Industrial Technology Research Institute

Technology Overview

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is an emerging technology as well as a transformative approach to industrial production that enables the creation of producing parts with complex geometry, internal runners and internal special structures, and thus enables innovation in the fields of aerospace, medical devices, molds, and heat exchangers. However, the design knowledge, method, tools, and rules are different for design for additive manufacturing when compare to the traditional manufacturing methods; for instance, the variety of materials available for metal AM systems is limited, the obtaining of optimal process parameters is time-consuming, and a lack of predictive evaluation software results in high uncertainties in the implementation of innovative designs. Meanwhile, it also takes time for the manufacturing end to generate appropriate supports and the absence of in-process quality monitoring and feedback control system often leads to unexpected shutdown of AM machine.

In response, ITRI has established the capabilities and capabilities in developing laser AM machines and metal powders. In recent years, aluminium alloy, titanium alloy, and nickel-based alloy specialized molds, aerospace components as well as medical devices were being printed for breathable conformal cooling molds, customized medical implants with good osseointegration, and lightweight aerospace components. ITRI-developed technologies include analytical tools to generate optimal process parameters and residual stress simulations, as well as intelligent equipment monitoring to reduce unnecessary downtime by 80%. These greatly shorten the learning curve for the inexperienced manufacturer and meet future digital manufacturing needs. those technologies have been applied to innovative requirements of mold manufacturing in order to meet the digital transformation of the traditional footwear industry; a newly established ISO13485-compliant medical device manufacturing factory, design and produce 3D printing for complex shapes of medical materials. The oral jaw prosthesis has been approved in cooperation with the hospital and has been tested in 8 human subjects in Taiwan. Aerospace parts have passed aluminum alloy manufacturing quality confirmation from domestic aerospace, which also met aerospace industry Metallic Materials Properties Development and Standardization (MMPDS) standards.