12 June 2025
- At end of May 2025, DISCMAM EDF Project finalised the first reporting period, covering the first 18 months of execution.
- The initial phase of the project has progressed smoothly, achieving key project advances achieving key advances made possible by the commitment of all project partners involved.
The DISCMAM Project has officially reached the halfway point of its implementation in May 2025. This achievement confirms the project’s strong progress towards its main goal: establishing a secure digital thread to support remote assistance for repair and manufacturing spare parts through metal Additive Manufacturing (3D printing technologies) in defence field operations.
To mark this important moment, two key events were held. On 27 May, the mid project Consortium Meeting took place in Bilbao, Spain, hosted by Accenture at the iconic Iberdrola Tower. The following day, 28 May, the project’s official Mid-Term Review Meeting with the attendance of the European Commission Project Officer and partners was held at the headquarters of the project coordinator, Lortek, in Ordizia, Spain.
Both meetings concluded with very positive feedback, highlighting not only the technical progress achieved so far, but also the strong collaboration between all partners involved in the different work packages concluded.
DISCMAM midterm results
The project has completed the first 18 months of implementation with consistent progress and without any deviations from the original work plan. This steady advancement reflects the strength of the project’s structure and the close collaboration among partners, setting a strong foundation for the successful delivery of its final objectives.
The developments under way are designed to revolutionize maintenance and manufacturing processes in defence field operations by establishing secure, on-site assisted Additive Manufacturing (AM) capabilities. These innovations aim to significantly reduce downtime and enhance the reliability and security of repairs and newly manufactured components in critical operational settings.
Key achievements during this first reporting period include:
- Definition of maintenance scenarios: Actual field maintenance scenarios were identified and defined. Within these scenarios, several specific use cases were selected to validate and demonstrate the DISCMAM concept in real-world conditions.
- Design of a cybersecure digital pathway: A secure digital framework was developed to ensure the files and process data sharing, qualification of the built physical part, eliminating the need for additional testing on site.
- Implementation of an on-site maintenance plan: The project successfully updated and implemented a strategy for on-site operations that reduces system downtime while maintaining the quality and functionality of repaired or manufactured components.
- Integration of monitoring devices into additive manufacturing equipment to enhance process reliability and ensure the quality of final parts.
The steady progress so far was also highlighted by the project coordinators:
“The project’s moving along just like we planned. We’ve been hitting all our milestones right on schedule, and the team’s working really well together. We are confident that the final outcomes of the project will make a meaningful difference”.
Project outlook: What’s Next?
The Mid-Term Review Meeting held on 28 May marked an important milestone for the DISCMAM Project. During the meeting and with the attendance of the European Commission project officer, all partners presented the progress achieved across all Work Packages during the first reporting period. The review highlighted the strong advancements made so far and provided encouraging feedback for the next phase and upcoming challenges.
As part of the meeting agenda, participants were also offered a guided tour of LORTEK’s facilities in Ordizia, Spain. The visit included an up-close look at the metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) cells and machines, including a demo on the novel hybrid DED multi-robot cell. This provided the perfect opportunity to witness firsthand the innovative research and technological advancements being carried out within the DISCMAM framework.
With the solid progress made in the first 18 months, the project is now entering its second phase, which begins in June 2025 and will run until November 2026. In this next stage, the consortium will focus on the manufacturing and repair of the use cases defined in the first phase. Additionally, all the knowledge and developments generated so far, such as the cybersecure digital pathway, 3D scanning methodologies, and process monitoring solutions, will be integrated into a comprehensive final solution.