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Case StudywiseON
Digitally connected and automated SLS production line
The objective is to qualify a digitalized and automated SLS manufacturing line for the cost-effective production of at least 50,000 polymer components per year. End-to-end digitalization across the entire material and process chain, automated post-processing, and centralized data acquisition via an IoT platform form the foundation of this approach. Based on the collected material and process data, correlations between process parameters and part quality are to be identified and systematically leveraged for optimization. A digital product passport ensures seamless quality assurance and full traceability.
Approach
The wiseON project drives the economic and technological qualification of powder-based additive manufacturing – as a key to the industrial manufacturing of the future.
Motivation
Qualification of digital SLS production lines for industrial series applications
Powder‑based additive manufacturing using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) offers significant potential for the cost‑effective production of complex polymer components, particularly for flexible and high‑variant applications. The objective is to qualify a digitalized and automated SLS production line that meets the requirements of industrial series manufacturing. The focus is on establishing reproducible, process‑robust, and economically scalable production processes along a fully digitalized value chain.
A key qualification target is competitive series production via SLS compared to conventional injection molding. Beyond tool‑free manufacturing, design freedom, and reduced time‑to‑market, SLS is intended to demonstrate economic competitiveness. In this way, additive manufacturing is to be established as a fully viable production alternative for polymer components at an industrial scale.
Solution Approach
Digitally connected and automated development along the entire material and process chain
The competitive implementation of SLS series production at the level of classical manufacturing processes requires a fully networked and consistently digital process chain – from material provision through manufacturing to post-processing and quality assurance.
The core of the solution approach is the consistent digitization of all relevant production and quality data and their intelligent linking along the entire value chain. A special focus is on the printing and research of series-identical real components. By using SLS with suitable thermoplastics, components can be produced that have mechanically comparable properties to injection-molded or extruded components. Since no design-related adjustments to the powder bed process are required, the geometry of the components remains identical to the series. This enables direct transferability to existing industrial series applications without additional development efforts.
A key component is the use of data-driven methods to identify correlations between material parameters, process conditions, and component properties. Based on this, predictive process control is enabled, errors can be specifically avoided, and production quality can be continuously improved.
The overarching goal is to establish a highly automated SLS production line that operates reproducibly, economically, and scalably.
Approach
Integrated process chain for SLS manufacturing: Material, digitization, and sustainability
- Material and process development for powder-based additive manufacturing (SLS), focusing on process-stable parameters and high reproducibility
- Optimization of the powder cycle for maximum material utilization
- Establishment of an automated and networked post-processing to minimize manual interventions and ensure consistent component quality
- Central collection, processing, and analysis of all process and quality data via an IoT platform for comprehensive digitization of manufacturing
- Use of digital tools to identify correlations between material properties, process parameters, and component quality
- Development of a digital product passport for seamless traceability and quality assurance at the individual component level
Project sponsor: Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy | Funding code: MW-2308-0010
Partners: Rehau Industries SE & Co. KG, Ossberger GmbH & Co. KG, Toolcraft AG, Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH