Second annual meeting of the ACAM Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing

On February 21, 2017, the representatives of the 26 member companies got together with the research partners of the ACAM Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing for the second annual meeting of the research network. In addition to the exchange of information, the allocation of the joint research projects for 2017 was on the agenda.

The development of Additive Manufacturing, from prototyping to a credible integration alternative for industrial production, has always played an essential role in Aachen as a research location. Since its foundation in 2015, the aim of the ACAM Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing is therefore to concentrate these activities in one location and to provide the industry an easier access to the technologies and the related knowledge. A community that continually grows with material manufacturers and system and software providers, which cooperate with a wide variety of research institutes in Aachen proves the success of the concept.

On February 20 and 21, ACAM was able to welcome the 26 member companies in Aachen to discuss the advances in the research and industrial application of Additive Manufacturing during the second annual meeting. The two managing directors Dr.-Ing. Kristian Arntz and Dr.-Ing. Johannes Witzel presented the latest findings and the plans for the upcoming year. The final workshops regarding R&D Projects, as well as the achievements of a wide market and technology assessment provided a content-based orientation for the next period of cooperation to the business partners.

Selection of projects for 2017

With a total value of around 200,000 euros, the ACAM members have selected six concrete projects for the year 2017 from thirteen project proposals, which cover a diverse range of subjects, ranging from plastic to metal, from design and construction to new business models for Additive Manufacturing. ACAM will work on the following topics until September 2017:

• Prototype and component production with qualified thermoplastic series materials
• Quality monitoring and measurement of additively manufactured components
• Guideline for the parameterization of additively produced metallic components
• Development of a procedure for the assessment and testing for additive production
• Post-processing of additively manufactured components with focus on areas which are difficult to access
• Influence of moisture on the powder-bed-based process (Powder Bed Fusion)

ACAM offers an ambitious seminar program at the RWTH Aachen Campus for 2017

In a strong partnership with the research partners in Aachen, ACAM offers a comprehensive training program for Additive Manufacturing in 2017. Twelve seminars are also addressed to AM beginners and to experienced users. The details of seminar program can be found at https://acam.rwth-campus.com/acam-seminar-program-2017/ .

The ACAM community continues to grow

 The network of ACAM is still open for new members. Depending on the scope of the desired cooperation, the interested companies can choose between three different membership models with different range of services: the basic, business or cooperation membership. These models provide an individual, comprehensive access the network’s service and are open to national and international companies.

The next annual meeting will take place this year on September 27, in the immediate vicinity of the 3D Valley Conference, which will be held for the second time on September 27 and 28, by ACAM in Aachen. The main focus of the conference is on the possibilities and limitations, potentials and business models of Additive Manufacturing. For more information visit http://3d-valley-conference.com/ .

Contact:

Ingrid Bongiovanni Roll
T +49 241 8906 8689
i.roll@acam-aachen.de