services
Services that help you to transform your business
Engineering
At Votechnik, we approach process engineering from the materials science perspective where we investigate and understand how processing parameters effect the physical and chemical characteristics of the material products in turn affecting quality and reliability.
Process engineering is the understanding and application of the fundamental principles and laws of nature that allow humans to transform raw material and energy into products that are useful to society, at an industrial level. By taking advantage of the driving forces of nature such as pressure, temperature and concentration gradients, as well as the law of conservation of mass, process engineers can develop methods to synthesize and purify large quantities of desired products. Process engineering focuses on the design, operation, control, optimization and intensification of chemical, physical, and biological processes.
Votechnik can assist in the following ways:
Failure and damage assessment
Variation Mode Effect and Analysis (VMEA studies)
Design of Experiments (DoE) to isolate cause and effect
Materials characterisation of end product
Development of process improvement plan and recommendations
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behaviour of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixture alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the science and the technology of metals; that is, the way in which science is applied to the production of metals, and the engineering of metal components used in products for both consumers and manufacturers.
Votechnik works in both emerging and traditional areas as part of an interdisciplinary team alongside material scientists, and other engineers.
The areas of operation in traditional metallurgy include casting, metal production, heat treatment, failure analysis, and the joining of metals (including welding, brazing, and soldering). While emerging areas include nanotechnology, composites, biomedical materials (alloy development including shape memory alloys), and surface engineering.
Votechnik can assist with the following:
Votechnik can assist in the following ways:
Tailoring properties of alloys for performance
Refinement of the microstructure of components for better performance
Reduction of product fails due to manufacturing and process variations
Materials characterisation
Design new processes
Resolving materials issues in the application of automation to processes
Cast, forming, forging, laser processes, welding, heat treatments, electroplating, electroforming, composition metals, soldering, brazing, coatings, and aluminising.
Materials analysis assessment
Materials analysis and characterisation covers the broad and general processes by which a material’s structure and properties are probed and measured. It is a fundamental process in the field of materials science, without which no scientific understanding of engineering materials could be ascertained. The scale of the structures observed in materials characterisation ranges from angstroms, such as in the imaging of individual atoms and chemical bonds, up to centimeters, such as in the imaging of coarse grain structures in metals.
Votechniks value chain can provide direct access to state of art characterisation techniques while in house expertise is the key to interpreting and decoding the information provided by these techniques for useful purposes. Votechnik can lead and develop the required materials characterisation plan, diagnosis and interpretation of the results for specific objectives.
Expertise covers the following range of techniques:
Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
Energy Dispersive X- ray Spectroscopy (EDS)
X- Ray Diffraction (XRD)
Raman spectroscopy
Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass spectroscopy (ICP- Mass)
Fourier Transformation Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)
Hardness testing (vickers, Rockwell)
Particle size distributions
Physical properties: pH, electrical conductivity, moisture content, density
Alchemy – Waste, residues and by-products
Votechnik offers expertise in the world of alchemy focusing on deriving solutions for industrial wastes, residues and by-products. Votechnik focuses on a number of key industrial waste sectors where there are opportunities for a circular economy.
Electronic waste
Votechnik has a core focus on electronic waste due to the vast potential for impact here regarding sustainability, our cities, and waste infrastructure as well as access to the next generation of materials from recycled sources.
Among the challenges posed by electronic waste is the separation and sorting of individual materials systems from complex multi-materials products and the depollution of these end of life devices of toxic and harmful substances contained within including: Flat panel displays (FPD), liquid crystal displays (LCD), TVs & monitors, batteries, key components of electric vehicles, photovoltaics.
In many of these devices the opportunity to recover critical raw materials, remove pollutants from the environment and reclaim the bulk of the materials for reuse. Votechnik has over 10 years experiences in the field of deep technologies for the waste electronics sector and developed commercially available technology for the recycling of LCD displays (including all FDP,LCD and LED displays). For more details on Votechniks robotic technology for LCDs can be found under our technology section. Votechnik continues to develop out new solutions for the key market challenges including electric vehicles and batteries.
