The demonstration work package plays a central role in the project, linking to RTD work, as well as to training and dissemination. The figure below shows that the Production4µ project is divided in two major periods of 24 months. During the first two years the Research Clusters A-C are dealing with RTD on materials, technologies and methodologies that can be implemented in the demonstrators DEMO24 within 24 months. Parallel to this research work demonstration partners assess the industry needs and manufacture µ-components and products (demonstrators) with initial results from the clusters. Before month 15 the RTD and demonstrator results are merged, allowing for the testing and validation of the RTD results between month 15 and 24. For one demonstrator test results should become available sooner, so they can be validated before the end of the first 18 month period. They will serve to fulfill short term market demand (exploitation) and act as first showcases for dissemination and training purposes.

Time plan for short term and long term demonstration

In the last two years the RTD will focus on long term technology solutions and process optimisation. In the meantime the OEMs and component suppliers will further intensify their collaboration within the demonstrator work to achieve breakthrough micro components for future high end products. Between year three and four the long term technologies and methodologies developed in the clusters will be implemented, tested and validated in the 3 demonstrator products.

These demonstrators are on the one hand representing µ-products with – from the production point of view – highly challenging µ-geometries, precision requirements and a high level of integration of multidisciplinary sciences. On the other hand they belong to the most promising high growth markets which require real industrialised mass production. In these product-fields European companies have the chance to become global players, if necessary research results are provided in a short term perspective as planned in Production4µ. In the following the selected demonstrators including target markets and selected µ-system features, which are relevant for µ-production design, are presented.