CAxMan · Project

Cloud Software That Designs Lighter, Smarter 3D-Printed Parts and Cuts Material Waste

manufacturingTestedTRL 5

Imagine you want to 3D-print a metal part for an engine, but you're wasting material and guessing at the design. CAxMan built a cloud-based toolkit — like a one-stop online shop — where engineers upload a design, and the software automatically figures out where to add internal cavities, how to mix materials, and how to plan the printing process. Think of it as Google Docs but for additive manufacturing: all your design, simulation, and production planning tools live in the cloud and talk to each other. The goal is lighter parts, less waste, and the ability to make shapes that traditional cutting machines simply cannot produce.

By the numbers

12%

Material usage reduction through internal cavities and voids

Consortium partners across 7 countries

SME and industrial partners in consortium

62%

Industry participation ratio in consortium

EUR 7,143,300

EU contribution to develop the platform

Total project deliverables completed

The business problem

What needed solving

Manufacturers moving to 3D printing face a fragmented software landscape: design tools don't talk to simulation tools, process planning is disconnected, and optimizing parts to use less material requires expensive specialist knowledge. Small and mid-size manufacturers are especially locked out because the software licenses and computing power needed are beyond their budgets.

The solution

What was built

A cloud-based marketplace and toolkit for additive manufacturing that includes design optimization (introducing internal cavities to cut material by 12%), multi-material grading, process planning with thermal and stress simulation, and tools to combine additive and subtractive manufacturing. A working cloud demonstrator was delivered along with 34 total deliverables and proposed extensions to ISO STEP and ASTM standards.

Audience

Who needs this

Aerospace component manufacturers optimizing lightweight metal partsMedical device companies producing custom 3D-printed implantsAutomotive tooling shops combining 3D printing with CNC finishingAdditive manufacturing service bureaus looking for cloud-based process planningCAD/CAM software vendors wanting to integrate AM-specific optimization

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Aerospace & Defense

enterprise

Target: Aerospace component manufacturers and MRO providers

If you are an aerospace parts manufacturer dealing with heavy components and excessive material waste in metal additive manufacturing — this project developed cloud-based design optimization tools that reduce material usage by 12% through intelligent internal cavities, while maintaining structural integrity. The cloud marketplace lets your engineers access simulation and process planning without investing in expensive on-premise software licenses.

Medical Devices

SME

Target: Custom implant and prosthetics manufacturers

If you are a medical device company struggling to produce complex patient-specific implants — this project developed interoperable design-to-production workflows that handle multi-material grading and shapes impossible to make with traditional machining. With 16 partners across 7 countries validating the approach, the cloud platform lets smaller teams access industrial-grade additive manufacturing planning tools on demand.

Automotive & Tooling

mid-size

Target: Tooling and prototyping shops serving automotive OEMs

If you are a tooling shop trying to combine 3D printing flexibility with the surface finish of traditional machining — this project built process planning tools that enable compatibility between additive and subtractive processes in the same production chain. The open-source algorithmic toolkits mean you can integrate these capabilities without vendor lock-in.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost my company to use these tools?

CAxMan was designed as a cloud marketplace hosted by partner ARCTUR, meaning access would be subscription or pay-per-use rather than a large upfront license. The project received EUR 7,143,300 in EU funding across 16 partners to build the platform. Specific commercial pricing is not stated in the project data — you would need to contact the consortium.

Can this handle production volumes, not just prototypes?

The tools focus on design optimization, simulation, and process planning for additive manufacturing — they improve what you print, not the printer speed itself. The 12% material reduction target applies at any volume. The cloud architecture means computational resources scale with demand.

Is the software open source or do I need a license?

CAxMan explicitly established an ecosystem of open-source algorithmic toolkits for additive manufacturing, with SINTEF triggering the open-source community. The cloud marketplace itself was hosted by ARCTUR. Based on available project data, core algorithms are open source while the marketplace platform may have separate terms.

Does this work with existing CAD/CAM software we already use?

A key objective was interoperable model representations across the design-production chain. The project also proposed extensions to ISO 10303 (STEP) Part 242 and ISO/ASTM 52915 standards, which are the standard data exchange formats used by major CAD/CAM systems. This suggests strong integration potential with existing tools.

How mature is this technology — is it ready to deploy?

The project produced a cloud demonstrator that shows feasibility of the CAxMan cloud services to potential users. With 34 deliverables completed and 10 industrial partners involved, the technology has been validated but the project ended in 2018. Current availability depends on whether consortium members commercialized specific components.

What standards does this comply with?

CAxMan proposed extensions to ISO 10303 (STEP) Part 242 edition 2 and ISO/ASTM 52915, which are the international standards for product data exchange and additive manufacturing file formats. This means outputs are designed to be standards-compliant from the start.

Consortium

Who built it

The CAxMan consortium is unusually industry-heavy for an EU research project: 10 out of 16 partners (62%) come from industry, and all 10 are classified as SMEs. This signals that the project was built around real manufacturing needs rather than academic curiosity. Six research organizations — led by SINTEF AS from Norway — provided the scientific backbone. The 7-country spread (AT, DE, ES, FR, IT, NO, SI) covers Europe's main manufacturing corridors. With zero universities in the mix, this was clearly an applied engineering effort. ARCTUR hosts the cloud marketplace and SINTEF drives the open-source community — two clear commercialization paths built into the project from the start.

SINTEF ASCoordinator · NO
ARCTUR RACUNALNISKI INZENIRING DOOparticipant · SI
STIFTELSEN SINTEFparticipant · NO
JOTNE CONNECT ASparticipant · NO
TRIMEK SAparticipant · ES
DEUTSCHES FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUR KUNSTLICHE INTELLIGENZ GMBHparticipant · DE
CLESGO GMBHparticipant · DE
CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHEparticipant · IT
CENTRE INTERNACIONAL DE METODES NUMERICS EN ENGINYERIAparticipant · ES
TOPSOLIDparticipant · FR
BOC ASSET MANAGEMENT GMBHparticipant · AT
STAM SRLparticipant · IT
STAMTECH SRLparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

SINTEF AS (Norway) — a major Scandinavian applied research organization. Contact their manufacturing or digital services division.

Order a report on this consortium See SINTEF AS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the CAxMan team or find out which tools are still available? SciTransfer can arrange an introduction and help you evaluate fit for your manufacturing workflow.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0