Research center for the industrialization of additive manufacturing of metal and polymer components
Direct Manufacturing Research Center e.V.
Paderborn (Head Office, Paggels Hof 5) · Paderborn (Research Laboratories, Mersinweg 3)New on Amplifa
About the DMRC
The Direct Manufacturing Research Center (DMRC) e.V. in Paderborn is a research center that unites leading industrial companies and scientists from Paderborn University in order to develop additive manufacturing into a reliable, scalable and competitive industrial process. The focus lies on material analysis and material development for SLM, LS, FDM and FGF, process development and process monitoring, design for AM including topology optimization, and cost analyses along the entire process chain. Members gain access to systems for Selective Laser Melting, Selective Laser Sintering, FDM, FGF, Arburg Plastic Freeforming and Digital Light Processing, as well as to analysis equipment and software tools. Metallic and polymer materials have been processed, up to high-temperature-processed SLM powders and PEEK qualified for FFF. Industry projects extend to aerospace, automotive and rail; industrial partners include Nikon SLM Solutions, Siemens, Krause DiMaTec, Stükerjürgen Aerospace Composites and Additive Marking.
- Site
- Paderborn
- Processes
- Selective Laser Melting (SLM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF), Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF), Digital Light Processing (DLP), Material analysis and material development for additive manufacturing, Process monitoring and quality improvement (software and hardware)
- Materials
- Polymer, Metal, PEEK, High-performance thermoplastics (qualified for FFF), Metallic SLM Powders, Selective Laser Melting, Selective Laser Sintering, Fused Deposition Modeling
- Founded
- 2009 (firs
- Employees
- 30+ researchers and
- Industries
- Aerospace, Automotive, Rail, Additive Manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing / 3D Printing
- 01
Material analysis and material development
- 02
Process development and parameter studies
- 03
Process monitoring and quality improvement
- 04
Design for AM / topology optimization
- 05
Cost analysis along the process chain
Materials and Processes
Selective Laser Melting
Laser-based melting of metallic powders, including high-temperature processing with a heated build platform to reduce residual stresses and shrinkage.
Selective Laser Sintering
Laser sintering of polymer powders, among other things researched for automated series production in the PolyLine project.
Fused Deposition Modeling
Extrusion-based processes, including PEEK qualified for FFF and other high-performance thermoplastics.
Fused Granular Fabrication
Granule-based extrusion process for polymers.
Arburg Plastic Freeforming
Arburg freeforming process for polymer components.
Digital Light Processing
Light-based photopolymer process for polymer components.
PEEK
High-performance thermoplastics qualified at the DMRC for the FFF process.
Metallic SLM Powders
Metal powders for laser melting, including in-house material production and development.
Locations
Paderborn – Head Office
DEHead Office (Paggels Hof 5)
Paderborn – Research Laboratories
DEResearch laboratories (Mersinweg 3)
- Materials
- Metals, Polymers, PEEK
- SLM system
- SLS system
- FDM system
- FGF system
- Arburg APF system
- DLP system
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selective Laser Melting (SLM)Additive | – | – | – | – | Metals, Polymer |
| Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)Additive | – | – | – | – | Polymer |
| Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)Additive | – | – | – | – | Polymer, High-performance thermoplastics (e.g. PEEK) |
| Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF)Additive | – | – | – | – | Polymer |
| Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF)Additive | – | – | – | – | Polymer |
| Digital Light Processing (DLP)Additive | – | – | – | – | Polymer |
| Material analysis and material development for additive manufacturingEngineering | – | – | – | – | Metals, Polymers |
| Process monitoring and quality improvement (software and hardware)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Design for AM / topology optimization and AI-based design optimizationEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Cost analysis along the AM process chainEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
6 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selective Laser Melting (SLM) system | – | – | – | – | Paderborn |
| Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) system | – | – | – | – | Paderborn |
| Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) system | – | – | – | – | Paderborn |
| Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF) system | – | – | – | – | Paderborn |
| Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) system | Arburg | – | – | – | Paderborn |
| Digital Light Processing (DLP) system | – | – | – | – | Paderborn |
Additional services
Reference customers
History
- 2007
Tender process of the Boeing Company
- 2008
Paderborn University selected as location, funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
- 2009
First DMRC projects
- 2011
Award 'Ort des Fortschritts' (Place of Progress) from the NRW Ministry of Science
- 2012
Scientific responsibility in major projects (ESA, FP7, Horizon 2020, it's OWL, BMBF, BMWi)
- 2013
First additive manufacturing-related doctoral degrees
- 2014
Prize for innovation and quality in teaching from Paderborn University
- 2015
Project RepAir – additively manufactured lightweight components for aircraft repair
- 2016
Project iBUS – individualized production of toys and furniture
- 2017
High-temperature processing of metallic SLM powders with a heated build platform
- 2018
Project ProDruck – 3D printing for individual everyday aids
- 2019
Qualification of PEEK for the FFF process
- 2020
Project PolyLine – automated polymer laser sintering for series production
- 2021
Project LC-ProMo – retrofitable monitoring system for the EOS P3
- 2022
Consortium partner in the EUR 6.7 million MADE-3D project (multi-material 3D printing)
- 2023
Consortium partner in the DigiZug3D project – digitalization of approval processes for 3D-printed rail components
- 2025
Founding of the association DMRC e.V.