Quality assurance of green parts in two-stage additive manufacturing processes using an adaptive gripping system using the example of metal binder jetting

The industrial application of additive manufacturing processes brings many advantages for industry, e.g. the production of highly complex components. Automation and quality assurance systems within additive manufacturing processes are increasingly becoming the focus of research and development. Sinter-based or two-stage processes, such as metal binder jetting, are particularly interesting for SMEs, as high quantities are produced and they can be easily integrated into other sinter-based production processes. However, the automatic depowdering of the green parts for subsequent sintering poses a challenge for SMEs.

The research objective is therefore to develop a novel, intelligent gripper for depowdering green parts. The scientific challenge is to implement a gripper that uses AI to learn to respond to the individual properties of the fragile green parts. In addition, a support catalog is to be created that contains design guidelines for production suitable for depowdering and the mechanical characteristics of green parts made of different materials. This will expand basic knowledge and support users by increasing their understanding of the process.