Launch of Flanders Metals Valley

Flanders Metals Valley is a catalyst for a vibrant, climate-neutral and circular metallurgical cluster in Flanders, dynamically embedded in an international industrial ecosystem. Flanders Metals Valley stimulates enthusing education and groundbreaking research in the domain of sustainable metallurgy.
Ocas is part of the start-up team.

Expansion of expertise

The spin-off company, Guaranteed, operating in a synergic way with and within the central maintenance department of the ArcelorMittal Gent plant, was created by OCAS, Finindus and ArcelorMittal Belgium to add value for its customers by repairing, refurbishing and producing large metal parts using Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). Using state-of-the-art advanced simulation tools to guarantee ‘right first time’ production, Guaranteed works to reduce downtime and lengthen the lifetime of industrial equipment.

OCAS and Endures embark on joint offshore and maritime journey

Finocas Group NV and First Dutch Innovations (FDI) BV today announced their joint venture in which OCAS – research centre for the application of steel, based in Zelzate (Belgium), and Endures – an independent contract research company specialising in applied research on marine corrosion and antifouling, based in Den Helder (The Netherlands), join forces.

Read the full press release.

OCAS brings together 177 hydrogen experts from 27 countries in SteelyHydrogen2018

The 3rd International Conference on Metals and Hydrogen “SteelyHydrogen2018” gathered 177 participants from 27 countries. The conference focused on hydrogen embrittlement of metals with a targeted balance between academic research and industrial experience. The expanded scope, including aluminium, titanium and nickel based alloys, resulted in highly appreciated dedicated sessions on these topics. We are convinced this opened new perspectives in providing insights with regard to hydrogen related issues.

The members of the scientific jury awarded the following contributions:

Best SteelyHydrogen2018 presentation:“The Effect of Heat Treatment Variation on Hydrogen Environment-Assisted Cracking Susceptibility in a Precipitation-Hardened Ni-Cu Superalloy”, presented by Zachary D. Harris, from University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

Best SteelyHydrogen2018 posters:“Local approach of fracture in martensitic steel: Some implications of the interactions of hydrogen with the plasticity”, by Livia Cupertino, from Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Ingénieur pour l’Environnement, UMR CNRS 7356, Université de La Rochelle, France
and
“Combined ab initio and experimental investigation of the role of the microstructure on hydrogen embrittlement in Ni-based superalloys”, by Poulumi Dey, from Computational Materials Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany

Congratulations to the winners!

Furthermore, the scientific journal Corrosion issued a special section on SteelyHydrogen 2018 conference on hydrogen en metals in its 2019 August edition

OCAS connects the dots at BiR&D’s 10th anniversary

More than 200 persons from industry, universities and research centres celebrated the 10th anniversary of Belgian Industrial Research & Development (BiR&D) in the Palace of Academy on March 20th, 2018, in presence of His Majesty the King, Minister Muyters and Minister Marcourt.

An interactive exhibition, movies and speeches enlightened how the Belgian R&D anticipates the challenges of our planet and people: how to preserve our scarce resources and raw material? How to provide energy to 9 billion people? How to feed them? How to insure health care?

With his speech “How hydrogen fules the future”, Sven Vandeputte, managing director of OCAS,  illustrated how OCAS contributes to energy, one of the greatest challenges to society in the coming decades. 

Watch the video on energy and read more about BiR&D.

OCAS receives Employer Award at IAESTE Annual Conference

OCAS was granted the Employer Award at the IAESTE Annual Conference for its 15+ years of collaboration with the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience. IAESTE is an association of national committees representing academic, industrial and student interests.

IAESTE serves 4000 students, 3000 employers and 1000 academic institutions through career-focused professional internships abroad, social and intercultural reception programmes, international networking and other career and employer branding activities in more than 80 countries worldwide.

OCAS collaborates with IAESTE to attract talented science and engineering undergraduates from around the world for interships. In turn, OCAS offers interesting work experience in a well-equipped research lab.

borit awarded “factory of the future 2018”

Borit started off as a spin-off company of OCAS NV and Borit Leichtbau-Technik GmbH and was established in 2010.

Borit manufactures sheet metal products and assemblies using its proprietary Hydrogate™ forming technology resulting in advanced product designs with high forming quality and precision. Borit’s products are used across the globe in fuel cells and electrolysers, thermal solutions (e.g. cooling solutions for electric vehicle battery packs), and lightweight structural parts.

During the past years, Borit strongly invested in automatisation and digitalisation, resulting in strong growth. Watch the video.

Finocas Group certification renewal

Bureau Veritas Certification certifies that the management system of the Finocas Group has been audited and found to be in accordance with the requirements of the ISO 9001:2015 and reconfirmed the OHSAS 18001:2007 for “Research and development, sample making and material testing in the field of metal technology and applications & business services”.

