Harmonized assessment of regulatory bottlenecks and standardization needs for the process industry

The HARMONI research project is unlike many other projects, not just because of its cross-sectoral set up and objectives but also due to its immediate benefits to the industry.

The consortium consists of various industrial partners and institutes representing the different sectors of the process industry:

• cement,
• ceramics,
• mechanical engineering,
• minerals,
• metal,
• steel and
• water.

Companies in each sector are usually well aware of the bundle of regulatory challenges that they face when creating a new product, distributing a new service or implementing a new process. They are also very familiar with the standards that work well and the ones that doesn't... or the ones that might be missing yet.

Sometimes the companies have already found solutions to tackle these challenges or to involve themselves more proactively in the standardization processes. Most companies, though, are still looking to improve their ways of doing things. This is where HARMONI comes into play. In strong collaboration with the industrial stakeholders, the HARMONI project team will analyse

• key regulatory and standardization challenges to innovation in our companies as well as
• Best Practices and transferable solutions to overcome these challenges.

By bringing in all the relevant stakeholders of the process industry, HARMONI enables to generate a broad knowledge basis on innovation, regulations and standardization within the process industry in general but also for each sector separately.

ECREF, who is also responsible for the transfer of cross-sectoral solution in general, will synthesize the information for the Ceramic sector. Thus providing the Ceramic companies with tools and measures to foster innovativeness and strengthening their market position.

For more information on the project see here:
Or just contact us: Ann-Kathrin Blanke, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Partner

• Fundacion Circe Centro de Investigacion de Recursos y Consumos Energeticos (CIRCE) - Spanien
• European Centre for Refractories gGmbH (ECREF) - Deutschland
• Conseil Européen de I'ndustrie Chimique (Cefic) - Belgien
• The European Cement Association (CEMB) - Schweden
• Institut für Baustoff Forschung EV (FEhS) - Deutschland
• DIN e. V. - Deutschland
• A.SPIRE - Belgien

The project is funded within the EU Horizon 2020 programme.

MUHOPF is a multiple high-temperature test facility for material testing under controlled influence of oxygen.

This facility is so far unique in its type in the world. Its purpose is to determine so far unavailable material characteristics with a previously unavailable multifunctional measurement system.

Its uniqueness consists of the determination of thermomechanical and physical data without the adverse influence of reactive oxygen at very high temperatures. These data are used for the fundamental further development of an entire class of high-performance materials, e.g. carbon materials (high-performance brakes) and carbon composites, such as Magcarbon (for lining production equipment for steel production and processing).

It can be used, for instance, for

• Thermophysical tests
• Thermomechanical tests
• Thermal shock tests

The project for the “Set-up and installation of a multiple high-temperature test facility for material testing under controlled influence of oxygen (MUHOPF)” within the framework of the Metals-Ceramics-Plastics innovation cluster was supported under project number 8403.81029575 with funds from the European Structural Fund for Regional Development for achieving regional competitiveness and employment (RWB) (funding period 2007-2013, 01.10.2010 until 31.12.2011).

ReStaR is the acronym of a research project entitled “Review and improvement of testing Standards for Refractory products”. The project is supported by funding from the Research for the benefit of SMEs Theme of the Capacity Programme, under the 7th Research Framework Programme of the European Union. ReStaR started on 1st October 2013 and will run for 24 months. The project is coordinated by the European Centre for Refractories (ECREF) and involves 13 partners from 7 countries.

Please visit our website www.restar.eu for more information.

EU Commission Grant Agreement no.: 314844