Innovative research project Ad-Proc-Add II optimises Additive Manufacturing through hybrid process chains
April 2, 2025
Coordinated by The Research Association for Mechanical Engineering e.V. (FKM), the Mechatronics Cluster of ecoplus – The Business Agency of Lower Austria – and KU Leuven, seven research institutions from Austria, Germany and Belgium have collaborated with numerous industry partners to develop new approaches for combining Additive and Subtractive Manufacturing processes in the research project Ad-Proc-Add II (Advanced Processing of Additively Manufactured Parts II).
Funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Flanders Agency for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO), the project has significantly improved the efficiency and quality of Additive Manufacturing through comprehensive process optimisation and innovative simulation methods.
New standards for hybrid manufacturing processes
The goal of Ad-Proc-Add II was to optimise the Additive-Subtractive Manufacturing (ASM) chain. In the course of the project, the following key areas were addressed:
- Developed new support structures that reduce material consumption and simplify post-processing,
- Designed hybrid manufacturing strategies that combine various additive methods such as Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) and Directed Energy Deposition (DED) with conventional machining,
- Integrated numerical simulations enabling precise prediction of part quality and dimensional stability,
- Designed an intelligent process database to enable optimised toolpath planning and automation.
These innovations significantly contribute to the cost-effective implementation of Additive Manufacturing technologies in industrial applications. Companies in the tooling, machinery, and production industries directly benefit from the research results.
Successful collaboration between research and industry
The project was carried out by the following research partners and industry associations:
- The Research Association for Mechanical Engineering e.V. ****(FKM), Germany
- ecoplus. The Business Agency of Lower Austria GmbH, Austria
- KU Leuven, Belgium
- Thomas More Mechelen – Antwerp University of Applied Sciences, Belgium
- Institute for Machine Tools (IfW), University of Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute of Machining Technology (ISF), TU Dortmund University, Germany
- GFE ‐ Gesellschaft für Fertigungstechnik und Entwicklung Schmalkalden e.V., Germany
- Institute of Production Engineering and Photonic Technologies (IFT), TU Wien, Austria
- FOTEC – Forschungs- und Technologietransfer GmbH, Austria
In addition, leading companies in tool and mechanical engineering and software development, as well as industry end users, supported the project, ensuring that the research results were practical and applicable in real-world settings.
Scientific dissemination and outlook
The research findings were presented at international conferences and trade fairs such as EMO, METAV, and Formnext, as well as in specialised publications. Workshops and seminars further enabled direct knowledge transfer to the industry.
With the advancements achieved in the ASM process chain, Ad-Proc-Add II looks to open new possibilities for sustainable and cost-efficient production of high-precision components. The research partners are already planning follow-up projects to further transfer the developed technologies into industrial practice.