COMMET2017 – First symposium on combinatorial metallurgy confirms its high potential

OCAS and its partner Flamac jointly organised the first international symposium on “Accelerated exploring of novel metal systems”, 26-27th September 2017, in Ghent. This 2-day seminar consisted of 11 presentations dedicated to combinatorial research in the field of metallurgy, given by various European institutes that are active in combinatorial synthesis, accelerated characterisation and/or computational research. The 50+ participants all gave positive feedback and confirm the high potential of this combinatorial metallurgy.

Accreditation for OCAS

In compliance with the provisions of the Royal Decree of 31 January 2006 setting up BELAC, the Accreditation Board declares that OCAS has the competence to perform the tests in accordance with the requirements of the standard NBN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005.

This accreditation certificate was issued 22 June 2017.

OCAS’s unique fatigue testing technique drives new Carbon Trust JIP

The Carbon Trust will work with OCAS and industry partners to ensure improved fatigue life of welded jacket connections to cut the cost of offshore wind by optimising the design of jacket foundations.  Read the press release from the Carbon Trust and learn more about OCAS’s fatigue testing.

Spin-off borit is supplier-of-choice for Symbio range extender 

Borit started off as a spin-off company of OCAS NV and Borit Leichtbau-Technik GmbH and was established in 2010.

Borit manufactures sheet metal products and assemblies using its proprietary Hydrogate™ forming technology resulting in advanced product designs with high forming quality and precision. Borit’s products are used across the globe in fuel cells and electrolysers, thermal solutions (e.g. cooling solutions for electric vehicle battery packs), and lightweight structural parts.

French market leader Symbio relies on Borit for their successful range extender fuel cell systems. Read the full press release.

OCAS celebrates its 25th anniversary

To celebrate its 25th anniversary OCAS organised events for all stakeholders. 

The academic ceremony was followed by a series of scientific thematic seminars.  The exhibition “OCASional stories” focused on the economic impact of OCAS’s R&D projects. The stories will soon be available on the website.

Metal Processing Centre expands casting facilities

OCAS and its joint venture partner CRM expand the casting facilities of the Metal Processing Centre by installing two new induction furnaces. The Metal Processing Centre is fully equipped to develop, produce, process and characterise tailor-made alloys. 

Together with its partner Sirris (collective centre of the Belgian technological industry) – experts in foundry – the MPC’s new melting furnaces will further enhance the support to the manufacturing industry. 

Finocas Group certified

Bureau Veritas Certification certifies that the management system of the Finocas Group has been audited and found to be in accordance with the requirements of the ISO 9001:2008 and the OHSAS 18001:2007 for “Research and development, sample making and material testing in the field of metal technology and applications & business services”.

External venture Expanite

Finindus, Finocas’s investment team, sets up an external venture with Expanite.

Expanite commercialises a game-changing surface hardening process for stainless steel.

OCAS organises 2nd SteelyHydrogen Conference

Following the huge success of SteelyHydrogen 2011, OCAS once more organised this scientific conference on metals & hydrogen. SteelyHydrogen 2014 attracted over 140 participants.

External venture Calyos

Assisted by technology scouting by OCAS, the investment company Finindus sets up an external venture.

Calyos is a provider of advanced two-phase cooling solutions for electronic components.

OCAS organises the very first conference dedicated to steel and hydrogen in Europe

Being involved in various projects on the effects on hydrogen in steel, OCAS took the initiative to organise and host SteelyHydrogen 2011 Conference. It got worldwide response.

Inauguration of Materials Research Cluster

Under the driving force of OCAS, 8 partners cluster in the Materials Research Cluster Gent. By joining forces and sharing lab space and equipment, this cluster houses more than 200 scientists under one roof.

OCAS sets up a joint venture with borit 

Meanwhile, borit has become a world-class manufacturer of high precision sheet metal hydroformed components and assemblies in Geel (Belgium)

OCAS, BIL and Labo Soete join forces in the Metal Structures Centre

The Metal Structures Centre combines competencies on design, use and evaluation of the behaviour of steel structures for its worldwide customers. The Metal Structures Centre is a consortium consisting of OCAS nv, the Soete Laboratory of Ghent University and the Belgian Welding Institute (BIL).

First external venture PowerCell

OCAS was strongly involved in the preparation of this first external investment file.

PowerCell manufactures fuel cells, reformers and auxiliary power units with lower emissions.

Metals Processing Centre, a joint venture of OCAS and CRM

Answering the strong need for initiatives that link the results of science and technology to the creation of new value through innovation, an asset company “Metals Processing Centre” was created at the Zwijnaarde Campus of the Ghent University.

Since its creation in 2008, the Metals Processing Centre has proven to be a success in attracting extra business for both involved partners. 

First spin-off xcelcoat

OCAS launches its first spin-off xcelcoat.

xcelcoat develops aesthetic & functional surface properties for indoor applications. 

Meanwhile the xcelcoat product range xcellook and xcelcolour is commercially available on industrial  scale. Furthermore an outdoor version will be launched to complement the indoor product range.