Imagine trying to glue a piece of metal to a piece of plastic or two different types of steel without the joint snapping. Usually, this requires separate parts and bulky fasteners that add weight. This technology prints these different materials together in one go, blending them seamlessly like a gradient to create lighter, stronger parts.
Traditional joining of dissimilar materials (like metal-to-polymer) often creates weak points, 'dead spaces,' and requires expensive separate machining. This leads to heavier components and longer production cycles.
Two hybrid additive manufacturing methods based on Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) and Directed Energy Deposition (DED) for joining dissimilar materials.
If you are a rocket engine manufacturer dealing with heavy components and long assembly times — this project developed hybrid AM methods that can produce parts 50% lighter and reduce lead times by 20%. This allows for higher performance in harsh environments.
If you are a hydrogen vehicle developer dealing with the weight and complexity of cryogenic tanks — this project developed a way to join dissimilar materials that results in parts 50% lighter and 30% more performant than reference products.
If you are a marine engine builder dealing with corrosive environments and inefficient joining techniques like brazing — this project developed hybrid PBF and DED printing that reduces lead times by at least 20%.
The process is expected to reduce lead times by at least 20% compared to traditional methods like die casting and brazing.
The project focuses on large-scale components and is being tested on industrial use-cases like rocket and marine engines to ensure scalability.
Based on available project data, the project aims to generate new joining and testing standards, but specific licensing terms are not provided.
All components manufactured using the DISCO hybrid methods will be subjected to rigid testing according to respective industry standards.
The project period runs until 2026-11-30, suggesting that full validation of the use-cases will be completed by then.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven, with 60% of its 10 partners coming from the industrial sector, including 4 SMEs. This high ratio of industry players across 7 countries suggests a strong focus on commercial viability and direct application in aerospace, automotive, and marine engineering rather than purely academic research.
Contact the TUM Chair of Materials Engineering of Additive Manufacturing
Contact us to connect with the DISCO2030 consortium for early adoption of hybrid AM standards.
