Green Additive Manufacturing Through Innovative Beam Shaping and Process Monitoring (EU-Funding Nr.: 101058523 - InShaPe)

InShaPe makes metal-based additive manufacturing faster, cheaper and more sustainable.

IMT has become a partner of the EU-funded project InShaPe (Nr.: 101058523). The InShaPe consortium includes 11 partners from 8 different countries. The budget of the project is 6.8 Million EUR.

Project Coordinator: Prof. Katrin Wudy, TUM

Project Leader Slovenian part: A/Prof. Dr. Matjaž Godec, IMT

Project duration: 01.07.2023 – 30.06.2025

https://inshape-horizoneurope.eu/

Objective:

The objective of the EU-funded InShaPe project is the flexible adaptation of laser-beam shapes that are tailored to the material/geometry of parts produced by the powder bed fusion of metals using a laser beam (PBF-LB/M) – an additive manufacturing (AM) technology. In the InShaPe project, the optical module and the artificial intelligence (AI) models will be developed to allow a choice of beam shapes, which will also result in a significant increase in build rates. The InShaPe process will enable the AM of high-potential materials that are not printable so far, being characterised by a 7-times-higher build rate, over 50% lower cost and enable truly green manufacturing, characterised by over 60% less energy use and 30% less scrap.

The IMT’s role in the consortium will be the identification of the extent of the possibilities for tailoring the microstructure with beam shape and controlling the mechanical properties. The main task of IMT will be the characterisation of the printed parts and support in analysing the printed industrial cases. IMT will be responsible for in-depth material characterisation; however, the specifics of the printed process (faster process, larger grain size, different cooling rates) will require completely new approaches to the characterization. This means that IMT will not only support other consortium partners with characterisation but will provide R&I-added value through developing/improving current characterisation techniques dedicated to modified laser beam PBF-LB/M parameters. IMT will not just widen the consortium but will bring added value to it by interlinking all the WPs, and due to the systematic control of the printed sample, IMT will reduce the risk of the project underachieving. Understanding and controlling the microstructure and mechanical properties represent a complementary function of IMT, and thus the consortium partners will all receive important feedback through the WPs by carrying out the assigned work more efficiently at reduced risk. IMT will also perform sample post-processing as proper heat treatments. To obtain the maximum properties from Inconel samples and others, it is essential to design the heat-treatment process very accurately (due to the formation of precipitates).

Partners of the project: 

1. Technical University of Munich, Germany (Coordinator)
2. EOS GmbH, Germany
3. Oerlikon AM GmbH, Germany
4. Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands
5. SILIOS Technologies, France
6. Beamit Spa, Italy
7. AENIUM Engineering S.L., Spain
8. AMEXCI AB, Sweden
9. Bavarian Research Alliance GmbH, Germany
10. Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
11. Institute of Metals and Technology, Ljubljana, Slovenia