Bridging Research and Industry: Advancing SEAM for Smarter, More Efficient Manufacturing
Mr Mohamed Wessim Kbaier at Metrom Facilities During His Secondment
One major focus of the SALIENT Project, which began in September 2022, spans three years, and concludes in August 2025, is to foster close collaboration with industry partners and the wider scientific community to drive forward smarter, more efficient, and circular manufacturing systems. To achieve this, project partners have completed 10 secondments, enabling researchers and professionals to undertake extensive placements in companies or universities, thereby bridging the gap between academic research and industrial applications.
As part of this initiative, Mr Mohamed Wessim Kbaier, a Master's Student at Fraunhofer (IWU), participated in a six-month secondment from April to September 2024 at Metrom Mechatronische Maschinen GmbH. During this period, he focused on integrating Screw Extrusion Additive Manufacturing (SEAM) with existing Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) systems—a pivotal step in advancing additive manufacturing technology.
Some of the activities performed during the secondment included:
Exploring Technologies and Requirements:
Familiarisation with SEAM and related additive manufacturing technologies including specifications of the screw extrusion process and tool compatibility.
Acquittance with tools like Rhino for 3D design, Visual Studio and PyCharm for scripting for 3D printing.
Design and Configuration of Post-Processor:
Designing a post-processor tailored for SEAM integration with existing CAM systems including setting extrusion controls, refining tool paths, and configuring machine parameters.
EZBuild Template Development:
Building an EZBuild template to streamline future printing job configurations by incorporating standard parameters.
Testing and Validation:
Testing the post-processor and EZBuild template to ensure compatibility and functionality within SEAM’s setup.
Key Takeaways and Lessons Learned
The exchange showed the vital collaboration between academia and industry, demonstrated through Mr Kbaier’s contributions to SEAM technology. His experience taught him about system compatibility challenges and the need to adapt cutting-edge technologies to work within established frameworks. Additionally, developing the EZBuild template proved to be a key advancement in creating more efficient workflows, which will benefit future manufacturing processes.
By bridging the gap between academia and industry, Kbaier’s research highlights the importance of collaboration in driving technological innovations that align with the SALIENT project’s goal of creating smarter, more efficient, circular manufacturing systems. The insights gained and the systems developed during his secondment provide a strong foundation for further advancements in the field.
Author: Fraunhofer IWU