Additive Manufacturing

The activities within the Additive Manufacturing Unit represent a central research focus of the Materials Testing Institute. We conduct research projects investigating innovative process strategies, material and process qualification, as well as specimen and component production.

Using various modeling approaches, we perform assessments of local and global temperature histories and residual stress states. Depending on temperature and alloy composition, simulations are used to predict the resulting microstructure and grain morphology. Furthermore, damage-mechanical approaches are applied to evaluate process-induced microporosity.

The objective is to transition from the additive production of mere demonstrators to highly loaded and safety-relevant components. In the field of quality assurance, expertise from conventional welding technology is leveraged, based on the MPA’s many years of experience and activities in this area.

The Materials Testing Institute (MPA) at the University of Stuttgart operates a state-of-the-art laboratory for powder bed-based additive manufacturing (PBF-LB/M).
The laboratory is equipped with several metal 3D printers, including:

• Aconity Mini
• Trumpf TruPrint 3000
• Evobeam SLaVAM 300
  (The Evobeam SLaVAM 300 machine (DFG object number: 657480) was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – INST 41/1098-1 FUGG.)

Each system offers distinct features such as high preheating temperatures, operation under protective gas or vacuum, multi-laser configurations, process monitoring, and a broad selection of usable materials.

The achievable component dimensions are up to 300 mm × 300 mm × 300 mm, with a layer resolution of up to 30 μm. Spherical powder particles with sizes ranging from 15 μm to 100 μm are processed.

Materials include:

• Ferritic steels
• Austenitic steels
• Nickel-based alloys
• Aluminum alloys
• Additional materials upon request

The laboratory also houses extensive equipment for powder analysis, process preparation, and post-processing of components:

• Powder analysis: particle size, particle shape, flowability, moisture content
• Post-processing: glass bead blasting, mechanical finishing methods, heat treatment

In addition, the MPA operates a robotic system for wire-based additive manufacturing using an electric arc (WAAM).

This system enables the production of components weighing up to 500 kg and with volumes of approximately 3 m³.

All materials that can be welded using MIG/MAG processes in wire form are suitable for processing with this system.