Project description
Transitioning 3D printing into additive manufacturing
3D printing, particularly plastic 3D printing, has enormous potential and is garnering great interest in several sectors and fields. However, despite all its possibilities, current plastic 3D printing solutions provide rough, uneven surfaces that are matt, vulnerable to dirt and a hotbed for germs, while also being unappealing. The EU-funded Powerfuse S 4 AM project aims to overcome these issues by developing and introducing VaporFuse Surfacing. This environmentally clean physiochemical process smooths the surface. It also allows for water-repellent, airtight and glossy surfaces, can be wiped in the case of being used for food or medical applications, and enables 3D printing to transition into additive manufacturing.
Objective
Today, plastic 3D-printing cannot fully exploit its potential. The surface qualities do not meet the requirements of the
products. Rough surfaces, obtained on as-printed parts, are matt, susceptible to dirt, a breeding ground for germs and do not
exhibit an appealing appearance. This is where the Powerfuse S comes in. It enables a scalable surface smoothing of 3Dprinted
polymer parts by a stable, reproducible and environmentally friendly physio-chemical process, the so-called
VaporFuse Surfacing (VFS). Apart from optical advantages, the VFS treated parts offer smooth, water-repellent and glossy
surfaces. The parts have wipeable surfaces for food and medical applications, increased mechanical properties and scratch
resistance and assure water- and airtightness for carrying fluids or gases. VFS can substitute the extensive preparation for
subsequent spray coating and delivers powder residue-free parts for clean room applications. VFS challenges traditional
injection molding for the first time and enables 3D-printing to finally become Additive Manufacturing. Within this project, the
Powerfuse S is to be further developed into a large-scale, industry 4.0-ready sustainable system. The smoothing processes
are optimized and developed for other industry-relevant polymers. Parallel to the technical side, all legal, sales and
operational foundations are being laid to get this pioneering product to market. Automated post-processing of AM
parts is inevitable to fully exploit all advantages of AM like mass customization of complex products with reduced costs and
production times as well as a decrease of waste and scrap. It opens unprecedented
possibilities for the production of tomorrow and has the potential to disrupt whole industries. Especially the enablement of
on-site production and reducing complexity of global supply chains as well as enabling weight reduction in the aerospace industry through complex product design is a key enabler in saving energy and GHG emissions.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
82152 Planegg-Munich
Germany
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.