Lightweight design: a location with the potential to take off

Lighter, safer, standardised: five research institutes and companies from the capital region have joined forces to build equipment containers that are unique in the world. New joining technologies and extremely lightweight hybrid laminates play an important role in their endeavours because they can do just about anything conventional materials cannot do. Knowledge, experience and a spirit of innovation converge in this project.

Germany is the home of industrial 3D printing and therefore it meets all the requirements to play a pioneering role. The 1^st edition of Cottbus’ Day of Additive Manufacturing clearly showed that the Cottbus region, in particular, has an excellent chance of setting the tone in this future-oriented area.

During a 3D printing production process a certain object is created layer by layer and not by removing material, as is the case during milling or drilling. This reduces the amount of waste material that is produced. Hence the name “additive manufacturing” derived from the Latin word “additivum”, which means “added”. Thanks to this special manufacturing method the components are lighter, more stable since they have fewer breaking points and they can be produced quickly and very cost-efficiently.

The material properties of the components produced in this way are also being continuously improved through a permanent optimisation of the processes themselves. A wide variety of materials such as metals, plastics, cement, foodstuffs, sugar and chocolate or even organic materials are turned into perfect products.

This is why Brandenburg’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Prof. Jörg Steinbach, emphatically called upon the participants in his welcoming speech and said: “Cottbus, you better get going!” The entire region now had the unique opportunity to become a groundbreaking centre for technology located at the juncture between research and industrial production. Such an outstanding location would give the entire state of Brandenburg a location advantage.

“With regard to this emerging technology it is particularly important to focus on the interactions between the various research institutes, companies and service providers in order to pave the way for innovations,” said Andreas Nick of APWorks in his presentation. The investment costs of large industrial-scale 3D printers are too high for many medium-sized companies to take the risk associated with the acquisition. The official inauguration of a production facility on the premises of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg offers an opportunity to strengthen the transfer of knowledge between institutions of higher learning and the industry.

Especially in the transport sector, large companies such as Deutsche Bahn, and companies in the aviation sector have already recognized the great potential of this technology. When every gram counts and material failure leads to costly delays and maintenance work, additive manufacturing can play to its strengths. “Pilot projects have helped advance the technology,” said Arvid Eirich of the network “Mobility goes Additive” in his presentation.