Folowing on from some of the articles we have published recently about the digitization of industry, and additive manufacturing and 3D printing in relation to textiles, we thought the discussions at this forum were worth a mention. 

The digital transformation of industries was one of the key topics discussed at the World Economic Forum (WEF) that took place from 20-23 January in Davos. The fourth industrial revolution is imminent, Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, reports.

For the industrial revolution that goes by the name Industry 4.0, the technique used for 3D printing will have to go beyond current technologies: from rapid prototyping to advanced manufacturing, the production of lasting and functional components with defined mechanical and thermal properties: products made from metals or ceramics.

Empa is working on this topic with various research groups. One group is examining the optimized use of lasers, while another is researching new types of alloys that this technology makes feasible for the first time. A further lab is using additive manufacturing to build new, geometric forms that were not possible up to now with the traditional production methods available.

Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 is expected to fundamentally change, among other things, the production methods and business models currently used in industrialized countries. Experts estimate that Industry 4.0 will result in virtual data merging with real production equipment.

The resulting smart factory will bring customers and suppliers closer together, as production orders will be sent by the customer directly to the machine, and the production data will be transferred to the distribution partner in real time. Manufacturing will become leaner and faster and respond to customers’ needs, according to Empa.

3D printing in metal

A key component in making Industry 4.0 a reality are machines that can produce the desired components faster, more flexibly and more precisely than ever before. Less prototype construction, fewer dies, less post-processing. In future it will have to be possible to turn data into components and products at an incredible speed.

3D printers give a sneak preview of what this type of production might look like. The first of these devices were created in the 1980s, and nowadays you can buy entry-level devices for less than 700 Swiss francs. But so far, 3D printers have generally been used to make objects from plastic.

The mechanical properties and the temperature stability of these objects are pretty limited as a result, which is why they are mainly used for illustrative purposes, i.e. as visual models. This is why 3D printing is often described as rapid prototyping.

Empa research

Within the framework of the focus area Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, the strategic planning of the ETH Board for the ETH Domain for 2017 to 2020 provides for investment totalling 10 million Swiss francs in infrastructure, new academic chairs and technology platforms.

The Board has appointed Empa CEO Gian-Luca Bona to coordinate this endeavour. He is tasked to harmonize the interdisciplinary research activities of ETH Zurich, EPF Lausanne, PSI and Empa.

www.empa.ch