Additive manufacturing Multi-material technology combines several functions in a single component

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Multi-material technology in the field of additive manufacturing can be used to produce components that are not only geometrically complex but also combine several properties and functions. Several Fraunhofer institutes have been developing expertise in the field of additive manufacturing for several decades and have developed successful technologies, as the following examples show.

Multi-material technology offers decisive advantages for industrial production. Different material properties can be combined within a single component, thus expanding the degrees of freedom in the design of the components and their functionality. This way, components or individual parts can be created that combine several functions, enabling further miniaturisation of the respective component.

For several decades, 20 Fraunhofer institutes have been developing expertise in the field of additive manufacturing and have developed successful technologies such as powder bed-based melting using a laser beam and laser deposition welding, but also their own special technologies such as multi-material jetting (MMJ). In order to further optimise multi-material production, institutions such as the Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV, the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS and the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB are working on innovative melting techniques such as powder bed-based melting of metals. Another focus is on the development and qualification of new materials, as well as the modification or new development of machines to enable the parallel processing of different materials.

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Selected projects: ceramic plasma igniter

Rocket engines have to withstand extreme temperatures and high pressure. Due to their thermal, chemical and mechanical resistance, high-performance ceramic materials have been important for space travel for decades. Experts at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS have integrated two electrically conductive paths into an otherwise insulating component to generate a plasma that ensures the ignition of the reaction. A functional demonstrator (plasma plug) shows how ignition sources can be integrated directly into ceramic components, and in the future also directly into ceramic engines.

Ceramic forming tool

Many forming processes require tools with high strength and heat resistance if the component to be formed has to be heated. Until now, heating and forming have often been carried out separately. Researchers at the Fraunhofer IKTS have developed components that have heating structures directly on the tool surface, exactly where they are needed. Temperatures of over 1000 °C can be reached within a few seconds. The mechanical properties of high-performance ceramic materials also allow them to be used directly as forming tools – especially at high temperatures.

Improved production of battery cell covers

Batteries are considered the technical heart of electric cars. This makes it all the more important that they are produced as optimally and cost-effectively as possible. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV have succeeded in significantly improving the manufacturing process chain for battery cell covers. They combine pure aluminium, pure copper and an insulating ceramic. The combination of conductive and non-conductive materials ensures that the cover functions properly. Complex manual assembly processes can be eliminated, and even the production of small quantities becomes significantly more economical.

Radial Flux Motor

In electric motors, the combination of different functions plays an important role per se. Both magnetically and electrically conductive materials must be combined with insulating materials to create an efficient electric motor. With the Radial Flux Motor (Design by Leap 71), the Fraunhofer IGCV demonstrates the possibilities that multi-material processing opens up in this area. The newly gained design freedom offers the possibility to better adapt electrical machines to their intended use and creates efficiency gains.

Medicine: 3D bioprinting with modified biomaterials

Treating injuries to tendons, ligaments and cartilage is often a complicated and lengthy process. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB have developed a process for patient-specific reproduction of orthopaedic soft tissue. The properties of healthy cartilage and tendon structures, such as rigidity and elasticity, are precisely reproduced by 3D-bioprintable scaffolds. The researchers combine biomaterials and cells using 3D bioprinting to create a porous matrix that facilitates the introduction of cells and growth factors and promotes faster healing of soft tissue.

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