Additive Manufacturing (AM) is one of the game-changers of the 21st century. In theory, 3D printing and AM allow producing complex, personalized parts On-Demand. What sets AM apart is that it is a scalable, automated, profitable manufacturing method for components, while 3D printing is only profitably on a laboratory scale and for single pieces. In fact, AM has not found its way to large volume production, yet. 3D printing is still stuck in the prototyping segment due to a lack of high-quality finishing options. Especially the powder bed technology, which is the most widely used 3D-printing method for polymer parts, suffers from its rough surface. The use of these parts is still limited, as most applications require a smooth surface for optical or functional reasons such as:
✓ Reducing turbulence and assure water- or airtightness for carrying fluids or gases
✓ Wipeable surfaces for food and medical applications
✓ Preparation for subsequent homogeneous coloring or spray coating
✓ Powder residue-free parts for cleanroom applications guaranteed
✓ Scratch resistance
✓ Increased mechanical properties, e.g. elongation at break
However, such surface quality cannot be achieved by the printing process. On the other hand, many advantages come with AM, which justifies the effort to industrialize AM:
✓ AM generates significantly less waste than traditional manufacturing methods, which is in
accordance with the EU strategy to reduce plastic waste and plastic pollution.
✓ AM saves on energy costs and GHG emissions in the production process.
✓ Decentralized manufacturing also reduces logistics and therefore the environmental impact.
✓ AM is a powerful tool to reduce complexity in the supply chain and make Europe less dependent on
suppliers. That this dependency can be problematic can be observed by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is currently facing.
✓ AM has the potential to bring back production to high wage countries with minimized manual labor and the need for high skilled workforces
AM has two major effects on energy demand which are in line with the sustainability goal of increasing the EU’s climate mitigation ambition and the EU green deal. The simplification of supply chain due to proximity of production near to end-users and the enablement of new products with less weight and energy demand.
The overall objective of the Project “Powerfuse S 4 AM” is to increase the market readiness and enable a series production of the innovative chemical smoothing solution for AM. With this product ready to be delivered into global markets the adoption and industrialization of AM are supported.
