SKZ Plastics Center and Fraunhofer IPA are conducting research on a modified Polymer Powder Bed Fusion, PBF-LB/P, process for plastics. The PimP project focuses on lowering the powder bed temperature in order to reduce material aging, which is difficult to avoid in the currently used approach. In the standard process, the plastic powder is preheated to a temperature close to its melting point, which means operation under quasi-isothermal conditions. These conditions cause significant thermal stress on the powder. Material that is not fused into the part ages rapidly and, in some cases, can only be reused at a rate of around 50 percent. In practice, this translates into a high level of material losses and therefore higher costs and a greater environmental burden.
In the PimP project, the partners are developing a non-isothermal process with a reduced powder bed temperature. The aim is to markedly reduce powder aging while using existing equipment, including systems used by small and medium-sized enterprises. This approach is intended to make it possible to reduce material costs and resource consumption without implementing entirely new machine platforms. As Christian Schlör from the materials development and testing division at SKZ explains, "Our goal is to significantly increase the reusability of powders while maintaining component quality at the level of today's industrial standards. In doing so, we are laying the foundation for a much more economical and sustainable PBF process."
Raw materials and exposure parameters at the center of the work
An important area of the project is the identification of suitable powder raw materials and material properties relevant to the low-temperature process. At the same time, the researchers are developing new exposure strategies intended to compensate for the additional energy demand resulting from the lower build chamber temperature. The concept includes the use of multiple exposure steps and adaptive laser parameters. This is intended to ensure that, under changed thermal conditions, the produced parts retain high mechanical strength and appropriate surface quality.
Part warpage and economic assessment
A particular challenge remains part warpage caused by strong temperature gradients. The project предусматривает targeted process optimization to limit these effects and define stable process windows for industrial applications. After the work is completed, the developed low-temperature strategies are to be compared with the current state of the art, both technically and economically. Such an analysis is intended to provide users with a basis for assessing potential implementation scenarios.
The PimP project is funded under the Joint Industrial Research, IGF, program under grant number 01IF24822N. The project implementation period runs from March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2028. Project administration is handled by the German Aerospace Center, DLR, and funding is provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, BMWK.
