Advanced Additive Manufacturing and Powder Technologies Laboratory (A²MP Lab)

Additive Manufacturing & Powder Production

Head: Dr Irena Paulin – irena.paulin@imt.si ·

Tel: +386 1 4701 958, +386 3 506873

Cutting-edge systems for EU project-ready research

Our laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art additive manufacturing (AM) and powder-production equipment, designed to support ambitious and collaborative European R&I projects. These systems enable full workflows from alloy development and powder atomisation, through high-temperature additive manufacturing, to advanced part production and materials characterisation.

Key Equipment

Aconity3D MINI – Laboratory‐Scale Metal SLM System

• Build envelope: Ø 140 mm × H 190 mm (optionally reducible to Ø 55 mm)

• Single-mode or multi-mode laser options (up to 700 W and more)

• Optional build-plate pre-heating up to 800 °C 

• Chamber residual oxygen < 100 ppm — ideal for reactive materials 

• Fully open process parameter control via Aconity STUDIO software — essential for research projects focusing on process–structure–property relationships. (Aconity3D Configurator)

• Ideal for small‐series production, material development, proof-of-concept parts and R&D modules of EU projects.

Aconity3D MIDI+ – High-Performance Dual/Multiple Laser LPBF System

• Industrial-scale powder-bed fusion system, with dual or even quad-laser configurations and optional pre-heating up to 1200 °C.

• Build chamber: Ø 170 mm × H 200 mm (with options for Ø 100 mm or Ø 70 mm)

• Supports multi-material powder deposition (e.g., tool steel + superalloy) thanks to modular architecture. 

• Equipped with advanced process monitoring (pyrometry, high-speed imaging) and full parameter transparency — ideal for projects aiming at high‐quality metal AM, aerospace components, and manufacturing readiness levels (TRLs).

• Suitable for large research initiatives where throughput, material flexibility, and traceable process control matter.

AMAZEMET rePOWDER/Ultrasonic Atomiser – Versatile Powder Atomisation Platform

• Ultrasonic atomisation technology enables production of metal powders from any feedstock (raw elements, scrap, alloy rods) with high sphericity, narrow particle-size distribution, excellent flowability — critical for Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) and other AM methods.

• Supports customisation of powder chemistry (including refractory alloys, high-entropy alloys, reactive metals), enabling bespoke materials for advanced research consortia. 

• Demonstrated participation in EU research projects (e.g., EIC Pathfinder, M-ERA-Net) for powder production and AM materials innovation. 

• Enables in-house development of next-gen alloys, iterative feedstock optimisation, and powder recycling paths (alignment with European Green Deal and sustainable manufacturing aims).

Why These Capabilities Matter for EU Projects

• Material innovation: The combination of powder-atomisation (AMAZEMET) and advanced AM systems (Aconity) provides a full chain from alloy design → powder production → part fabrication → characterisation — meeting frameworks like Horizon Europe’s “Advanced Materials” and “Dassault of Manufacturing” topics.

• Traceability & reproducibility: Systems offer open access to process parameters, pre-heating, and monitoring. Essential when addressing project deliverables, Quality Assurance, and data management for consortia.

• High temperature & demanding materials readiness: Pre-heating up to 1200 °C, multi-laser configurations, and vacuum/low-oxygen environments allow the processing of tool steels, nickel-superalloys, TiAl, and HEAs — relevant for energy, transport, and aerospace.

• Custom powder and sustainability focus: Ultrasonic atomisation supports small-batch, custom alloy research (reducing material waste, enabling recycling), aligning with EU sustainability goals.

• Scalability & production readiness: The MIDI+ system addresses throughput and industrial relevance, enabling a transition from lab to pilot scale within projects.

How to Collaborate with Us

If you are pursuing an EU-funded project (Horizon Europe, M-ERA-Net, ERC, EIC, Clean Energy Transition Partnership, etc.) and need a partner for:

• Powder production, alloy development, customised AM feedstock

• Additive manufacturing of metallic test components (prototype to small series)

• Process parameter development, qualification, monitoring, and traceable documentation

• Material characterisation and AM chain validation

Contact us to define the task. Include your project context, material system of interest, target parts, deliverables, and whether your work involves additive manufacturing readiness, sustainability, or novel materials.

Contact us!

Request info: info@imt.si