ENCOMPASS · Project

Digital Decision System That Gets 3D Metal Printing Right the First Time

manufacturingPilotedTRL 6

Imagine you're 3D-printing metal parts for a jet engine or a hip implant — but every failed print wastes expensive metal powder and days of machine time. ENCOMPASS built a digital system that connects every step of the process, from design through printing to quality checks, so the machine knows what to do before it starts. Think of it like a GPS for manufacturing: instead of guessing the route, it plans the whole journey upfront. The result is fewer scrapped parts, less wasted material, and components that pass inspection on the first try.

By the numbers

sector-specific demonstrator components with QA certificates

consortium partners across 6 countries

55%

industry ratio in consortium

key process chain stages integrated (design, build, post-build)

interrelations connecting all process chain stages

The business problem

What needed solving

Manufacturers using laser powder bed fusion for metal 3D printing face high scrap rates, costly redesign cycles, and disconnected process steps — design teams don't talk to build teams, quality data doesn't feed back to design, and each failed print wastes expensive metal powder and machine time. The result is low right-first-time rates, excessive post-processing, and production costs that make AM uncompetitive for many applications.

The solution

What was built

ENCOMPASS built an integrated design decision support (IDDS) digital platform connecting all stages of laser powder bed fusion: component design, build process, and post-build processing and inspection. They delivered 4 physical demonstrator components — 2 aerospace, 1 automotive, 1 medical — each with quality assurance certificates for critical sections, plus the underlying simulation and data management software tying 5 process interrelations together.

Audience

Who needs this

Aerospace parts suppliers running metal L-PBF production linesAutomotive manufacturers adopting additive manufacturing for serial partsMedical implant companies printing patient-specific metal devicesAM service bureaus looking to reduce scrap and increase throughputManufacturing technology integrators building turnkey AM production cells

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Aerospace components manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Tier 1-2 aerospace suppliers using metal additive manufacturing

If you are an aerospace parts supplier dealing with high scrap rates and lengthy qualification cycles in metal 3D printing — this project developed an integrated digital system covering design through post-processing for laser powder bed fusion. They built and certified 2 aerospace demonstrator components with quality assurance certificates. The system connects design constraints directly to build parameters so your parts pass inspection the first time.

Automotive manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Automotive OEMs or suppliers producing low-volume metal AM parts

If you are an automotive manufacturer struggling with slow changeover times and costly redesign loops when 3D-printing metal components — ENCOMPASS created a decision support platform that optimizes the entire L-PBF process chain in 3 key stages. They validated it with a dedicated automotive use case demonstrator including quality certification. The system reduces production costs by cutting over-processing and material waste.

Medical device manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Medical implant or surgical instrument manufacturers using metal AM

If you are a medical device maker where every failed metal print means wasted biocompatible powder worth thousands — this project delivered a medical use case demonstrator with a quality assurance certificate for critical sections. The integrated system tracks feature quality throughout the entire build, connecting 5 interrelated process stages. This means faster path to certified patient-ready components with less trial-and-error.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this system in our facility?

The project data does not include specific licensing or implementation costs. The system is a digital platform (simulation software and databases) layered on top of existing L-PBF equipment, so the main investment would be software integration rather than new hardware. Contact the Manufacturing Technology Centre (UK) as coordinator to discuss commercial terms.

Can this scale to production volumes beyond prototyping?

The system was designed specifically to increase AM productivity across the whole manufacturing chain, not just single parts. It was validated with 4 demonstrator components across aerospace, automotive, and medical sectors, each with quality assurance certificates for critical sections. The 11-partner consortium included 6 industry partners, suggesting real production environment testing.

What is the IP situation — can we license this technology?

The project was a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) funded under Horizon 2020, with IP typically shared among the 11 consortium partners. The Manufacturing Technology Centre Limited coordinated the project. Licensing arrangements would need to be negotiated directly with the relevant partners.

Which 3D printing systems does this work with?

ENCOMPASS was built specifically for laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF), the most widely used metal AM process in industry. The project addressed the complete L-PBF process chain: component design, build process, and post-build steps including post-processing and inspection. Based on available project data, compatibility with specific machine brands would need to be confirmed with the consortium.

How long did it take to go from concept to working demonstrators?

The project ran from October 2016 to February 2020, roughly 3.5 years, and delivered 4 sector-specific demonstrators with quality assurance certificates. The 11 total deliverables covered the full digital chain across 3 key process stages with 5 defined interrelations between them.

Does this meet aerospace or medical regulatory requirements?

Each of the 4 demonstrators came with a corresponding quality assurance certificate for critical sections. The aerospace and medical demonstrators were specifically designed to address sector certification needs. However, full regulatory approval (e.g., EASA, FDA) would depend on the specific application and would require additional qualification steps.

Consortium

Who built it

The ENCOMPASS consortium of 11 partners from 6 countries (Belgium, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Italy, UK) is strongly industry-oriented at 55% industry participation — 6 industrial partners alongside 1 university, 3 research organizations, and 1 other. This balance signals a project designed for real-world application, not just academic research. The coordinator, the Manufacturing Technology Centre Limited in the UK, is a well-known industrial research facility focused on bridging manufacturing innovation to production. Having only 1 SME among 11 partners suggests the technology targets larger manufacturers with existing AM capabilities. The multi-country, multi-sector consortium (validated in aerospace, automotive, and medical) increases the likelihood that results are transferable across industries.

THE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CENTRE LIMITEDCoordinator · UK
EUROPEAN FEDERATION FOR WELDING JOINING AND CUTTINGparticipant · BE
DEPUY IRELAND UNLIMITED COMPANYparticipant · IE
CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT SCPAparticipant · IT
RENISHAW PLCparticipant · UK
ESI GERMANY GMBHparticipant · DE
INDUSTRIA DE TURBO PROPULSORES SA,SOCIEDAD UNIPERSONALparticipant · ES
THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOLparticipant · UK
ROLLS-ROYCE PLCparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

The Manufacturing Technology Centre Limited (UK) coordinated this project. Use SciTransfer's matchmaking service to get a warm introduction to the right technical contact.

Order a report on this consortium See THE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CENTRE LIMITED profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to know if ENCOMPASS technology fits your metal AM production line? SciTransfer can arrange a direct conversation with the project team — contact us for a personalized briefing.

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