Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services
Expertise in Additive Manufacturing
3D printing is a type of additive manufacturing and describes a process in which the model of a component is first digitally broken down into 2D layers and then traced on the printer's build platform with material lines in a predefined manner to produce a completely new 3D component.
Complex components as desired
Different materials such as polymers, metals, biological substances and ceramics can be used by different types of 3D printers to produce a part. Therefore, they offer a wide range of applications and enable the production of parts with very complex geometries where conventional subtractive manufacturing methods fail.
At Fraunhofer CML, we use different types of polymer 3D printers in many of our projects to quickly produce working prototypes that can then be tested. It also allows us to go through multiple design iterations before producing a desired part or component in a different, stiffer and more expensive material and ensure that everything works as intended.
In addition, the wide range of available materials and therefore mechanical properties allows us to test the system behaviour under different conditions. This makes it possible to manufacture and evaluate components with different flexibilities, taking into account the application requirements.