Imagine you run a factory and a customer wants a one-of-a-kind part — right now, that means expensive tooling, long lead times, and headaches. FASTEN built a connected 3D printing system that learns and optimizes itself, so factories can churn out custom-designed products almost as easily as mass-produced ones. Think of it like a smart kitchen that automatically adjusts recipes and cooking times for each individual order. The system pairs IoT sensors, robotics, and self-learning software so the whole production line talks to itself and makes decisions without constant human babysitting.
Manufacturers today face a painful trade-off: mass production is cheap but inflexible, while custom manufacturing is flexible but slow and expensive. When customers demand personalized products in small batches — spare parts, custom components, one-off designs — traditional factories struggle with long setup times, high per-unit costs, and production lines that need constant human oversight to handle variety.
The project built an Industrial IoT Platform for additive manufacturing (delivered in two iterations: first and final versions) that integrates sensors, robotics, and self-learning software into a connected production system. The platform enables autonomous, decentralized decision-making on the shop floor for producing custom-designed products via 3D printing.
If you are an aerospace manufacturer dealing with low-volume, high-mix spare parts — this project developed an Industrial IoT Platform integrated with additive manufacturing that enables autonomous production of custom-designed components. With partners like Embraer validating the approach, the system addresses shorter product life cycles and increasing demand diversity in aviation supply chains.
If you are a heavy industry manufacturer struggling with small-batch orders and expensive retooling — this project built a self-optimizing additive manufacturing system that decentralizes decision-making on the shop floor. ThyssenKrupp was a direct project partner tackling exactly this challenge: supplying low volumes per order with flexible production. The platform connects sensors, robotics, and smart software to cut turnaround on personalized industrial parts.
If you are a contract manufacturer handling dozens of different custom orders daily and losing margin on setup time — this project created an open, standardized platform that automates production planning and quality control for additive manufacturing. The self-learning software optimizes print parameters for each new design, reducing failed prints and manual intervention across a consortium of 11 partners from 4 countries.
Based on available project data, specific pricing or licensing costs are not disclosed. The platform is described as open and standardized, which typically lowers adoption barriers compared to proprietary solutions. Contact the coordinator at INESC TEC for commercial terms.
The project was validated with industrial partners ThyssenKrupp and Embraer, both operating at enterprise scale. The system was specifically designed to handle increasing demand diversity and low volumes per order — the sweet spot is high-mix, low-to-medium volume production rather than mass manufacturing.
IP is shared among the 11-partner consortium across 4 countries (Brazil, Germany, Italy, Portugal). As an EU-funded Research and Innovation Action, results are typically available for licensing. INESC TEC as coordinator would be the first point of contact for IP discussions.
The platform is described as modular and built on open standards, designed to integrate with existing manufacturing setups. The Industrial IoT Platform connects sensors and robotics through standardized data interchange, suggesting plug-in capability rather than rip-and-replace.
The project delivered a final version of its Industrial IoT Platform with integrated components, validated with real industrial use cases at ThyssenKrupp and Embraer. As a Research and Innovation Action that closed in April 2021, the technology reached demonstration level but would likely need engineering work for full commercial deployment.
Based on available project data, specific regulatory compliance or certifications are not mentioned. For aerospace applications (Embraer use case), additional certification steps would be needed. The open standards approach may simplify compliance documentation.
The project ended in April 2021. The consortium included 3 research organizations and 2 universities who may provide follow-up support. Check the project website at fastenmanufacturing.eu for current status and community resources.
The FASTEN consortium is heavily industry-weighted at 55%, with 6 industrial partners out of 11 total — a strong signal that the technology was built with real factory floors in mind, not just labs. Two anchor companies stand out: ThyssenKrupp (German heavy industry giant) and Embraer (Brazilian aerospace leader), both named as end-users validating the platform. The consortium spans 4 countries (Brazil, Germany, Italy, Portugal) with INESC TEC, a respected Portuguese research institute, coordinating. The mix of 3 research organizations and 2 universities provides the scientific backbone, while the single SME adds agility. For a business considering this technology, the ThyssenKrupp and Embraer involvement is the strongest credibility marker — these are companies that don't waste time on solutions that can't work at scale.
INESC TEC - Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, Tecnologia e Ciência, Portugal. Search for the FASTEN project coordinator at INESC TEC for direct contact.
Want an introduction to the FASTEN team at INESC TEC? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people and provide a detailed technology brief tailored to your manufacturing needs.
