Additive manufacturing of plastic components

Innovative processes for plastics processing

The “Fraunhofer Plastics Technology Center Oberlausitz” at our site in Zittau manufactures plastic components based on rapid prototyping (RP) and rapid manufacturing (RM), starting with first drafts to functional prototypes up to employable products.

Additive manufacturing of plastic components takes place by laser sintering and processes of molten layers, with research focusing on material development, increase in efficiency and saving resources. Moreover, in addition to functionalization of RP components, it is possible to redesign products for optimal use of the RP resources, to determine characteristic values depending on the construction process, to use rapid tooling, to implement functional integration and lightweight construction by applying 3D digitalization.

A particular focus lies on the development of defined material and component properties depending on the process parameters.

  • Processes of molten layers (FDM)
  • Selective laser sintering (SLS)
  • Powder development
  • Elastomer processing

  • Increase of process efficiency
  • Saving resources
  • Material development, e.g. for processing in laser sintering process

Development of process chains

  • Market analysis
  • Process optimization
  • Cost-benefit calculation
  • Development of manufacturing concepts
  • Planning and technological development of processes, tools and machines
  • Material characterization

Development and evaluation of additive processes

  • Market analysis
  • Feasibility studies
  • Technology development
  • Development of characteristic process values and manufacturing strategies
  • Benchmarking
  • Manufacturing of prototypes

Quality assurance

  • Photogrammetric geometric measurement of components and tools
  • Measurement of micro components by using confocal microscopy and band projection
  • Spectral analysis (mobile and stationary analyses)

Machine technology

  • FDM plant FORTUS 900mc (technology of molten layers)
  • SLS plant sPro60 HD-HS (selective laser sintering)
  • Elastomer-reactivation plant

Inspection technology

  • Universal testing machine
  • 3D scanning process ATOS Core (GOM)
  • Digital microscope KEYENCE