Globally visible centre for additive manufacturing technologies

The TUM Oerlikon Advanced Manufacturing Institute is located on the TUM campus in Garching, where TUM researchers and the Oerlikon Additive Manufacturing team jointly conducting research. The goals of the AM Institute are to perform research that provides valuable insights for both industry and academia, educate the upcoming AM experts to offer long-lasting benefits for both sectors, revolutionize the engineering process with future-oriented design and manufacturing techniques, and bring together academic, industrial, and governmental entities to accomplish common objectives and maximize advantages.

"Together with Oerlikon, we want to make the Munich location a globally visible centre for additive manufacturing technologies. The cooperation ideally complements our `Industry on Campus` strategy to more closely interlink science and application in practice and make decisive contributions to the industrialization of additive manufacturing technologies.”

TUM Präsident Prof. Thomas Hofmann

"In order to leverage synergies in the cooperation between the university and ourselves, we have decided to relocate the headquarters of our business unit together with our own research department from Feldkirchen to Garching. In this way, both partners benefit: the doctoral candidates can use our hardware, such as our 3D printers and our laboratories, and we are close to the research activities of the excellence university.”

Dr. Sven Hicken, Head of the Oerlikon Business Unit AM

"Our research focuses primarily on technical hurdles which, once overcome, will enable the development of the metal speed up 3D printing. For example, we are already working together on new, highly stable, aluminum-based lightweight construction alloys that are in high demand in the industry, on sophisticated new simulation methods for predicting the melting and solidification process in metal powders, and on the development of a digital process for the certification of products manufactured with the help of Advanced Manufacturing components for the aerospace industry.”

Prof. Dr. Nikolaus A. Adams, Head of the Chair of Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics at TUM

"When we launched the additive manufacturing business in 2016 as a logical extension of our materials and surface expertise, it was important to us from the very beginning to work with strong partners in the further development of metal 3D printing. With the foundation of the AM Institute, we were able to institutionalize a very important partnership. Both partners bring their strengths to the collaboration and benefit from those of the other: The University of Excellence TU Munich with its outstanding research competence and Oerlikon with its many years of practical experience and market expertise."

Prof. Dr. Michael Süß, Executive Chairman Oerlikon