Additive manufacturing: Journey with rewarding destinations

Focus on tried-and-tested economic applications

Additive manufacturing is proving to be a key technology for industrial transformation. It has the potential to revolutionise the design and manufacturing process of products. Alone or in combination with conventional processes, it can solve manufacturing tasks in a completely new way. “In recent years, there have been numerous innovative technological developments in additive and hybrid manufacturing. Now the manufacturers have set out to increasingly industrialise them. Our ‘journey’ in the Technology Forum therefore goes strongly in this direction. We focus on specific applications that are easy to implement in the daily work process, bring economic benefits to the user and also generate sustainability effects. With practical examples from a wide range of industries, we want to encourage ‘copying’ in the best sense of the word,” says Marcus Witt, Technical Sales at METROM Mechatronische Maschinen GmbH and member of the advisory board for the Additive Manufacturing Technology Forum.

How SMEs can benefit from large corporations

The forum will focus on examples of successful additive applications in production as well as in component repairs and maintenance measures. In a keynote speech, Dr Frank von Lacroix will report on how additive manufacturing is increasingly finding its way from prototype status into series production at the Volkswagen Group. In further presentations, experts from BMW will show how additive manufacturing (AM) is used to optimise tool and fixture construction, for example. The rail vehicle manufacturer Alstom relies on 3D-printed components ‘on demand’ and with end-2-end traceability and presents the on-demand solution. SMEs can benefit from the experience of these vehicle manufacturers and other companies when implementing 3D printing processes in their companies.

Unique mobile repair factory

The advantages of AM in terms of efficiency, flexibility and sustainability are particularly evident in the procurement of spare parts and maintenance. One example is the mobile factory, which enables repairs to be carried out on complex components, even in remote areas or on the high seas. GEFERTEC, the specialist for additive manufacturing technology, presents the technology platform in container format. This is a joint development with METROM and other partners in a joint project of the WIR! alliance WI+R for the digitalisation of maintenance, servicing and repair, coordinated by BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. The innovation combines machining with arc, plasma and laser welding solutions, supplemented by digital assistance systems.

Lower costs and material usage with additive repair processes

toolcraft, a specialist in metallic 3D printing, is presenting a new AM robot application. Using the robot-guided laser nozzle, damaged or worn components can be repaired by selective material application. Compared to new fabrication, this approach not only saves costs but also reduces the use of materials. At the forum, Knowhow Wilhelms, a long-standing partner of the foundry and automotive supply industry, will be demonstrating the advantages of metal cold spray in comparison to conventional welding when repairing castings.

Oscar PLT reports on the repair of gas turbine components using wire-based 3D laser application. The importance of the material for successful 3D printing processes is the focus of Nordmetall’s presentation. The company has developed a new type of wire material that enables the 3D printing of protective components, including for vehicle construction.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft presents the latest industry-orientated research results. This includes efficient repair processes for industrial applications using extreme high-speed laser application (EHLA) and the use of subtractive and additive technologies for the time- and cost-efficient manufacture and repair of components.

Looking beyond the industrial horizon

Additive manufacturing has long been demonstrating its potential outside the manufacturing industry as well. “It has provided a major boost for medical technology. With the latest 3D printing technologies, patient-specific instruments and implants can be produced for the first time with maximum precision and reproducibility. This now also takes place directly on site at the clinic, thus contributing to even better and faster patient care,” explains PD Dr Ronny Grunert. The member of the Technology Forum advisory board is a scientist at the Fraunhofer IWU and technical director of the 3D printing research laboratory at the Department of Neurosurgery at Leipzig University Hospital. In his keynote speech, Deputy Clinic Director Prof Dr Dirk Winkler will report on 3D printing technologies for personalised surgical therapy and will present applications in the field of neurosurgery in particular, such as biopsy devices and cranial implants. One development from Leipzig is a 3D-printed stereotactic frame that can be used, for example, to perform biopsies with pinpoint accuracy. This is gentler on patients and reduces the workload for doctors.

Opportunities in medical technology

“In our development projects, we cooperate closely with technology partners from the SME sector. 3D printing companies that have previously concentrated on investment goods industries are finding a broad operating field in medical technology,” says Dr Grunert, pointing to opportunities for new business. “One challenge is to make the entire manufacturing process for 3D-printed implants or models, including pre- and post-processing, even more efficient while maintaining the highest quality standards,” he says, describing how the ‘journey’ of additive manufacturing in medical technology will continue.

Digitalisation enables additive manufacturing at the touch of a button

Realising an efficient end-to-end process from design, material and technology selection, production preparation and implementation through to post-processing and quality assurance is a goal that developers and users across all industries have. Digitisation is the key word here. “With a continuous data chain, additive manufacturing is possible at the touch of a button. Artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) are the driving forces behind making this vision a reality. The solutions that are already available are an important topic of the Technology Forum,” says Dr Thomas Heber, Deputy Managing Director of Composites United e. V. and member of the Technology Forum’s advisory board.

Symate, a specialist in technology data management, shows how a sound database and AI tools can be used to predictively determine the right manufacturing parameters for products – and in the required quality from a batch size of 1. The Leichtbau-Zentrum Sachsen presents procedures that can be used to obtain reliable material data and, on this basis, to implement precise simulations in the development process, thus shortening development times. The Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology at TU Dresden demonstrates the advantages of AR in the production environment using the example of a robot-assisted injection moulding process. AR tools support both the training of employees directly at the workplace and the monitoring of production while contributing to greater safety, efficiency and quality.

Pushing the boundaries of what is possible with 3D printing

Qualified engineers, technicians and skilled workers are needed to realise the potential of additive manufacturing. “Today, training is often still based on conventional construction guidelines,” emphasises Marcus Witt: “However, additive technologies enable a completely new approach to design. This allows geometries to be created that are not possible with conventional processes. This new approach opens up interesting career prospects. However, training is needed. AM aspects are still given too little consideration in training and further education.” For this reason, the last day of the Technology Forum, which is traditionally also the ‘Young Professionals Day’ of Intec and Z, is primarily dedicated to the topics of qualification and design freedom. New qualification opportunities will be presented in several speeches. There are also interesting insights into how 3D printing is pushing the boundaries of what is possible, e. g. in fashion design or in architecture and construction.