Complex Structures Directly from the Computer

In the last decade, additive manufacturing has evolved from a laboratory tool to prototype production to a process that is also interesting for series production – just in time to help shape Industry 4.0. The decisive plus points include flexibility in the production process and the opening of new manufacturing possibilities with respect to geometry and/or material properties. Unlike casting or most ablative processes, additive methods allow the same machine to produce a wide variety of products without having to replace a single tool. The template that was transferred as a CAD file is all that matters. Complex geometric shapes can also be implemented in a short time.