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  • European technology Sub-platform in Additive manufacturing: be aware of the latest advances on AM and 3D printing technologies and network with key stakeholders.
  • European technology Sub-platform in Additive manufacturing: be aware of the latest advances on AM and 3D printing technologies and network with key stakeholders.
  • European technology Sub-platform in Additive manufacturing: be aware of the latest advances on AM and 3D printing technologies and network with key stakeholders.

What is the AM-platform?

The AM-platform is a free of charge virtual central European area for all subject related to Additive Manufacturing (hereafter named AM)

The objective of the AM-platform is to contribute to a coherent strategy, understanding, development, dissemination and exploitation of AM.

AM is fragmented. Lots of organizations are working or doing research in this area but there is no coherent strategy and several interpret the subject differently. There is no central organization or place for peoples to for instance ask questions, to start a discussion, to find expertise, or to up- or download an interesting paper or article.

This platform helps to achieve the Lisbon & Gothenburg objectives as defined by the EC (to become the most dynamic and most competitive knowledge-based economy by 2010 and achieving sustainability by 2030).

The AM-platform is active since 2007 (formerly as the RM-platform)

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Topics

The contents will be defined around the following main topics being the critical areas, which can be seen as separate pillars emphasising together the platform objective:

  • Business Implementation
  • Design for RM
  • RM materials
  • RM processes


  • Business Implementation: Mass production including the resulting mass consumption has shaped our society and, with RM, this way of thinking needs adapting. The total realisation chain will be affected via customer need, data capture, design, design verification, manufacture, logistics, but also education, liability, data ownership and standards.
  • Design for RM: Design will change dramatically in the coming years. Lead times are getting shorter the number of variants on products is rising. Therefore, the designer experiences a dramatic reduction of time available while the complexity of the design is rising. The challenges and responsibilities of the individual designer will become bigger and bigger and therefore he has to be supported by for instance automatic design software.
  • RM materials: Materials development is the main driving component because materials properties and processing directly influences the later on usability and product features. Production technology will be supplemented by a very wide range of stable materials which properties could be predicted over time by simulation and adapted test procedures. These new materials will have graded characteristics, high performances as well as individual and customised properties.
  • RM processes: RM enjoys specific advantages over conventional manufacturing technologies, such as production of complex internal features, insertion of in situ sensors at locations impossible to reach once the part is produced, and minimal design constraints on part geometry. Changes to part geometry are easily affected. In RM, there is no steep cost dependence on geometric complexity, which favours utilization of complex geometry coupled to short production runs.