Polymer AM

Additive Manufacturing with polymers allows the manufacture of components in almost every facet you could wish for. Although polymers do not have the strength of metals, they are significantly lighter and cheaper. Materials from almost all polymer families, from thermoplastics and thermosets to thermoplastic elastomers, can already be additively processed.

With the MEx and SLS processes in particular, it is possible to implement near-series materials in prototypes and pre-series components that can be transferred to applications in large industrial series. While the MEx process is characterized by the widest range of materials, a robust process and very large installation spaces, the SLS process is characterized by isotropic material properties, no need for support structures and cost-effectiveness for higher quantities up to small series.

At the Fraunhofer IAPT, we adapt design and process parameters for new materials and develop new system components for thermoplastic AM processes.

Selective Laser Sintering

Selective laser sintering is an additive powder bed-based manufacturing process. The production of an SLS-manufactured component takes place in four successive process steps that are repeated layer by layer. In the first step, the build platform is coated with the powdered starting material. IR emitters then heat the powder. The component contours to be generated are selectively melted along the layer information using a laser scanner system. Finally, the build platform is lowered by a defined layer thickness. All process steps are repeated until all components have been generated in one build job.

Material Extrusion (MEx)

Material extrusion is an additive extrusion-based manufacturing process. The raw material can be available in strand form as filament (fused filament fabrication - FFF) or as granulate (fused granulate fabrication - FGF).

An extrusion unit heats the plastic and deposits a strand along the defined component information in layers on an optionally heated build platform. The build platform is then lowered by a defined layer height and the process is repeated until the component to be produced is generated.

Silicone Printing

Silicone printing is a special form of material extrusion. A one- or two-component elastomer is used as the starting material, which is applied to a building platform along the component information using an extrusion unit.

To cure the material, a heat lamp heats the component layer by layer. Depending on the material used, the entire component must be post-cured.

LuMEx

LuMEx describes a method for manufacturing additive components using the MEx process with one or more integrated laser units for surface smoothing or surface structuring.

The material-applying MEx process and the material-forming or material-removing laser process are synchronized and form a joint process step.

The use of LuMEx eliminates the need for a post-process to improve the surfaces.