Welcome to the website of the Laboratory for Additive Manufacturing at Emden-Leer University of Applied Sciences. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kathrin Ottink is responsible for the subject area of additive manufacturing at the Emden-Leer University of Applied Sciences and Dr.-Ing. Thomas Ebel is responsible for the practical operation. You can find their contact details below.

Rapid prototyping, or nowadays 3D printing or additive manufacturing, refers to a group of processes that make it possible to create three-dimensional models of an object directly from CAD data during product development. The starting material is either formless (e.g. powder) or form-neutral (e.g. filament) and is brought into the desired shape depending on the printing process used. The resulting products can be models and prototypes, but also tools and end products. As no additional tools or molds are required for production, products with complex geometries in particular can be produced quickly and cost-effectively.

In general, a model in the form of a CAD file is usually split into the required layers using slicing software. This information is then transferred to the system used. Depending on the process, the layers and, if possible, the required support material are then generated.

In the additive manufacturing laboratory, students are given the opportunity to produce three-dimensional models created with CAD software as real objects using various additive manufacturing processes. The Laboratory for Additive Manufacturing particularly supports training in the Mechanical Engineering degree program with a focus on product development and design, and works closely with the CAD laboratory and the design laboratory. The implementation and supervision of projects and final theses are also an integral part of the courses on offer. The focus here is on linking previously learned theory with applied practice.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kathrin Ottink is responsible for the subject area of additive manufacturing at Emden University of Applied Sciences.

These processes are supplemented by options for reproducing the prototypes created in this way. For example, silicone molds can be created, which in turn can be used to produce small series from various synthetic resins in a vacuum casting system. The Laboratory for Additive Manufacturing has a vacuum casting machine from MK-Technology for this purpose.

The 3D CAD system is at the beginning of the process chain. The additive manufacturing laboratory uses the Solidworks system. The data is processed using Materialise Magics software.

A Steinbichler TScan CS 3D scanner is available for reverse engineering, and Geomagics Design X is used for further processing of the scan data.

A Formlabs Form 3 3D printer, an EOS Formiga P110 laser sintering system, an HP Jet Fusion 580 Color multijet fusion printer and an SLM 125 HL metal laser melting system are used to produce prototypes. The laboratory has been in existence for many years: the rapid prototyping laboratory started in 1998 with a LOM system from the manufacturer Helisys (type 1015plus).

In order to be able to produce prototypes and small series made of plastic, the laboratory also has a vacuum casting system from the manufacturer MK-Technology, type MK System 1 with differential pressure module.

The Additive Manufacturing Laboratory is constantly working on a wide variety of projects, both by students from our university and by Erasmus students, mainly from Spain and France. For example, work is being carried out on parameter studies, design guidelines for various processes and also on alternative materials and processes.

Hochschule Emden/Leer - Fachbereich Technik - Abt. Maschinenbau

University of Applied Sciences - Department of Mechanical Engineering

Labor für Additive Fertigung

Constantiaplatz 4

26723 Emden