Strong Turnout at This Year's Additive Intelligence 4.0

This year marked the fourth edition of Additive Intelligence 4.0, solidifying its position as one of Sweden’s leading forums for additive manufacturing. Through a new partnership with the Maintenance Trade Fair, RISE and co-organizers had access to an entire hall at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre, enabling the conference to expand with a comprehensive exhibition on additive manufacturing and an open Tech Talk stage featuring its own program.

The conference drew more than 200 attendees from all corners of Europe. Additionally, curious visitors from the maintenance industry gathered in the open areas, to attend the Tech Talks, and explore the exhibition, which included a live demonstration of large-scale 3D printing with an industrial robot. 

"The robot booth attracted a large crowd, and there was significant interest. The print strategy we had chosen – non-planar printing – is very cutting-edge, so many of the visitors had not seen anything like it before," says Samuel Johansson from RISE.

A Riveting Start

The conference burst into life on its first day, with an exploration of the prevailing trends and challenges within additive manufacturing. First up was Vladimir Navrotsky from Siemens Energy, swiftly followed by Rodrigo Hernández Vera from Cytiva. Iain Todd, from the University of Sheffield, also one of the speakers for the second day, reflected on the dynamic opening:

“In terms of setting the scene, I'd really like to highlight the keynote speakers from Siemens and Cytiva. Their presentations offered valuable insights from contrasting viewpoints, as well as compelling economic and technical arguments as to why one would venture into additive manufacturing. So, that sticks in my mind.”

Sustainability took Centre Stage

Although the conference covered diverse topics ranging from robustness and productivity to AI, simulation, EHS, and industrialization, sustainability emerged as a recurring theme. While additive manufacturing is often hailed as a sustainable alternative to other, more resource-intensive manufacturing methods, its true environmental impact remains complex. To delve deeper into this, two panel discussions were conducted, centering on the profitability of sustainable solutions and the actual contribution of additive manufacturing to sustainability. Despite unanimous recognition of additive manufacturing's various sustainability advantages, it became apparent that sustainability is a multifaceted concept. Iain Todd again:

“It is evident that clarity regarding the concept of sustainability is paramount. First, we must comprehend it ourselves and then develop the means to convey it to both governmental bodies and the public. After all, it is they who ultimately fund these initiatives.”

“Another key takeaway from this conference is the significance of focusing on resolving your specific part of the supply chain. As the saying goes, "don't try to boil the ocean" – attempting to solve every issue at once is bound to fail. But if you start with one cup at a time, you might get somewhere.”

Open Stage offered Different Perspectives

Numerous participants at the conference seized the chance to alternate between the main conference sessions and the Tech Talk programme, which ran in parallel. While the main focus of the conference was on metal additive manufacturing, the Tech Talk sessions zeroed in on polymeric materials and design for additive manufacturing. Here, visitors had the opportunity to gain insights from speakers such as Robert Aronsson from Totech, who spoke about how the degrees of design freedom in AM enabled the creation of a significantly lighter hydraulic block, and Linus Häggblom from Formlabs, who shared invaluable tips for venturing into SLS printing.

"We work within orthopaedic technology, primarily with plastic materials, so for us, the presentations at the Tech Talk stage have been the most rewarding," says Gudbjörg Hjalmsdottir and John Alnemo from Sahlgrenska University Hospital.

Where Industry Meets Academia

Additive Intelligence 4.0 stands out for its unique ability to bridge the gap between industry and academia, facilitating collaboration and fuelling innovation. By combining different levels of technological maturity in a multidisciplinary setting, it creates optimal conditions for accelerating the manufacturing industry's shift from conventional to additive manufacturing.

"I think it's advantageous to combine academia and industry in this manner. It offers a comprehensive view of the developments in additive manufacturing and serves as gateway to new collaborations," says Carl Rudenstam from Husqvarna Group, receiving agreement from André Larsson from Höganäs:

"In Sweden, there are no other gatherings quite like this within additive manufacturing. Hence, Additive Intelligence 4.0 functions as a valuable platform for both learning and networking."

The bustling chatter that swiftly filled the halls during breaks in the conference program indicated that the event, as a meeting place, was valued by many.

“It's an excellent opportunity to forge new connections. In fact, we met at yesterday's conference dinner," says Carl Rudenstam, nodding towards André Larsson.

Additive Intelligence 4.0 was the result of a close collaboration between the Application Center for Additive Manufacturing at RISE, the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre, SVEAT, The Swedish Arena for AM of Metals, AM4Life, and CAM2, with support from Produktion2030, Västra Götalandsregionen, Vinnova, and the European Union.