The second day of the rapid.tech 3D event in Erfurt focused on 3D printing as an integral part of technological developments in production and motorsport. Practical applications and strategic perspectives on additive manufacturing (AM) were presented and critically examined in specialist presentations and discussion panels.
Pat Warner, Advanced Digital Manufacturing Manager at BWT Alpine Formula One Team, opened the day with a review of the many years of AM use in Formula 1. Since setting up its own AM center in 2002, the team has successively expanded the use of printed components. The current vehicle generation includes over 200 components from additive manufacturing. In addition to reducing development times and weight, Warner emphasized the possibility of iteratively optimizing prototypes directly from digital data streams – a clear advantage in a highly competitive environment such as Formula 1.
In an industrial context, Max Schaukellis from Roland Berger presented a forecast for largely automated AM production. With the help of AI-supported process control and robotics, a continuous digital chain is to be realized in the future – from order processing to post-processing. Schaukellis sees decisive potential in the combination of scalability, reduced manual intervention and improved reproducibility. He believes that widespread use is realistic within the next five to ten years.
In addition to the keynote speeches, experts discussed specific applications in the chemical, electronics and mobility industries in technical forums. The topics of certification, standardization and digital process security were also discussed in depth at so-called “expert tables”.
A particular highlight was the awarding of the title “Pioneer of the Decade” to the Dvirs Lab at Tel Aviv University for the development of a 3D-printed heart made from stem cells – an example of the growing importance of additive processes in medical technology.
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