The Institute for Electrochemistry, Electroplating, and Materials Chemistry, known as EGM, is based in Austria and is among the leading experts in surface technology, chemical analysis, and industrial applications. With over 20 years of experience, the team led by Dr. Wolfgang Hansal, a civil engineer and certified expert, has developed extensive expertise. A particular focus lies on the post-processing of 3D-printed metal components, an essential step in additive manufacturing. In an interview with 3Druck.com, Dr. Hansal emphasizes that sustainable success in additive manufacturing can be achieved through hybrid post-processing methods and close integration across the entire process chain.
Additive manufacturing enables design freedom that is difficult to achieve with traditional methods. However, it also presents technical challenges: metallic components often exhibit high surface roughness and residual support structures. EGM offers comprehensive solutions for these issues – from selecting appropriate post-processing methods to process-integrated quality control. The goal is seamless integration of post-processing into the production chain to ensure the highest quality standards.
In addition to 3D printing post-processing, EGM’s service portfolio includes areas such as corrosion prevention, chemical management, and surface analysis. The institute also provides contaminant analysis, expert reports for insurance companies and lawyers, as well as support in planning chemical facilities. With its expertise, EGM helps optimize production processes and establish innovative technologies sustainably in the industry.
Interview with Dr. Wolfgang Hansal
Dr. Wolfgang Hansal is a renowned expert in chemistry, surface technology, and electroplating. With over 25 years of professional experience, he has successfully completed more than 100 industrial projects. As a board member of the European Academy of Surface Technology and the author of numerous technical publications, including books on electrochemical pulse plating and post-processing of 3D-printed components, he combines in-depth scientific knowledge with practical applications in industry and research.
In an interview with 3Druck.com, Dr. Hansal emphasizes the critical role of post-processing in additive manufacturing. He highlights the need for innovative, hybrid methods that overcome the limitations of traditional techniques. Equally important, he notes, is close collaboration along the entire process chain and the early integration of all steps into the design phase. These factors are essential for ensuring quality, efficiency, and the success of additive manufacturing in serial production.
How important do you think post-processing is within the process chain to optimally prepare 3D-printed parts for practical use?
Dr. Wolfgang Hansal
To date, especially in metal 3D printing, no part is ready for use straight out of the printer. Every component undergoes some form of post-processing, whether it’s simply depowdering or thermal treatment, such as stress relief. Most parts also require surface treatment to eliminate surface imperfections caused by the printing process. Post-processing, therefore, holds a crucial position in the process chain—or at least it should. Unfortunately, the primary focus remains on the printing process and the material used, with post-processing often regarded as an undesirable add-on. However, it is typically the steps that follow printing that impart the essential properties required for practical application. For example, the final dimensions of a part are achieved only after finishing, thermal treatment enhances mechanical properties, and smooth surfaces reduce wear or prevent failure due to cracks.
Which post-processing methods are most commonly used for 3D-printed metal components, and which do you consider particularly forward-looking?
Unfortunately, there remains a significant technological gap between the cutting-edge additive manufacturing technology, which can materialize almost any component from the digital realm, and the post-processing stage. Predominantly, manual and mechanical methods from traditional manufacturing, such as grinding, milling, and blasting, are used. Sometimes, these old ideas are simply repackaged in modern machinery, and rarely are there innovative approaches that go beyond merely automating these conventional techniques.
There are several alternative approaches, but they are slow to gain traction. Chemical and electrochemical methods often face a lack of acceptance, while laser-based techniques are hindered by their high costs. Interestingly, it is often these alternative methods that make certain design ideas feasible. For example, internal surface processing is nearly impossible with conventional mechanical methods, but fluid-based approaches can effortlessly reach complex channel structures and deep interior spaces to refine surfaces.
However, no single method is a “silver bullet” capable of addressing all challenges. Increasingly, the combination of various techniques—mechanical-chemical, chemical-thermal, chemical-electrochemical, and so on—is becoming the standard. This hybrid post-processing approach, in my opinion, represents the future of post-processing.
What challenges does post-processing in additive manufacturing pose for industrial applications, and how can these be overcome?
The transition to serial production brings new, previously overlooked challenges in post-processing for users. One key issue is standardizing parts and their associated surfaces, along with implementing robust quality assurance measures. With my long-standing experience in production across industries relevant to 3D printing—such as automotive, aerospace, and medical technology—I have spent nearly two decades working on quality criteria, minimizing scrap, developing limit sample sets, and improving quality assurance.
If additive manufacturing aims to transition into serial production for these industries, standardization and quality assurance will need to operate similarly—and we are still far from achieving this. However, this year’s FormNext trade fair provided some reason for optimism. Driven by sudden competitive pressure from Asia, I observed an increased willingness for collaboration across the various stages of the process chain.
In my view, this is the key to sustainable success: understanding the needs of individual process steps, bridging interfaces, and integrating the entire process chain as early as the design stage. Only this approach ensures reliable part production.
What specific measures is EGM planning as a member of AM Austria to advance the development and adoption of additive manufacturing technology in Austria?
At EGM, thanks to our extensive network and expertise, we have a comprehensive understanding of post-processing, particularly in metal additive manufacturing (Metal-AM). In the first quarter of 2025, my new book on post-processing will be published, providing, for the first time, a complete overview of all methods and possibilities in this area.
Additionally, for nearly a decade, we have been deeply engaged in the possibilities of hybrid post-processing. Our work extends beyond implementing these techniques in industrial practice to also establishing a corresponding standardization framework. Together with our customers, we develop industrially applicable post-processing workflows while simultaneously setting up appropriate quality assurance systems.
Success in this field goes hand in hand with strong networking. That is why we have been a member of the AM Austria platform since the first week of our company’s founding. Collaboration rather than competition is the guiding principle here. If European manufacturers are to maintain long-term technological leadership, we must learn from and with each other in a spirit of partnership.
In Austria, this is already working well thanks to the efforts of AM Austria. I am hopeful that these positive experiences can serve as a model for fostering such cooperation on a Europe-wide scale.
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