Researchers from various European universities and industry experts are collaborating on the ConstructAdd project (“Resource-Efficient Steel Construction using Additive Manufacturing”) to demonstrate that the widespread implementation of metal 3D printing can lead to a 30% reduction in energy consumption within the steel construction sector. The project kicked off in September 2022, in Milan, Italy.
Dr. Alper Kanyilmaz from Politecnico di Milano, the coordinator of ConstructAdd, explained that ConstructAdd aims to expedite the shift toward a more sustainable production model in the steel construction sector. The consortium includes Politecnico di Milano, University of Pisa, RWTH Aachen, IMDEA Materials Institute, Prima Additive, BLM Group, Det Norske Veritas, CIMOLAI SPA, VALLOUREC, MIMETE, and ArcelorMittal Vitry.
Recently, ConstructAdd achieved a significant milestone by successfully fabricating its first component using laser-powder-bed-fusion (LPBF) technology. This groundbreaking technique hasalready demonstrated its potential by producing a stainless steel connector that is both more resilient to stress levels and 33% lighter than a traditionally cast component.
“In producing this first piece, we have demonstrated that even conventional metallic components can derive advantages from the LPBF process,” said Dr. Alper Kanyilmaz. “These advantages include reduced material consumption, minimising waste and the introduction of an overall more sustainable approach to manufacturing.”
The project is funded by the European Commission, Research Fund for Coal and Steel (2022-2026).
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