FIDIA is one of the European leaders in manufacturing Numerical Controls and High Speed Milling Machines for dies and moulds making. The company has also developed and offers CAM modules suitable in particular for on line generation of part programs (HIMILL).
FIDIA research activities are mainly focused on:
High speed milling and high accuracy roughing, semifinishing and superfinishing of free form surfaces; mechanics and structures for high speed and high accuracy and compensation of static and quasi-static errors; CAM and simulation systems, integrated NC systems, scanning and digitising; open and distributed NCs; monitoring of the milling process and sensor interfacing.
As a Machine Tool Builder, Fidia research expertise, relative to the design of milling machine tools, fits with the APM cluster. As a Numerical Control manufacturer it is relative to the realization of open and distributed NCs, able to interface sensors for monitoring and error compensation, and so it fits with the PAC cluster.

The Machining Team, managed by Ing. Mauro Comoglio, is the Fiat research group in the machining field. There are four main research branches: machine tool design, process design, development of material/coating for cutting tools, materials machinability. The team has worked on more than 30 European funded research projects (Alticut, Alumopla, Amadeus, Autofett, CD Treatments, CNC, Coming Dry, Dico, Dualco, Ecosystems, Engy, FGMSIATOOL, Incosynt, Mactest, MEA-PPNCD, Nacodry, Nanogrind, Sammi, Testify, Ulmat, Ultraflex), problem solving activities for Fiat Group and also for private customers external to Fiat Group. An Advanced Machining Laboratory is equipped with an advanced linear driven machine center (Renault Automation - Comau) for the development of high speed and dry machining of light alloys (titanium, aluminum and magnesium) and difficult to cut materials (innovative cast irons, superalloys, composite materials), and a CRF machine tool developed for the dies and moulds industry. The methodological approach is based on an integrated approach: on line wear/power/temperature monitoring, SEM/metallographic analysis of cutting tool and worked material, correlation between cutting tool properties/cutting performance, set up of cutting parameters and lubrication condition (oil, emulsion, MQL, dry), CAD/CAE/CAM design and FEM simulation/design, set up and testing of innovative cutting process.

TEKNIKER is a private non-profit research centre, born in 1981 from a previous laboratory working in metals characterisation since the sixties. From that point onwards TEKNIKER grew adapting its offer to the changing demand coming from its industrial surroundings, mainly devoted to metalmechanical transformation and composed of small or very small companies. Over its twenty years of close collaboration with its surrounding industry, TEKNIKER has not only gained a lot of experience but has a strong influence in these sectors. The research centre has great potential for the dissemination of results to manufacturing industry in the area. TEKNIKER’s fields of actuation include: Product development and precision engineering (mechanical elements design, machines and equipment design and development, control systems, metrology and ultraprecision), Manufacturing systems (product and process design, manufacturing organisation, manufacturing systems) and Production processes (cutting technologies, forming technologies, surface technologies). A recent strategic decision has led TEKNIKER to move also towards being a centre for micro-manufacturing and precision engineering.

The Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering (MAME) at the Unversity of Manchester has 33 members of academic staff who are all active in research with an average annual journal publication record of 4 journal papers per staff per year. Most members are involved in research activities funded by national research councils, Europe, and industry. The Manufacturing Division of the MAME Department at THE Unversity of Manchester has advanced research facilities that are related to I*PROMS scope such as a manufacturing modelling and simulation facility that includes fuzzy logic control, SCADA Systems, and PLCs; a laser processing research centre (LPRC); CAD, CAE, CAM; Special manufacturing processes facility: EDM, ECM; Metrology facilities: CMM and two laser interferometers; nano-resolution sensors facility; Robotic and computer-integrated machine tools and manufacturing systems; CNCs with open architecture control research facility; instrumentation and precision engineering facility; workstations: UNIX and Parallel processing facility; materials analysis facility: creep and fatigue; and facilities for business and industry - conference suites with AVA technology and internet access. The Division is also in the process of acquiring a Mikron high speed machine and a Faro articulated arm for reverse engineering.