A collaborative approach for the effective training of engineers in Metal Additive Manufacturing for the die and mould sector

Metal Additive Manufacturing refers to a group of technologies used to manufacture fully functional parts directly from the digital design through an additive method. These methods commonly use metal powder or wire as raw material and apply a laser beam, an electric arc, an electron beam or a binder to create the part layer-by-layer.The main benefit of these techniques is the direct manufacturing of mechanical fully functional components, as well as advanced electronics production such as 3D interconnect devices. These can be one-of-a-kind and highly complex components. The die & mold sector is one of the most promising areas for adopting metal additive manufacturing since molds are usually complex and single parts.However, one of the main drawbacks of metal additive process is the lack of trained technicians. In addition, the practical instruction requires several systems with very different technologies, involving laser systems, powder handling equipment, heat treatment furnaces, polishing systems, etc.Therefore, this work presents a collaborative approach between 9 universities, research centers and industrial associations with the objective to improve the training of the specialist to be able to tackle the lack of Metal AM training in the SUDOE regions (Portugal, Southwestern regions of France & Spain). The project plans to develop 5 specific case studies for the tooling sector, including the design of the casing for tools where electric motors are the main heat source. Pilots include a one-week training module for last year engineering students and professionals. Moreover, this project also considers the mobility of teachers, researchers, and doctoral students between the 3 countries.

I. Introduction

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is one of the key technologies for the future of the manufacturing industry. Since the end of the 1990’s and the beginning of the 21^st century, there has been a continuous demand for shorter lead times and cost reduction of manufactured products. Focusing on die & mold sector, it has been a traditionally innovative and strategic sector in the European economy. In fact, since the late 1990s, the tooling industry has been continuously implementing new solutions such as high-speed machining, 3D digitalization, and process simulation, to maintain the competitiveness in a global market. Moreover, tooling industry is considered strategic not only in Europe, but also in Japan or US among other countries, since most of the massive production lines use a set of tools for the manufacturing of large series of parts.