SBO project with the primary economic finality aimed at the transfer to existing companies: Fatigue and roughness Optimisation to tRigger susTainable advanced Additive Manufacturing applications.

The FORTAM project aims to unlock the full potential of metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) and to boost its added value in Flanders and beyond. Structural load-bearing metal parts produced by unique hybrid additive/subtractive manufacturing techniques are targeted. By in-situ improving the surface roughness, geometrical accuracy, and fatigue life of the as-printed parts, a significant added value is expected. Discussions with key industrial players in Flanders and beyond have highlighted the main obstacles to metal AM adoption: poor surface quality, and complex post-processing and inspection requirements. Our approach, through this SBO project, focuses on acquiring fundamental knowledge and scientific insights into enhancing critical metal AM parts. The applicants also seek to understand the complex relationships between manufacturing conditions, resulting surface quality, and final fatigue performance and certification procedures. Two beyond state-of-the-art hybrid machines will be leveraged for this purpose, combined with novel in-situ and ex-situ monitoring tools. This will allow for “first-time-right” manufacturing as well as for smart inspection and efficient certification. Both machines are complementary and consist of a hybrid Laser Powder Bed Fusion setup at KU Leuven, and a hybrid Directed Energy Deposition machine at VUB.
During and after this project, the applicants will also engage in applied research and valorisation activities working closely and collaborating on the specific AM process, materials and applications recommended by the industrial advisory committee. Consequently, this will lead to significant economic and societal value in the medium- to long-term for the whole AM value chain in Flanders and beyond.