ProDiMe

Short Facts

• Duration: 2017 to 2020
• Funded by: Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy
• Project partner(s): ZAE Bayern, Netsch Gerätebau, Zentrum für Digitale Innovationen Mainfranken, TechnoTeam Bildverarbeitung GmbH

Summary

The task of the ProDiMe project group is to further build up the research field of sensors for digital manufacturing and deepen it as core competence. Here, the necessary parameters for metal working & processing like temperature, material properties, and dimensions are in focus. Particularly innovative, additive manufacturing methods which gained increased use recently, and which offer almost infinite possibilities of individualisation and flexibilisation, demand new sensor technology that is adjusted to the process, especially for temperature measuring and materials analysis.

Project goals and contents

In order to enable an efficient, digitally controllable manufacturing and to guarantee a certain quality standard, a number of parameters need to be collected and processed via sensors. In many areas of modern manufacturing, this is accounted for by a standard of measuring technology that are based on established and validated methods.

However, the previous possibilities for investigating layer systems and modern components produced by 3D printing are mostly limited to downstream methods, which in many cases also still have a destructive character. For example, cut samples have to be made for the examination, which destroys the components and samples and they cannot be used further after the examination.

In the innovative approach pursued here, measurement methods researched and validated on an experimental platform for dynamic material investigation are to be developed that allow direct in-situ monitoring of the manufacturing process – especially of the temperature parameter. These should enable improved product properties and improved quality control by means of qualitative, and if possible also quantitative, feedback on the achievement of the target properties - in particular thermophysical properties and adhesion.

In order not to influence the processes, it is necessary that these methods function reliably in an industrial environment and in a contactless manner. Since there are large investment costs, especially in the area of metal processing and machining, it is also desirable to subsequently equip already existing machines with this innovative sensor technology.

Project contact

Dennis Höfflin, M.Sc.

Philipp Kranz, M.Eng.

Mark Zänglein