Originally Published:20081101.

What will a production line look like in 20 years? How many more parts will be needed for the newer energy-efficient automobile lines during each season of production? Perhaps the answers lie in processes that are being developed in the automotive and aerospace industries these days. By any means, industry players agree that costs for suppliers and consumers must come down.

The formation of the Direct Manufacturing Research Center (DMRC) by Boeing, Electro Optical Systems (EOS), Evonik Industries, Mining and Chemical Products Limited's (MCK) HEK Tooling division and the University of Paderborn in Germany will further the development of direct manufacturing processes and systems in parts production. The cooperation builds on the expertise of industrial partners and on the research capabilities of the University of Paderborn, which is acclaimed in synergizing information technology with systems engineering in its R&D.

"The application of manufacturing processes of this type promises clear advantages such as reduced production and process costs, shorter cycle times, more complex component part geometries or demand-driven production of spare parts," explained Jeffrey DeGrange, former senior technology manager at The Boeing Co. "The automotive and aerospace industries, as well as manufacturers of high-tech equipment currendy follow the development of DM technologies with keen interest. These key industries are the main drivers of the development of new manufacturing processes."

Direct manufacturing technology, added DeGrange, automatically builds up parts in layers with a laser based on a computer-aided design data set. The industrial partners of DMRC will contribute core competencies to approach parts production challenges in a joint effort: Boeing defines production process and systems requirements from an aerospace standpoint. Evonik Industries produces polymer-based standard materials as well as material solutions tailored for direct manufacturing. EOS and MCK HEK Tooling will provide expertise in the development of laser sinter systems (powder-based processes) for metals.

"On the research side, the DMRC will initially concentrate on projects in the field of powder-based processes, which at the moment are extraordinarily promising. ...On the basis of a weakness analysis of the current machine and material generation, targeted projects will be defined for the duration of six months to three years," said DeGrange, who earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from the University of Iowa and a master's degree in manufacturing engineering from Washington University.

He added that investigation on the behavior of metals and process-induced irregularities will help to create better demanddriven spare parts.