Chemistry & Process Engineering and AM Science forums at Rapid.Tech 3D 2024
April 4, 2024
DECHEMA, the German network for chemical engineering and biotechnology is partnering of the Chemical and Process Engineering forum at the Rapid.Tech 3D Additive Manufacturing event hosted in Erfurt. This was agreed by DECHEMA and Messe Erfurt in a cooperation agreement in January 2024.
“Two perfect partners” is how Rapid.Tech 3D advisory board member Dr Özlem Weiss described the cooperation between DECHEMA and Messe Erfurt. Weiss, a chemist and managing director of Expertants GmbH, shared. “Both partners focus on fostering a dialogue between experts from different disciplines and on pooling AM expertise.”
This is also underscored by the programme of the Chemistry & Process Engineering forum. On May 15, 2024, it will open with a keynote by Dr Jan Brummund, business development manager at the Dutch chemical company InnoSyn, on the potential of AM in chemical process engineering. Eight other exciting contributions from the chemical industry will follow.
“Rapid.Tech 3D has an excellent reputation in our AM world thanks to its well-balanced three-part structure of conference, exhibition and networking,” stated Christian Seidel, full professor of Additive Manufacturing and manufacturing technologies at Munich University of Applied Sciences and chair of the advisory board. “A coherent congress programme like this one featuring attractive forums contributes significantly to promoting exchanges between stakeholders.”
The expansion of the cooperation between DECHEMA and the trade fair and congress organiser in central Germany coincides with the twentieth year of Rapid.Tech 3D.
“At the leading edge for over twenty years. This is what Rapid.Tech 3D is all about. I’m, therefore, delighted to be able to continue this constant development with DECHEMA as a partner in our anniversary year,” said Michael Kynast, CEO of Messe Erfurt GmbH.
At Rapid.Tech 3D 2024, the Fraunhofer Competence Field Additive Manufacturing will highlight the services it provides by means of an oversized hand. As well as representing the FingerKIt project, which is manufacturing movable finger joint implants, the hand also symbolises the Fraunhofer’s overall philosophy of application-orientated, practical research. Researchers will present examples of current work in the Additive Manufacturing field at the AM Science by Fraunhofer Forum, which will be held on May 16 at the Rapid.Tech and at the exhibition on all three days of the event.
Fully automatable process for Additive Manufacturing movable finger joint implants
The FingerKIt project mentioned above has involved five Fraunhofer Institutes working together to develop a fully automatable process chain for the manufacture of customised and movable finger joint implants – from design and production through to testing and certification. Dr Philipp Imgrund from the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Additive Manufacturing Technologies IAPT will report on the project at the forum.
“The presentation will explain what the Fraunhofer Competence Field Additive Manufacturing is all about. We look at the AM chain as a whole and undertake application-oriented research to support industrialisation. We focus on innovation in software, simulation, materials, technologies, post-processing and quality assurance. This is also reflected in the agenda for this year’s forum,” stated Dr Bernhard Müller, spokesperson for the Fraunhofer Competence Field Additive Manufacturing and member of the Rapid.Tech 3D advisory board.
Accelerated simulation for optimal PBF-LB results
Thomas Töppel from the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU will present a new software-based process chain for Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB), demonstrating how simulations can be accelerated to optimise process parameters.
Alternative AM processes and detection of defects with AI
Timo Schröder from the Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV will focus on how to determine transition zone parameters between different materials in multi-material laser melting. In addition to Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB), the dominant process for additively manufacturing metal components, there are alternatives that enable non-weldable materials to be processed, thus eliminating one of the weaknesses in the PBF-LB process. Dr Thomas Studnitzky from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM will provide an overview.
As well as developments in software, materials and technology, the spotlight will also be on increasingly on fast and reliable test methods for quality assurance of additive processes. Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a growing role in this, as Luke Schüller from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT will demonstrate. His presentation will provide insight into PBF-LB quality assurance methods; he will also present a new method for detecting defects in the PBF-LB process using a high-resolution line scan camera and a pre-trained neural network.
Visitors will be able to view and discuss examples of all the topics presented and other AM developments at the Fraunhofer Competence Field Additive Manufacturing exhibition stand.
Download Metal AM magazine
