12. Future AM

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a technology with high disruptive potential that is currently undergoing heated discussion. The combination of Industry 4.0 and AM makes it possible to print industrial products directly based on digital data. This can result in sustainable change in industrial value creation chains throughout the whole spectrum of manufacturing engineering. Universities, research institutes and young companies recognized the potential of additive manufacturing processes at a very early stage and have developed them into marketable systems that have found their way from their applications in prototyping into the manufacture of end products. A new branch of industry has emerged that radiates throughout the entire value chain—from materials production and machine technology and additive manufacturing processes as a service up to the integration of additively manufactured components into new products.

There are still various “links” missing along the process chain, however, before the comprehensive and cross‐sector use of additive manufacturing processes can occur. These include universal data formats, the uninterrupted linking of digital and real process chains as well as concepts for the scalability of AM processes with regard to build rate and component size, so that production of larger quantities also becomes economically viable. Suitable concepts are also lacking for the manufacture of multi‐material components with AM‐adapted materials or the universal automation of the process chain up to and including the postprocessing of components.

Numerous initiatives are working on solving these problems. For example, in the “futureAM” focus project two strategic goals are being addressed, namely, securing and expanding Germany’s technological leadership in the area of metal AM, as well as establishing a comprehensive cooperation platform for highly integrated collaboration, which makes use of the decentrally distributed resources of the Fraunhofer‐Gesellschaft and interested partners in the field of AM. Technological leaps are needed to ensure this technological leadership and any significant further development. These required leaps in technology may be subdivided into four dimensions. Specifically, these are Industry 4.0 & the digital process chain, scalable & robust AM processes, materials and system engineering & automation.

The cooperation platform is not only created through the intensive collaboration within and between the individual fields of action, but especially through the development of a “Virtual Lab”. Out of this collaboration, with the participation of all partners and using the newly developed technologies, cross‐industry and cross‐sector demonstrators are built, which indeed come from a range of industrial sectors important to Germany.