
The use of existing patents is part of an extremely well-functioning
process in the graduate course Innovation and product development
where Associate Professor Thomas Howard has set up a creative
entrepreneur environment as course responsible. This course has existed
at DTU Mechanical Engineering for around 15 years in various forms,
but only five years in its present and highly successful form, which is
constantly creating many new companies. Each course concludes with
“Spin Out Day”, a presentation day where leaders from the business
community are invited, and to whom the students present their new
business ideas.
“Spin Out Day”, a presentation day where leaders
from the business community are invited, and
to whom the students present their new business
ideas.
The business ideas are based on patents from DTU’s “patent bank”. The
course usually has more than 100 participating students, and many teams
go directly from the course into the innovative entrepreneur environment
surrounding competitions such as Green Challenge, Venture Cup, and
the Danish Tech Challenge. The winning team this year, Fishent, also
participated in an innovation bootcamp as part of the prize.
Future innovation at the department
Researcher Matteo Calaon is innovation responsible at DTU Mechanical Engineering, a role supporting a wide variety of activities related to new
inventions and patent applications. He also coordinates activities between researchers, students and the main administration at DTU.
“Future innovation activities will work towards consolidating and foster industrial collaboration at all levels improving technological
commercialization of ongoing research projects with external entrepreneur to promote high-tech spin out companies,” tells Matteo Calaon.
“We will stimulate early engagement of research by promoting networking activities with the aim to increase awareness of the ongoing research
projects at DTU Mechanical Engineering. By doing this, the long-term goal is to stimulate the formation of cross-functional teams throughout the
department operating as a network-like structure devoted to design and implementation of new internal projects. The network system will be
optimized over time through the implementation of different pilot projects before becoming a powerful accelerating force towards incremental
innovation.”
The use of patents is an important part of the process of creating new spin outs in close collaborations with the industry, as the new innovation
responsible tells:
“Timely implementation of patenting processes for the commercialization phase of future research works will potentially renew and improve
problem solving in working practices. Innovation is also seen as the establishment of student projects in partnership with industry to promote
commercialization of innovation as a means to meet society’s goals for product/technology development.”
16 DTU ’s research environment: an innovative basis for patents and start-ups