Industry

At Fraunhofer IAPT, we use our knowledge gained from over 15 years of research and development in the field of additive manufacturing and transfer it to your industrial application. We achieve this by helping you to accumulate knowledge along the entire value chain, shape innovation, and gain a competitive advantage. Whether training newcomers to the technology, designing bionic parts, developing complex additive processes, or planning the layout of quality-assured factories, you can benefit from our multidisciplinary experience in a wide range of technologies. Our experienced key account managers speak your language. From dental implants to large structures in shipbuilding, we know the relevant industry requirements and standards.

The wide-ranging possibilities of additive manufacturing are particularly well suited for the aerospace
industry. Weight-optimized parts, for example, have a positive effect on the overall mass of your aircraft.
Flow-optimized parts improve the performance of rocket and aircraft engines. In addition, hydraulic componentscan be designed to be much more efficient, creating advantages not only within the part itself, but also in conjunction with the overall system.

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The automotive industry is facing considerable challenges: electromobility, connectivity, autonomous
driving, car sharing require shorter product life cycles and a wide variety of different versions with new
demands made on parts and production processes. Ever stronger competition makes it necessary to respond flexibly and individually to the latest developments and requirements. We can help you to react precisely to these new market demands with additive manufacturing. Together with us, you can unlock the potential in all areas of motor vehicle production, from prototyping to printed spare parts.

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Machine construction and toolmaking are areas where maximum quality is demanded, but at the same time, cost pressure is also high. Conventional processes can be complemented – or in some cases replaced by the new additive manufacturing techniques. Intelligent cooling concepts produced by means of additive manufacturing enable machines to operate at their maximum load on a permanent basis, while tools can achieve outstanding cycle times with minimal energy. Additive manufacturing can also revolutionize your spare parts management by allowing cost-effective spare parts to be produced on demand over the long term.

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In recent decades, advances in image and graphic processing have changed medical imaging into something far beyond traditional, two-dimensional visualization. Special software approved for medical applications can be used to turn a group of two-dimensional images into a virtual 3D model, and adapt the geometry in line with requirements. This results in specifically adapted 3D models that can be used as a blueprint for producing medical structures by means of additive manufacturing.

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Additive manufacturing with plastics permits the production of virtually any type of part. Plastics are much lighter and cheaper than metals, although they are not as strong. Materials from almost any plastic group ranging from thermoplastics and thermoset plastics to thermoplastic elastomers – can be used for additive manufacturing. The FDM and SLS processes, in particular, make it possible to produce prototypes and small series parts that can be transferred to industrial applications in large-scale production runs.

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Ships and railroad cars may move around on different media, but there are nonetheless numerous parallels in terms of their structural elements, their uses, and thus also their requirements. Besides the relatively large dimensions, the characteristics they share include the high number of different components and interfaces as well as the complexity of the tasks, the processing stages, and the production process.