Success stories & projects
OUR TECHNOLOGY IN INDUSTRIAL USE
macu4 develops customized, 3D-printed forearm prostheses designed for outdoor activities, ensuring high quality through MDR compliance and GTIN labeling. To streamline production, the company aimed to configure customer orders digitally and automate the generation of reports and packing lists.
TÜV NORD provides accredited testing solutions for a wide range of additive manufacturing processes and serves as a trusted partner in additive marking. Together, we developed the iAM-APPROVED platform — a digital laboratory where customers can easily order testing and inspection services in accordance with DIN EN ISO/ASTM 52920. The platform is designed to boost customer confidence in additive manufacturing by making high-quality testing services more accessible.
The Böllhoff Group, an industry leader in fastening and assembly solutions, develops high-quality fixtures for various industries such as aerospace, energy and automotive. Additive Marking advised on the development of traceability for the manufacture of spindles for helicoils, which could not be conventionally marked due to their small and curved surfaces. A project was carried out to integrate direct markings to improve traceability.
The Materialise CO-AM platform is a leading software for managing 3D printing jobs. It supports various production strategies and offers many module add-ons. Important changes to part files are tracked using additive marking, especially for safety-critical components.
Replique – a subsidiary of BASF and an end-to-end digital inventory platform for 3D printing – supports the industry in the on-demand production of certified parts. Replique was looking for a solution to provide its customers with traceable parts with authenticating part markings and digital process documentation.
PartBox offers an on-demand parts streaming service with a digital warehouse of qualified components for the packaging industry. Customers can stream parts to their PartBox printer on demand, eliminating the need for physical warehousing. The customizable components offer more flexibility than traditional manufacturing methods. To securely stream customized parts worldwide, a solution was needed to easily identify the part number of each printed part.
Progress through research
As part of the iOrt joint project to improve the fitting and functionality of orthoses through the use of innovative sensors, we were able to achieve significant results. The challenge that patients’ body measurements and movement patterns are constantly changing was addressed by developing innovative optical sensors that are integrated directly into the orthoses. These sensors enable precise measurement of the load, which ensures optimal adaptation of the orthoses to the patient’s individual needs. Access to patient data has been developed through an authentication mechanism based on a unique physical identification of the orthosis. This direct marking, generated during the additive manufacturing process, is the central element that enables secure access to patient data. Sensor data can be synchronized and visualized wirelessly through a connection between the smart orthosis and a smartphone application and transmitted to a dashboard. Prototype software and hardware was successfully evaluated in terms of functionality in field tests.
The mobility of the future will require the continuous availability of all infrastructure objects, which is why short response and delivery times for a wide range of components in the right quantities will be particularly important with regard to the supply of spare parts, while maintaining economically and ecologically efficient boundary conditions. This is examined in detail in the research report published by the German Center for Rail Transport Research (DZSF) in September 2022.
A flexible manufacturing process that meets these requirements is metal powder bed based laser beam fusion [Powder Bed Fusion – Laser Beam / Metal (PBF-LB/M), in the DZSF report LBM] as one of the most common 3D printing processes.
The application potential, especially in the supply of spare parts for rail transport vehicles and associated infrastructure elements, which are characterized by high component diversity, long product life cycles and associated risks of product obsolescence, is just as immense as the barrier to the use of this manufacturing technology in the regulated area of rail transport. The need for adaptation identified in the DZSF report is in line with the consortium’s assessment and is addressed directly, as are recommendations for action.