Strategic Community “Additive Manufacturing”
Additive manufacturing is an innovative technology with great versatility, both in terms of the geometries that can be produced and the flexibility of the production sequence. On the one hand, it enables unprecedented integration of components and, on the other, it allows the development of new business models for offering customised, high value-added product-service solutions.
Lombardy is characterised by the presence of a value chain with strong Research and Innovation capabilities and industrial players at various levels (machine and system manufacturers, powder suppliers, technology and service providers, as well as end users across different sectors).
However, these competencies are fragmented and often belong to entities that are not sufficiently interconnected. For this reason, the Strategic Community “Additive Manufacturing” aims to integrate Lombardy stakeholders interested in additive manufacturing within a value chain logic, enabling them to conceive and develop solutions and production models based on regional excellence, capitalizing on networking and funding opportunities at regional, national, and European levels.
To promote participants internationalisation, at a European level AFIL participates in the Vanguard Initiative 3D Printing Pilot, involving the Strategic Community in annual plenary meetings and sharing regional priorities with the broader European network.
KEY TOPICS OF THE STRATEGIC COMMUNITY
The Strategic Community has identified the following (non-exhaustive) areas as priorities for the additive manufacturing development:
- integration of additive and traditional technologies and definition of integrated design/simulation/ optimisation processes;
- methodologies and tools for advanced integrated design to foster multi-functional and multi-component integration;
- new processes and technologies for metal additive manufacturing, expanding material classes and deposition technologies;
- powder production for additive manufacturing processes with a focus on economic and environmental sustainability;
- definition and development of new services and business models enabled by additive manufacturing and assessment of their economic, environmental, and social sustainability.
THE ACTIVITIES OF THE STRATEGIC COMMUNITY
Since 2021, the Strategic Community, coordinated by the University of Pavia and ABB, has organised regular meetings to share sector priorities in an inclusive perspective, highlight relevant events, and discuss potential collaboration opportunities.
With this aim, in 2024, the Strategic Community members developed the project RIGENER-AM (Regenerating waste materials into innovative materials for Additive Manufacturing), co-funded by Lombardy Region under the first Collabora&Innova call. Running until 2027, the project aims to transform industrial waste, especially metals and textiles, into high value-added materials for additive manufacturing (industrial 3D printing).
THE LOMBARDY REGION VALUE CHAINS
Following the Expression of Interest for Value Chains promoted by Lombardy Region, the project Ecosystem for the Development and Industrialisation of Additive Manufacturing Technologies in Lombardy (AMaLo) was born, approved and recognized by Lombardy Region with the Directorate-General for Economic Development Decree n. 1357 of 3rd February 2023. The Value Chain, coordinated by the University of Pavia, was born within the Strategic Community “Additive Manufacturing” and it aims to strengthen a regional integrated ecosystem for additive manufacturing by creating a collaborative and competitive value chain that favours innovation, technology diffusion, and industrial growth in the region.
CONTACTS
Carlo Mondani – carlo.mondani@afil.it