EFFRA Innovation Portal

Techniques for product reworking

Updated at: 29-04-2024

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Technologies and enablers

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Additive manufacturing (AM) is a widely used set of techniques used to build objects by adding layer-upon-layer of material. While materials typically used are plastic, metal or concrete, nowadays AM technologies are expanding to include all kind of materials such as ceramic, nanocomposites, glass, and other.

In Z-Fact0r, we exploited AM-based technologies as a tool for repairing of components in a production line. Thanks to the ability for local deposition, i.e. precision placement of material at desired position, AM was the optimum choice to correct or repair a defect. Moreover, AM combined with subtracted manufacturing techniques for the effective repairing. In context, in the case of a defect, material can be subtracted by means of laser ablation or classical machining, thus removing of the problematic area cleaning or preparing the surface. Then, AM is used to fill the defect with the desired material. A final step of sintering or other processing used to finalize the repairing action.