3D4MEC, Fraunhofer IAPT and Thetascan partner to monitor in-situ brass Additive Manufacturing
October 15, 2024
3D4MEC, Sasso Marconi, Italy, has partnered with the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Additive Manufacturing Technologies (IAPT), Hamburg, Germany, and Thetascan, Dinslaken, Germany, in an effort to develop an advanced in-situ monitoring system for the 3D4BRASS Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Additive Manufacturing machine.
The in-situ monitoring system is designed to detect real-time defects during the PBF-LB Additive Manufacturing process, thereby enhancing the quality and repeatability of the components produced.
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“The collaboration with Fraunhofer IAPT and Thetascan is a tremendous opportunity for 3D4MEC to strengthen our commitment to research and development, an area in which we have heavily invested over the past years,” stated Fabrizio Marino Corsini, Managing Director of 3D4MEC. “With this synergy, we aim to develop customised Additive Manufacturing solutions for special materials, meeting the specific needs of our clients and the market.”
Thetascan will provide an optical system intended to improve the stability and reliability of the Additive Manufacturing process for complex materials like brass. The department of L-PBF – In-situ Monitoring and Process Control at Fraunhofer IAPT will contribute high-level scientific knowledge of the development of new technologies for metal Additive Manufacturing. The project will also explore the capabilities of an advanced version of 3D Optical Tomography (3D-OT), further expanding the monitoring capabilities of the system.
“In 3D4MEC, we have found an excellent partner to move on and advance the further development of optical tomography technology beyond the state of the art by means of extended sensor integration and fusion of multiple sensing technologies for a data-based quality control in Laser Powder Bed Fusion. The project will also profit from our previous investigations into optical tomography with ThetaScan,” explained Dennis Jutkuhn, scientific assistant for In-situ Monitoring & Process Control in L-PBF of Fraunhofer IAPT.
Integrating the technology will allow 3D4MEC intends to offer its solution — capable of real-time monitoring and correcting process defects during Additive Manufacturing of brass, reducing material waste and improving energy efficiency — worldwide.
