Additively – Connect & Manufacture

Platform supporting companies interested in additive manufacturing

Researcher:

Prof. Dr. P. Schönsleben, Prof. M. Baertschi, M. Baldinger

Financed by:

Partially financed by Additively AG / The Professiorship’s own resources

Scientific:

BWI Center of Industrial Management

Background:

Additive manufacturing, often called 3D printing, are processes that produce parts and products directly from digital files by adding layer by layer. They offer substantial advantages compared to traditional production methods, such as the possibility to create more complex geometries, the integration of more functionality in fewer parts, new ways of customization down to one and feasibility of on-demand production. Many companies are interested in using these technologies in order to realize innovative new products and solutions to differentiate themselves in the market.

Motivation:

Most companies choose to buy additively manufactured parts from service providers rather than investing in the technologies themselves. However, there exist two major challenges to realise their parts.

• Identify the right 3D printing technology: 3D printing and additive manufacturing is not one technology but stands for a whole list of different technologies. Choosing the right technology is crucial to achieve the best results.
• Select the right service provider: There exists a lively service provider market. Service providers typically specialise in one or few of the 3D printing technologies and have different underlying business model. This results in large price differences for the same parts (Benchmarks have shown price differences up to factor 27 for identical parts). Selecting the right provider is therefore key to achieve a good result at good cost.

Many companies lack the know-how and time required to make these two decisions. Therefore, many promising 3D printing parts are never realised.

Objective:

The project is investigating how companies can be supported in order to overcome above mentioned challenges. Withadditively.com an online platform is developed which addresses these challenges with a variety of tools:

• A learn environment about 3D printing technologies helps companies to understand the different technologies and their possibilities

• A directory provides an overview over available service providers.

• A marketplace enables companies to find out how to realise their 3D printed parts.