Productivity in 3D printing: How Fraunhofer ILT is rethinking additive and laser-based processes

Industrial manufacturing is facing profound structural challenges. Rising energy and material costs, volatile supply chains, and growing demand for product variants are increasing pressure on production processes. Against this backdrop, the question of productive, robust, and cost-efficient manufacturing is increasingly coming into focus. In industrial 3D printing as well, the emphasis is shifting from mere feasibility toward efficient integration into existing process chains.

At the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT , this approach is pursued consistently. Additive manufacturing processes such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion or laser-based coating processes are not regarded there as isolated technologies, but as building blocks of hybrid production systems. The aim is to deliberately combine additive steps with conventional machining and surface finishing in order to shorten lead times and reduce post-processing. Productivity is understood as the interplay of throughput, process stability, and reproducible quality.

A key field of research is the parallelization of process steps. Processes such as the combination of additive material deposition and simultaneous mechanical machining deliberately utilize the heat generated during the process. This makes it possible to produce functional coatings without having to plan additional processing steps. For 3D printing, this means that additively generated structures can be converted into functional components more quickly.

The scaling of established additive processes also plays an important role. High-performance laser sources and adapted beam shaping enable larger build volumes and higher build rates without leaving established process windows. Decisive here is the systematic coordination of laser source, optics, material, and digital process control.

From a research perspective, it is evident that productivity gains in 3D printing arise less from individual technical improvements than from the redesign of complete process chains. The integration of additive manufacturing into hybrid, digitally controlled production environments is regarded as a key lever for achieving the transition from demonstration to stable series production.