MULTI-FUN project to enable multi-material metal AM

July 14, 2020

The MULTI-FUN project will develop new materials and equipment that offers designs with multi-functionality (Courtesy MULTI-FUN)

A consortium of twenty-one partners from eight countries has established MULTI-FUN, a three-year project to enable multi-material and multi-functional metal Additive Manufacturing of complex parts. The project aims to broaden the scope for metal Additive Manufacturing, and will leverage nanotechnologies to improve heat transfer rates, achieve higher complexity of internal design and enable the inclusion of sensing and data transfer capabilities.

A total of four science and technology objectives have been identified. The first is the development of five new materials customised for AM, with three of these using nanotechnology. This is said to allow for the creation of new products by maximising thermal conductivity, minimising electrical conductivity and/or improving the wear resistance of the metals. 

The second objective is the development of new equipment and software to additively manufacture the new material compositions. It is expected that this will result in innovative equipment that integrates several AM technologies working in parallel. 

The third objective is the manufacture and evaluation of physical demonstrator parts, with multi-material design and integrated multi-functionalities. At least ten new material combinations, from the five new materials, will be used to produce seven demonstrator parts aimed at different applications. These will include structural parts, moulds and test equipment, addressing the automotive, aviation, space and production industry sectors.

The final objective relates to constant assessment and improvement through a feedback loop, helping to reduce environmental and economic impact by evaluating AM materials, hardware, process strategy and part design. The expected key result from this will be the development of new standards and support the adoption of multi-material Additive Manufacturing.

The MULTI-FUN project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

www.multi-fun.eu

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • Aluminium Additive Manufacturing: How a new generation of alloys will fuel industry growth
  • Shaping a national Additive Manufacturing ecosystem: The strategic growth of metal AM in Türkiye
  • How metal Additive Manufacturing is transforming modern hydraulic systems
  • High-performance product development in the era of computational design: a case study with nTop and NASA
  • The Additive Manufacturing of record-breaking pure copper heatsinks for high-performance computing applications
  • The Additive Manufacturing of tool steels: how non-linear modelling enables precise hardness control

Join 40,000+ other AM professionals – follow us online

Don’t miss a thing – register for our newsletter

Don't miss any new issue of Metal AM magazine, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter.

Register now

Looking for AM machines, metal powders or part manufacturing services?

Discover suppliers of these and more in our comprehensive advertisers’ index and buyer’s guide, available in the back of Metal AM magazine.

  • AM machines
  • Process monitoring & calibration
  • Heat treatment & sintering
  • HIP systems & services
  • Pre- & post-processing technology
  • Powders, powder production and analysis
  • Part manufacturers
  • Consulting, training & market data
Find suppliers

About Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine

Metal AM magazine, published quarterly in digital and print formats, is read by a rapidly expanding international audience.

Our audience includes component manufacturers, end-users, materials and equipment suppliers, analysts, researchers and more.

In addition to providing extensive industry news coverage, Metal AM magazine is known for exclusive, in-depth articles and technical reports.

Our focus is the entire metal AM process from design to application.

Each issue is available as an easy-to-navigate digital edition and a high-quality print publication.

Discover our magazine archive…

The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

  • Reports on visits to leading metal AM part manufacturers and industry suppliers
  • Articles on technology and application trends
  • Information on materials developments
  • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
  • International industry news

All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

Browse the archive

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap