Fraunhofer Project Group Process Innovation
Fraunhofer Project Group Process Innovation

Additive Manufacturing

The industrialization of additive manufacturing is the main focus of our activities. We provide in research and development as well as knowledge and technology transfer to enable you to harness the potentials of additive manufacturing optimally.

Competences

 

High Speed Sintering

Material Characterization

The innovative additive manufacturing process High Speed Sintering (HSS) enable a wide range of polymer powders to be processed. For processing your polymer powder in the HSS process, we support you from Proof of Concept, including estimation of achievable component properties, through specific determination of process parameters, to identifying achievable powder recycling rates.

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Laser Beam Melting

User Safety


What are the hazards of using laser beam melting? How do I safely handle various reactive and/or toxic powder materials? What does a user-safe process chain look like in practice, including peripherals? We support you on both process and organizational levels.

 

Material Extrusion / High-Speed Sintering

Polymer Components with Integrated Sensors and Actuators

Additive manufacturing enables the selective integration of electrically conductive structures into polymer components. This allows the process- and resource-efficient production of individual polymer components with integrated sensors and actuators. We support you from design and material selection to the additive manufacturing of smart polymer components.

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Potential Analysis and Implementation

Do you want to integrate additive manufacturing optimally into your company structure? We support you in a benefit-optimized integration. A holistic perspective, considering suitable implementation into order, production, and knowledge management, plays a paramount role here.

Part Digitization and Reverse Engineering

Reverse engineering offers an efficient way to generate a digital model for parts for which no 3D design data is available. We support you from 3D scanning and surface reconstruction to constructive adaptation and (additive) production of prototypes.

Quality Assurance in Additive Manufacturing

The robustness and stability of additive process chains often do not meet industrial requirements, leading to poor component quality and reproducibility. Using methodical and technological solutions, we support you in ensuring your component quality and establishing quality assurance for your additive processes.

Laser Beam Melting

Powder Recycling and Disposal Management

Laser beam melting entails significant losses of metal powder throughout the process chain, which significantly affects cost-effectiveness. For this purpose, we develop customer-specific avoidance and treatment processes to maximize powder-recycling rates. Another focus is the development of specific disposal solutions.

 

High Speed Sintering

Functionally Graded Polymer Components

High Speed Sintering locally adjust (e.g., hardness, modulus of elasticity) polymer components in all three spatial directions through targeted control of the manufacturing process. The functional graduation enables components with adjusted properties.

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Digitalization of the Additive Process Chain

Digitalization of the additive process chain enables a significant increase in reproducibility and productivity through effective management of equipment, materials, and processes. We support you in transforming your requirements into a digital additive process chain. To achieve this, we utilize our self-developed tool for application-oriented digitalization of a heterogeneous equipment fleet.

Laboratories

Laser Beam Melting (LBM)

With its interdisciplinary approach, this division covers the entire process chain of laser beam melting, from data preparation to additive manufacturing with two open plant system to application-specific post-processing. Furthermore, experimental setups and procedures for quality assurance allow practice-relevant investigations.

 

High Speed Sintering (HSS)

The core element of this area is the High Speed Sintering machine VX200 HSS. Its open software and hardware allows the individual adjustment of all process parameters and free programming of process steps. This provides optimal conditions for any research and development work throughout the entire process chain of High Speed Sintering.

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Material Extrusion (MEX)

Due to its wide range of open systems equipped with integrated measuring technology and specific test rigs, this division offers optimum conditions for decisively advancing the industrialization of material extrusion. The focus is on increasing productivity, reproducibility and component quality as well as characterizing a wide range of materials.