Advanced and Additive Manufacturing

The course Advanced and Additive Manufacturing has been offered since 2022 and forms part of the master’s curriculum. It is attended by students from a range of backgrounds, including Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, and the Built Environment. The course offers a broad overview of advanced additive manufacturing techniques and the materials used, with a particular focus on laser powder bed fusion of metals, polymer printing, and ceramic printing.

Students explore the underlying principles of these technologies, including process mechanics, material behavior, and design opportunities unique to additive manufacturing. Regular guest lectures from companies such as Philips Medical, Additive Industries, and colleagues specializing in concrete printing from the Built Environment faculty provide students with direct insights into current industrial applications and research developments.

Starting with the 2025 edition, students are actively encouraged to design, print, and test a load-carrying object using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) techniques with thermoplastic materials. As part of this assignment, students characterize the mechanical properties of different thermoplastics and incorporate this data into their design and analysis. This hands-on component allows them to experience the full design-to-production cycle, emphasizing material selection, process limitations, and performance validation.

Overall, the course aims to equip students with both a strong theoretical understanding and practical experience in additive manufacturing technologies, preparing them to apply these skills in innovative product design, structural engineering, and emerging manufacturing industries.