From March 11 to 14, 2025, the technology forum “Additive manufacturing – what’s next?” will provide a platform for experts, companies and scientists to discuss current developments and practical applications of additive manufacturing (AM) as part of the Intec and Z industrial trade fairs in Leipzig. The focus is on concrete solutions that not only bring economic benefits but also promote sustainability.
Additive manufacturing is considered a transformative technology that is fundamentally changing traditional production processes.
“In recent years, there have been numerous innovative technological developments in additive and hybrid manufacturing. Now the movers and shakers have set out to increasingly industrialize them. Our ‘journey’ in the Technology Forum is therefore moving strongly in this direction. We are concentrating on specific applications that are easy to implement in the daily work process, bring economic benefits to the user and also generate sustainability effects. With practical examples across all sectors, we want to encourage ‘copying’ in the best sense of the word,” says Marcus Witt, Technical Sales at METROM Mechatronische Maschinen GmbH and member of the advisory board for the Additive Manufacturing Technology Forum.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular can benefit from insights into the experiences of large corporations such as Volkswagen and BMW, which are increasingly integrating AM into series production.
One highlight of the forum is the presentation of a mobile factory developed by GEFERTEC and partners. This solution enables repairs to be carried out on complex components even in remote regions. The presentation will be complemented by insights into innovative repair methods, such as laser wire cladding or cold gas spraying, which enable material and cost savings.
The Fraunhofer IWU will also be demonstrating how 3D printing is opening up new avenues in medical technology. Here, patient-specific implants and instruments are used that can be manufactured directly on site. This improves the quality of care and reduces production time at the same time.
“It has provided a major boost for medical technology. With the latest 3D printing technologies, patient-specific instruments and implants can be manufactured with the highest level of precision and reproducibility for the first time. This is now also happening directly on site at the clinic, contributing to even better and faster patient care,” explains PD Dr. Ronny Grunert.
“With an end-to-end data chain, additive manufacturing will be possible at the touch of a button. Artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) are drivers for making this vision a reality. The solutions that are already available are an important topic at the Technology Forum,” says Dr. Thomas Heber, Deputy Managing Director of Composites United e. V. and member of the Technology Forum’s Advisory Board.
The forum will be rounded off by discussions on digitalization and qualification. The use of AI and augmented reality enables more efficient processes and offers new training approaches for engineers and skilled workers in order to fully exploit the possibilities of additive manufacturing.
“Today, training is often still based on conventional design guidelines,” says Marcus Witt, emphasizing: ”However, additive technologies enable a completely new approach to design. They can be used to create geometries that are not possible with conventional processes. This new approach opens up interesting career prospects. However, it needs to be trained. AM aspects are still given too little consideration in training and further education.”
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