The additive manufacturing technologies allow a flexible construction within shortest time. Drawings, tool construction and the procurement of semi-finished products can be dispensed. This changes the entire product development process radically and shortens the reaction times of the enterprises opposite changed market requirements. With the appropriate management concepts, you can optimize your products and services in terms of cost, time, quality and environment.
If a complex metallic component is to be provided with an extended range of functions, it can be equipped with integrated, so-called RFID chips during laser sintering or laser melting. The challenge is to manage the process of integrating the RFID components in such a way that they continue to function perfectly after installation. This creates completely new possibilities for the further functionalization of additively produced components. Various application scenarios are possible when using the RFID units, which can be read out without contact and at a distance, and which can also be fed with new data, depending on the design. These range from simple reading of the identification code for plagiarism protection to storing information during use to support further product development.
In the field of additive processes, we develop manufacturing processes such as Selective Laser Melting (SLM). With SLM as a rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing process, metallic and ceramic components and tools are produced.
The work of our member institutes includes process engineering, physical and materials science fundamentals, modelling to support and optimize process development, and the development of components for beam guidance and shaping, powder supply and process monitoring and control. Furthermore, we develop and install complete pilot plants.
Today, in many industries, standard products from various CAD modular systems are selected and used. However, the last components that have the real contact with the product are manufactured at great expense and effort for each individual product and in single pieces or very small series.
By additive manufacturing technologies our member institutes improve not only punctual the quality of partial functionalities, but manufacture also whole function building groups directly, which are operational without further assembly steps.
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft