Software tools for hybrid robot based additive manufacturing for industrial applications (SoftDREAM)

The benefits of additive manufacturing (AM) for European industry are well established, as AM enables design flexibility, near-net-shape manufacturing, mass-customization, flexible manufacturing and reduced lead times.

Hybrid AM using industrial robotics can further improve production flexibility by combining multiple manufacturing processes in a single manufacturing cell. This allows scalable time- and cost-efficient fabrication of large-scale thermoplastic, metal and even multi-material parts. This project will develop software tools unlocking the full potential of hybrid AM based on industrial robotics. The results will lead to improved agility and responsiveness by reducing lead times in production, prototyping and tool manufacturing, particularly in the European automotive, aerospace, construction and manufacturing industries.