Experts: Adriaan Spierings (Inspire)
After more than 30 years of research and development, additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, has made its way into many industrial application areas. In industry, many additive manufacturing technologies are now seen as viable production procedures. Thus, very strong business cases have emerged on the application side, redefining state-of-the-art technology in the respective sectors and shifting boundaries by means of innovative solutions.
Picture: Gavin Allanwood, Unsplash
Innovative examples include temperature regulation solutions for tools with which to optimise temperature control in production and avoid hot spots, the manufacturing of flow-optimised valves with integrated sensors, and the production of complex parts in the mechanical engineering industry, such as turbine components. The level of technical maturity is now high, and the medical technology sector is also making increasing use of additive manufacturing to create patient- and application-specific implants and instruments. The range of possible applications is still expanding, as applications no longer necessarily have to fit into a shoe box, but in some cases can already reach the metre scale.
However, one fact must not be forgotten: Although additive procedures are generally becoming better known and are increasingly finding their way into industrial sectors, considerable development is still needed along the entire value chain. For instance, this includes development of suitable materials and optimised processes for specific applications. In addition, as a kind of bracket around the entire value chain, there is a great need for effective quality assurance measures and tools.
Nevertheless, the industrial significance of additive manufacturing can be further increased if, in particular, existing procedures are enhanced and new procedures come onto the market. Switzerland is in an excellent position to play a key role here, as it has a highly developed ecosystem of research-oriented, industrial and application partners who have the potential to push back the boundaries of the respective procedures. One important factor is the reduction of production costs per unit volume, which not only has a positive impact on productivity, but could also boost the automation of process chains. Moreover, new advanced materials and material systems offer high potential for innovation. In many Swiss industrial sectors, precision and surface properties matter a great deal. To date though, there has been little development of relevant additive procedures that take these aspects into account. Here then, it can also be said that the search is on for innovative solutions to further push back the boundaries of what is feasible, so as to give the Swiss economy new leverage when competing internationally.
