Due to the growing importance of additive manufacturing processes for industry, research is also increasingly tackling practical projects in order to advance 3D printing. The new “Paderborn Institute for Additive Manufacturing” (PIAF) is designed to be interdisciplinary. In the future, researchers from the fields of electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics, mechanical engineering, natural sciences and economics will work hand in hand with industry to give 3D printing new inspiration.

The institute pursues an application-oriented approach: new research findings should be incorporated into industrial practice as quickly as possible. The scientists’ work is aimed at yielding improvements along the entire process chain – from product development, product planning and preparation through to the manufacturing process and post-processing. The university, which has been involved in additive manufacturing for more than ten years , recently introduced an AI-supported process for 3D printing .