New concepts and strategies for 3D printing of metal parts

In the “Advanced Processing of Additively Manufactured Parts” (Ad-Proc-Add) project, with experts from ecoplus Mechatronics-Cluster, scientists have thoroughly investigated additive-subtractive manufacturing (ASM) process chains, focusing on the impact of different parameters, strategies and restrictions on material properties and characteristics of elements produced in 3D printing technology.

The project, carried out by nine research institutions from Germany, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland and supported by a committee consisting of companies representing all relevant market sectors, aimed to optimize component properties such as geometry, surface and sub-surface characteristics throughout the manufacturing process chain based on 3D printing and machining.

Forschungskuratorium Maschinenbau e.V. (FKM) coordinated the project, and the Institute for Drilling Machines (IfW) at the University of Stuttgart oversaw the technical aspects. An international research consortium was established, combining the necessary competences in the field of additive manufacturing, machining processes, monitoring and control of processes, machines and systems, simulation and optimization, as well as energy efficiency analysis. Using interdisciplinary skills, detailed experimental studies were carried out, analyzing the relationships between parameter settings and their effects on element properties during additive and subtractive processes. These studies provided valuable information on physical influences and methods for process monitoring and quality control through correlation analysis.

Based on these results, researchers developed new tooling concepts, 3D printing strategies for metal components, advanced post-processing methods, system prototypes for monitoring devices and additional services, all compiled into a digital compendium.

The acquired knowledge assists system and service providers in developing new products with better functionalities, while enabling end users to implement ASM process chains with greater productivity and improved economic and ecological efficiency.

The digital compendium is available for free download on the project website at www.ad-proc-add.eu.

Source: ecoplus press materials