EU project InShaPe – Next innovation leap in metal-based additive manufacturing
Munich, Germany – In many industrial sectors, such as in the automotive industry, in aerospace or in the energy sector, the demand for special metal components that are light and have a high strength is increasing. Modern gas turbines, for example, require extremely stable and at the same time lightweight heat shields. An important manufacturing process for this is the powder-bed fusion process of metals using laser beam (PBF-LB/M). Depending on the application, the process is not yet always competitive compared with conventional production in terms of unit costs.
The research and innovation project InShaPe, funded by the EU with EUR 6.8 million, aims to make a decisive contribution to the further development of the technology. Under the coordination of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), here the Professorship of Laser-based Additive Manufacturing, ten partners from seven countries are working together on the project.
In powder-bed fusion of metals, extremely thin layers of metal powder are applied to a building platform. This powder layer is melted by a focused laser beam and binds to the underlying material layer during solidification. This process is repeated layer by layer until a finished component is created. Due to the layered structure, complex and weight-saving geometries can be realised. After removal of excess powder, the finished component is then usually post-processed depending on the application.
Flexible adaptation of the laser spot enables efficient and cost-effective production
The aim of the recently launched EU project InShaPe is to further develop metal-based additive manufacturing. The improved manufacturing process is based on a high-performance optical module with programmable intensity distribution and AI techniques to determine the optimal beam shape for the target object, determined for example by the material type and geometry. InShaPe also develops an innovative process monitoring and control system for quality analysis that integrates multispectral imaging, i.e. simultaneous observation of light of different wavelengths into the area of additive manufacturing.
“The combination of these two new technologies enables efficient and advanced exposure strategies so that even the most demanding production of complex special components works right away”, says InShaPe coordinator Prof. Dr.-Ing. Katrin Wudy from the School of Engineering and Design at the Technical University of Munich.
InShaPe makes metal-based additive manufacturing faster, cheaper and more sustainable
The consortium has set itself the goal of further developing this form of additive manufacturing into a commercially wide-ranging manufacturing technology that shall outperform conventional manufacturing processes such as die casting in terms of precision and sustainability in the future. This is due to the fact that the adaptation of the laser beam shape and the new exposure options enable an energy- and material-efficient production process. At the same time, the InShaPe innovation aims at demonstrating the competitiveness of additive manufacturing compared to traditional manufacturing processes in terms of unit costs, flexibility and production volume. The AI-supported control and operation should also enable non-highly qualified workers to use the new process.
The overall goal of InShaPe is to further develop and demonstrate an innovative powder-bed fusion process for metals (PBF-LB/M) for four industrial applications in the aerospace, energy and automotive industry. Compared to the current state of the art, the following advantages should be achieved:
• a seven times higher production rate
• over 50 percent lower costs
• 60 percent less energy consumption
• 30 percent less waste
In the long term, the successful development and marketing of InShaPe technologies is intended to strengthen the European PBF-LB/M manufacturing industry as a leading provider of highly complex parts and set new best-in-class standards for digital, resource-efficient and agile laser-based production methods.
About the EU project InShaPe
InShaPe started on June 1, 2022 and will run until the end of May 2025. The project is being carried out by the Technical University of Munich with nine other partners from France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain. The project is managed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Katrin Wudy, Head of the Professorship of Laser-based Additive Manufacturing at the Technical University of Munich. The EU is supporting the project with EUR 6.8 million under the European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, “Horizon Europe”. Of this funding, EUR 3.8 million will go to Bavarian stakeholders.
About the Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR) GmbH
During the application phase, BayFOR supported the coordinator and the consortium in the technical and content-related conceptualisation of the EU application as well as in clarifying financial and administrative issues. As a project partner in InShaPe, BayFOR assumes the tasks of financial and administrative project management as well as communication with the public and interested expert groups.
The Bavarian Research Alliance (https://www.bayfor.org/en), which is supported by the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts, provides advice and comprehensive support to Bavarian stakeholders from science and industry (in particular SMEs) on acquiring European funding for research, development and innovation. The focus is on the EU's framework programme for research and innovation, Horizon Europe (https://www.bayfor.org/en/eu-funding/horizon-europe). BayFOR is a partner in the Enterprise Europe Network and in the Bavarian Research and Innovation Agency.
InShaPe profile
Project name: InShaPe (Grant Agreement no. 101058523) – Green Additive Manufacturing through innovative beam shaping and process monitoring
Duration: 06/2022 – 05/2025
Coordination: Technical University of Munich, Germany (https://www.tum.de/en)
Project partners:
Aenium Engineering, Spain (https://www.aenium.es)
AMEXCI, Sweden (https://amexci.com)
Bavarian reserach Alliance GmbH, Germany(http://www.bayfor.org/en)
BEAMIT Group, Italy (https://www.beam-it.eu)
Eindhoven University of Technology, Niederlande (https://www.tue.nl/en/)
EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems, Germany (https://www.eos.info/en)
Oerlikon AM Europe GmbH, Germany (https://www.oerlikon.com/am/en)
SILIOS Technologies, France (https://www.silios.com)
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel (https://www.technion.ac.il/en/)
Project coordinator: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Katrin Wudy, Technical University of Munich
Programme: Horizon Europe
Total funding amount: EUR 6.8 million
Funding: European Union
Press contacts:
Project coordinator:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Katrin Wudy
TUM School of Engineering and Design
Professorship of Laser-based Additive Manufacturing
Technical University of Munich
Tel: +49 (0)89 289 - 55320
E-mail: katrin.wudy@tum.de
https://www.mec.ed.tum.de/en/lbam/home/
At BayFOR:
Dr Nico Riemann
Scientific Officer and Deputy Head of Unit Information-/Communication Technologies |
Engineering & Natural Sciences
Tel.: +49 (0)911 50715-910
E-mail: riemann@bayfor.org
Emmanuelle Rouard
Head of Public Relations
Tel.: +49 (0)89 9901888-111
E-mail: rouard@bayfor.org
https://www.bayfor.org/en
Wissenschaftlicher Ansprechpartner:
Project coordinator:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Katrin Wudy
TUM School of Engineering and Design
Professorship of Laser-based Additive Manufacturing
Technical University of Munich
Tel: +49 (0)89 289 - 55320
E-mail: katrin.wudy@tum.de
https://www.mec.ed.tum.de/en/lbam/home/
Weitere Informationen:
https://www.bayfor.org/inshape-pr-english - picture material in high resolution
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