Trøndelag – Jämtland 3D Center

Additive manufacturing (AT) has great potential but development is hampered by skills shortages and insufficient cooperation. Through collaboration between research and industry, the region’s companies will be offered development and expertise within AT in product development and production processes. The project’s objectives include developing new materials, offering material characterisation and improving and developing new methodology and products for AT in metal.

Additiv tillverkning (AT) har en stor potential men utvecklingen bromsas av kompetensbrist och otillräckligt samarbete. Genom samverkan mellan forskning och näringsliv ska regionens företag erbjudas utveckling och expertis inom AT i produktutveckling och produktionsprocesser. Projektets mål är bland annat att utveckla nya material, erbjuda materialkarakterisering samt förbättra och utveckla ny metodik och nya produkter för AT i metall.

Additive manufacturing (AM), also called 3D printing, is a method that was introduced in the late 80's for plastic materials, and around the turn of the millennium for metals. The method has been developed from being limited to prototype building to becoming a method for series production, and has been used for a wide range of applications such as architecture, biomedicine, food and industry. There are many concrete examples of AM contributing to product improvements and savings in industrial production, but there are still a number of technical and economic challenges that limit the spread of AM on a large scale. The project aims to establish the Trondheim and Östersund regions as a knowledge and industrial center for AM in metal. Through the project, regional companies will be given the best possible conditions to learn more about the technology and address this future challenge. The project is initiated by researchers with long experience in the field of AM in metal in Norway and Sweden. The main goal of the project has been to: • Develop new materials, offer material characterization and to improve and develop new methodologies and new products for AM in metal. • Develop and offer expertise in AM for the purpose of knowledge transfer to regional companies that need basic training in the field. • Support regional companies that already use the technology to develop both products and business models. Together, the 11 participants in the project have worked towards the project's goals and the project has generated a number of scientific articles and conference contributions, three open seminars with nearly 80 participants and developed new knowledge in the field of AM in metal which is the basis for knowledge transfer within the project, but even outside. The project has led to new business constellations and new products on the market, while the position of the academia has been strengthened both nationally and internationally.