Additive Manufacturing is a game-changer in various industries, and the defense sector is no exception. It presents a myriad of opportunities to transform the way we design, produce, and maintain critical components. By harnessing the power of Additive Manufacturing, we can enhance defense readiness, reduce costs, improve supply chain resilience, and enable rapid prototyping and production of crucial defense systems.

But how can we best use AM in this highly demanding sector? This questions needs to be answered, which is why we are thrilled to announce the official launch of the next MGA Working Group: Defense!
On September 28, one day after our MGA Annual Meeting, we invite you to be part of this endeavour to explore the possibilities of Additive Manufacturing technologies for the defense sector.

Our Working Group brings together a diverse range of experts and professionals from the defense industry, academia, and government agencies.

Through regular meetings, workshops, and collaborative projects, we aim to foster a vibrant ecosystem that encourages the exchange of ideas, best practices, and cutting-edge research. Together, we will explore the latest advancements, challenges, and opportunities in additive manufacturing, with a specific focus on defense applications.

Join us at our Kick-Off in Berlin – whether you are a researcher, engineer, defense professional, or working for an interested NATO government agency, your participation and expertise will be invaluable in driving our collective mission forward.

To get involved, please contact Sven Fritzsche for more information.

Join the kick-off and shape the future of defense manufacturing.

The first buildings of humankind were erected about 11,000 years ago – but since those rudimentary temple structures in Turkey, we imagine that one or two things have changed in the construction industry – an industry that is like so many others dependent on environmental factors and of course must keep up with current technology developments.

One technology that might be of use to the industry is our Additive Manufacturing: it is already in use and showing potential in minimizing the use of materials and maximizing the freedom of design while at the same time lowering the emissions of CO². Use Cases also include the printing of customised formwork at the actual construction site – saving both time and money.

But we still have questions:

• How can Additive Manufacturing improve this industry?
• How is 3D Printing already used in Construction?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of AM in Construction?
• What needs to be done to establish AM in Construction?

Together with architects, engineering firms, builders, material suppliers and a multitude of other trades, the construction industry is structured differently and more complex than large parts of the rest of the additive industry – which is why we are bringing together the various players to shed light on the advantages and opportunities of the cooperation of AM and construction.

We are hosting the first ever MGA “Construction” Workshop on June 28, 2023 at 11am in Berlin.

Hosted by Stefanie Brickwede, MGA & Deutsche Bahn, and opened by Dr Karsten Heuser, Siemens, we will hear keynotes from Dr. Fabian Meyer-Brötz, PERI 3D, Prof. Dr. Inka Mai, TU Berlin, Dr. Ksenija Vasilić, DBV, and François Perrot, 14Trees.

If you would like to join our Workshop, please contact Sven Fritzsche to learn more.

Overview:

When: June 28, 11am – 4pm
Where: MGA Office, Berlin
What: Discussions, Keynotes, Lunch & Networking

The formnext homepage clearly states: “Within the framework of Formnext, more than 800 exhibitors and more than 30,000 visitors will meet from November 7 – 10 2023 and transform Frankfurt am Main into the capital of Additive Manufacturing. This community, the fAMily, is dedicated to the ever-growing use of AM in an industrial context.”

These figures make formnext Germany’s largest AM event and therefore predestined for a competition like the Start-up Challenge. Here, young, creative companies are offered the platform to assert and present themselves in the AM industry. Participation not only provides the opportunity for inspiring exchange with experts, potential customers, and investors, but also the chance to secure an attractive and comprehensive price.

The Challenge also offers participants valuable feedback from industry-leading experts: it is with great pleasure that our Managing Director Stefanie Brickwede takes her place on the jury alongside luminaries such as Arno Held, Managing Partner at AM Ventures, Alexander Oster, Director Additive Manufacturing at Autodesk and Michael Petch, Editor in Chief at 3D Printing Industry.

Nevertheless, even non-participants should not miss the opportunity to follow the Start-Up Challenge. The ideas presented show ingenuity and stimulate a meaningful and innovative exchange about the future of the AM industry. It is only by encouraging innovation like this that the AM industry can grow sustainably.

We look forward to meeting you as a contributor or as a spectator (at the Challenge or at the formnext trade fair, we are in Hall 11.1) and being inspired by new and witty pitches!

More information and the opportunity to participate can be found here: https://formnext.mesago.com/frankfurt/en/themes-events/program/startup_challenge.html

MGA is a network of users, material & software providers, institutions, and consultants – but also a network of printer manufacturers. At our IAM Hub in Berlin, we want to give our members the opportunity to show politicians, international delegations, potential customers, and other interested parties the great potential of the different (printer) technologies of Additive Manufacturing.

That is why we already have one of the largest exhibitions of 3D printed parts in Germany – showcasing all different kinds of AM: from FFF to WAAM to concrete printing – we show it all.

But given that the IAM Hub is a Co-Working space, we do not have the requirements for larger printers utilizing for example powder or lasers. So up until this point, we had “only” FFF and SLA printers on side – which are already great when you show the technology to people who did not have a lot of contact with it before. BUT it is not necessarily new to those with a little background in 3D printing (there are quite a few FFF machines in private residences throughout Berlin).

Thanks to Chromatic 3D Materials we can now showcase another AM technology in our space: RX-flow, an elastomer printing technology, great for flexible components such as bellows, seals or rubber buffers! Cora Leibig, Barthel Engendahl and their team set-up their RX-Flow 3500® machine at the end of May. Using two component printing, rubber-like parts can be printed at unimaginable speeds.

Matthias Hoffmann from Chromatic already started training our staff in how to properly maintain and use the printer – which is more complicated than the plug-and-play logic of most FFF machines. Now it is important for us to really learn how to print with the machine and as a next step we are looking forward to finding industrial projects to be realised on this futuristic machine.

If you are interested in learning more about the printer, if you have a project for the printer or would simply like to have a look at the machine – please don’t hesitate to contact us!

We are looking forward to working with the RX-Flow 3500®