Applied research & innovation

Study of the technological routes map in a company of the metal-mechanic segment for knowledge production and practical application

Abstract

The process of continuously updating technologies, processes, and products has placed innovation at the center of the discussions of different institutions. Once the need to remain competitive, and beyond that, to be at the forefront of these modifications has become something necessary for the survival of organizations, the process of renewing project portfolios, as well as their management, is fundamental to tread the path towards innovation. Several methodologies are available to promote the generation of ideas and enhance the processes already underway. Among these, the Tecnology Roadmap (TRM) is an important tool for collecting ideas, helping in the process of strategic formulation, as well as in the definition of actions related to the planning of new products, processes and technologies. The use of the TRM methodology allowed a company in the metal-mechanic segment to delineate its project portfolio from the collection and prioritization of ideas in a collaborative way. Thus, the hot forming process was considered in 2019 as a process aligned to the company's strategic direction, being prioritized and incorporated to the project portfolio. From the use of test specimens with 22MnB5 hot forming steel with 8.00 mm thickness, through the analysis of cooling rate, microstructure, and microhardness, it was possible to verify satisfactory mechanical and metallurgical behavior, enabling the use of steel for commercial road vehicle structures