Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWSBringing a Binder Jetter Solution for Innovative Technology and Material Developments to Application Maturity
Since 2019, Fraunhofer IWS is conducting research on the industrialization of Binder Jetting (BJT), an Additive Manufacturing process that enables cost-effective and flexible manufacturing solutions. BJT is characterized by the production of complex components from different materials. However, the precise setting of tolerances within the process chain, which includes a sintering step, remains a challenge. In addition, the high investment costs for commercial BJT systems are difficult to bear, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
To overcome these hurdles, Fraunhofer IWS is analyzing the specific requirements of various users for BJT systems and developing modules tailored to them. The aim is to further advance the technology and make it accessible to a broader range of users with individual user profiles.
BJT is one of the Additive Manufacturing technologies with the highest growth expectations: Forecasts predict an annual growth rate of 14%, as a result of which the market is expected to reach a volume of 240 million euros by 2028. In order for SMEs in particular to benefit from this growth, the local development of cost-effective and efficient system technology is a crucial step.
