Additive manufacturing

Additive Technologies for Industry and Research

Additive manufacturing has fundamentally transformed the production world. At the Institute of Production Engineering (IFT), the focus lies particularly on metal 3D printing, complemented by modern polymer printing methods. We develop new parameters for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), explore wire-based processes, and work on innovative methods such as LPLM (LED-Powder Layer Melting), which enable minimal powder consumption and short printing times.

A particular focus is placed on “Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM)”. Through functional integration and topology optimization, additive manufacturing allows for extreme weight reduction. We combine additive and classical subtractive processes to achieve this. Another major research field includes process development and optimization in additive manufacturing.

Research Focus Areas:

  • LPLM – Innovative laser and LED exposure strategies for metallic materials in powder-layer processes
  • Mg4AM – Parameter development, process optimization, and part qualification for processing magnesium alloys using LPBF

Equipment & Machines at the IFT

  • Polymer 3D Printers
    • Formlabs Form 3 – SLA, build volume: 145 × 145 × 185 mm, high detail resolution
    • Bambulab H1S – FFF, build volume: 340 × 320 × 340 mm, multi-material and multi-color printing
    • Bambulab X1E – FFF, build volume: 256 × 256 × 256 mm, multi-material and multi-color printing
    • Ultimaker S5 – FFF, build volume: 330 × 240 × 300 mm, dual extrusion
  • Metal 3D Printers
    • SLM 280 HL – SLM, build volume: 280 × 280 × 365 mm, materials: stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, Inconel, and magnesium alloys; high dimensional accuracy and complex geometries
    • Gefertec arc605 – WAAM, build volume: Ø 900 × 700 mm, materials: steel, aluminum alloys, titanium, etc.; high deposition rates and hybrid processing capabilities (additive and subtractive)