About us
Longer life, lower emissions, fewer critical raw materials, less dependence on overseas sources
SUMMSEED is a European research project focused on developing a new generation of sustainable medium-manganese steels for heavy industry and mining. By tailoring alloys for both casting and directed energy deposition (DED) remanufacturing, the project aims to replace traditional Hadfield steels with leaner, more cost-efficient grades that offer high strength, toughness and wear resistance while reducing CO₂ emissions and the use of critical raw material
Bringing together universities, technology centres and industrial partners, SUMMSEED covers the entire value chain—from alloy design and laboratory testing to pilot casting trials and the repair of real cone crusher components—laying the foundations for a circular, low-carbon steel ecosystem that keeps high-value parts in service for longer.
SUMMSEED in numbers
Potential reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable MMn steels and remanufacturing strategies.
Reduced Mn vs. Hadfield steels, lowering costs and critical-material dependence.
Expected gain in wear resistance vs. current Hadfield steels used in mining components.
25-35%
Lower lifecycle costs
Estimated reduction in lifecycle costs for remanufactured mining components compared to purchasing new parts.
Increase in lifespan for remanufactured cone crusher components thanks to the new medium-Mn steels.
TRL 3 TRL 5
Technology readiness level
Advancing medium-Mn steels for casting and DED from early-stage research to validated pilot-scale applications.
To design a medium manganese steel (MMnS) tailored to the production conditions of casting and directed energy deposition
To develop an optimal processing window for casting and directed energy deposition.
To demonstrate the viability of the developed MMnS material for remanufacturing
To achieve the performance property requirements through a novel industrially-oriented processing route.
To prove the economic viability of this novel approach towards future industrial scale implementation.
Project Partners
SUMMSEED brings together leading universities, research centres and industrial companies that cover the full value chain—from alloy design to industrial demonstrators.
specializes in metal forming and alloy design, contributing material design, modelling and alloy kinetics, and producing MMnS wire feedstock for DED at pilot scale.
Technology provider for laser-based DED, contributing equipment, process development and know-how for remanufacturing.
European steelmaker in charge of industrial casting trials, mechanical testing and quality validation under real processing conditions.
Leads project coordination, alloy design and advanced characterization, linking fundamental metallurgy with industrial needs.
End-user from the mining sector, defining material requirements, producing cone-crusher demonstrators and leading testing at higher TRLs.
Expert in digital and additive manufacturing. Develops and optimizes DED processes and supports dimensional inspection of demonstrator parts.
Provide advanced alloy design, modelling and process metallurgy, including wire development for DED and pilot-scale processing.
Progress beyond the state-of-the-art
New Steel grades
Computational materials combined with advanced characterization techniques such as in situ synchrotron methods to go beyond the current knowledge in Mn steels.
Industrial processing guidelines
Application of Medium-Mn steels to near-net shape processing of bulk products by casting and directed energy deposition (DED) implemented for the first-time.
New steps to offer an overall lower processing cost and a reduction of the carbon footprint compared to Hadfield steels. Novel heat treatment protocols for efficient microstructure adjustment.
Mining use case: cone crusher
SUMMSEED responds the need of satisfying the high-volume production and reparation of steel parts in the mining industry to reduce the lead time, the total lifecycle cost of equipment contributing to environmental sustainability.
Remanufacturing worn, or damaged Mn steel parts by DED will be pioneered, by developing dedicated DED material feedstock, extending their service life and promoting resource conservation.
Expected impact
Environmental impact
30% potential reduction in CO₂ emissions through lower alloy content, reduced energy demand and systematic remanufacturing instead of replacing parts. Large reductions in waste and increased use of scrap and recycled material.
Economic and industrial impact
Lower alloying and processing costs, longer component lifetimes and 25–35% lower lifecycle costs for remanufactured mining components compared to new parts. Stronger competitiveness for European steelmakers and mining suppliers.
Strategic impact
Reduced dependence on critical raw materials and volatile manganese markets, reinforcing Europe’s industrial resilience.
Scientific and societal impact
New knowledge on MMn steels, advanced characterization and modelling, plus safer, more automated processes and new skilled jobs in remanufacturing and circular steel value chains.