Mine waste and industrial by-products
Votechnik offers a range of services and expertise in terms of mine waste and industrial by-projects:
Characterisation and sampling methodology of wastes
Quantities assessment of critical raw materials content
Scoping exercise and recommendations regarding recovery
Expertise covering hydrometallurgy and mineral processing techniques such a comminution, sizing, concentration, magnetic separation and gravity separation techniques.
Experimental testing plan development
Exploration of market options for the reuse fractions and value of those fractions.
Business
At Votechnik we focus on where technology meets business and specialise in techno-economic assessments and feasibility studies.
In many metallurgical and materials based systems, the economic modelling and markets landscape is complex as its depends on the value chain and the benefit of the technology step wise in that value chain needs to be identified and measured. We have a niche in this field of techno-economical evaluations and feasibility assessments. Votechniks dual focused skill set, positions us well for industry and market engagement where we derive maximum value from activities such round table studies, stakeholder workshops and think tanks. Votechniks core purpose is to lead the way for piloting, establishing and replicating technologies and business models for circular economy. For Votechnik, a circular economy is an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. Votechnik applies these principles and thinking to reviews, assessments and projects.
How Votechnik can help:
Mapping industry value chains, market pulse checks and ecosystem assessments.
Industrial stakeholder workshops, congresses and think tanks including six hats methodology for round table engagement on specialist subject matter and circular economy topics.
Feasibility studies and economic modeling with a specialty in the space of metallurgy and materials science products and projects where technical knowhow is required to establish the cost basis and economical modeling allowing this to be translated into a financial model and assessment of profitability.
Design of techno- economical evaluations and end user P&Ls.
Assessment for circular economy opportunities and applications (integrating circular economy principles into your business).
Applications of circular economy business models and assessment of non traditional models for integration options (SaaS, PaaS, On-demand, licencing, leasing, strategic partnerships).
Business plan development, review and assessment.
Scaling plans
Briefings on specialist subject matter (materials, metallurgy, EC policy)
Consultation on funding applications nationally (Enterprise Ireland, Intertrade Ireland) and internationally under EC programmes Horizon2020 and Europe2020, EIC, and EIT.
European Commission projects
At Votechnik, we have expert experience with project coordination, project management and partnering on European Projects
Votechnik is an experienced coordinator of EC projects under Eco-Innovation, European Innovation Council and Horizon 2020. Votechnik’s particular expertise is in innovation actions and working with technologies for piloting and scaling. Votechnik both authors proposals, coordinates projects and collaborates within consortia for joint applications. Votechnik assesses strategic alignment with potential EC funded proposals and projects and participates accordingly.
Why Votechnik?
Experienced coordinator of EC projects
Votechniks personnel are listed as EC innovation experts and have performed both proposal evaluations and monitoring activities for the EC
Votechnik also author and partner in European Innovation Partnerships
How can we help?
Pre-submission proposal evaluations and recommendations
EU project partnering – Votechnik partner in EU projects undertaking roles as exploitation partner, work package leader, and feasibility studies.
Proposal writing
Advisory services
At Votechnik, we offer an advisory service on metallurgical systems, circular economy approaches and policy.
Votechnik offer an advisory service on specialist subject matter topics including circular economy, waste management, materials recovery strategy, scaling of recovery systems and strategic direction for research, development and innovation.
How Votechnik can help:
Strategic direction for research, development and innovations regarding materials, metallurgy, waste systems and circular economy.
Industrial strategic direction regarding circular economy.
Guidance on alignment with key policy for circular economy.
Subject matter expert on materials systems, metallurgy and waste recovery.
Advising on deep technology, piloting, large scale demonstrations and funding opportunities.
Assessment of technologies readiness level (TRL)
EU networking including European Innovations Partnerships
Votechnik was appointed to the European Commission’s Operational Expert Group for the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials in June 2021. The mission of the Operational expert group is to provide advice to the EC HLSG and to convert the strategic implementation plan into tasks and actions including: