INTEGRADDE · Project

Data-Driven Pipeline That Certifies 3D-Printed Metal Parts for Industrial Use

manufacturingPilotedTRL 7

Imagine 3D-printing metal parts — engine components, construction beams, custom tools — but having no reliable way to guarantee they won't crack or fail. That's the bottleneck holding back metal additive manufacturing in heavy industry. INTEGRADDE built a complete digital pipeline that watches every step of the printing process, catches defects before they spread, and produces the data trail needed to certify the finished part. Think of it like a quality inspector that never blinks, combined with a digital passport for every component that rolls off the line.

By the numbers

Industrial end-user pilot lines demonstrated at TRL7

Consortium partners across the project

Countries represented in the consortium

Open-pilot networks at research organizations for industry adoption

SMEs participating in the consortium

TRL7

Technology readiness level achieved at pilot facilities

The business problem

What needed solving

Metal 3D printing (additive manufacturing) can produce complex parts faster and with less waste than traditional methods, but manufacturers can't trust the quality of printed metal parts enough to certify them for critical applications. Without end-to-end quality monitoring, defect detection, and a reliable data trail, industries like aerospace and construction can't adopt the technology at scale. Every scrapped part and failed certification costs time, material, and money.

The solution

What was built

INTEGRADDE built a complete digital manufacturing pipeline for Direct Energy Deposition metal 3D printing — from design optimization through process control to certification. This includes automatic topology optimization, real-time defect detection with self-adaptive control, distributed non-destructive testing, cybersecured data management, and hardware-independent process planning. The system was physically deployed as pilot lines at 5 industrial facilities (GKN, MX3D, CORDA, LOIRETECH, AMIII) reaching TRL7, plus 4 open-access demonstrator networks at TRL6.

Audience

Who needs this

Aerospace component manufacturers needing certified 3D-printed metal partsSteel and metalworking companies moving into custom or low-volume productionConstruction firms exploring large-scale metal 3D printing for structural elementsTooling manufacturers wanting faster production of custom metal tools and moldsAny manufacturer using Direct Energy Deposition who needs quality certification

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Aerospace & Aviation

enterprise

Target: Aerospace component manufacturers and MRO providers

If you are an aerospace manufacturer dealing with long lead times and high scrap rates on metal parts — this project developed a data-driven additive manufacturing pipeline demonstrated at TRL7 at GKN facilities that catches defects during printing rather than after. With 5 industrial pilot lines validated across sectors including aeronautics, the system enables right-first-time production of certified metal components, reducing waste and accelerating part delivery.

Steel & Metal Fabrication

mid-size

Target: Steel producers and metalworking shops moving into custom or low-volume production

If you are a steel or metal fabrication company struggling with the cost of tooling for short production runs — this project built an end-to-end digital manufacturing solution for Direct Energy Deposition that was piloted at 5 end-user facilities across steel, tooling, and construction sectors. The self-adaptive control system implements a zero-defect strategy, meaning fewer rejected parts and lower material waste on custom metal components.

Construction & Infrastructure

any

Target: Construction firms using or exploring metal 3D printing for structural components

If you are a construction company interested in 3D-printed metal structures but worried about certification and quality guarantees — this project demonstrated its pipeline at MX3D (known for the 3D-printed steel bridge in Amsterdam) at TRL7. The system provides cybersecured data integrity along the entire manufacturing workflow, giving you the documentation trail needed to certify structural metal parts for real-world use.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

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

The project data does not include specific pricing or licensing costs. However, the system was designed for deployment at existing industrial facilities — 5 pilot lines were set up at end-user sites including GKN and MX3D. Contact the consortium coordinator to discuss implementation costs for your specific setup.

Can this handle industrial-scale production, not just lab demos?

Yes. The pipeline was validated at TRL7 across 5 industrial end-user pilot lines in steel, tooling, aeronautics, and construction. Additionally, 4 open-pilot networks were established at research organizations (AIMEN, IREPA, CEA, WEST) at TRL6 to help European companies adopt the technology. This is well beyond laboratory scale.

Who owns the IP and how can we license it?

The consortium includes 28 partners across 11 countries with 15 industry partners and 10 SMEs. IP ownership is typically shared among consortium members under Horizon 2020 rules. You would need to contact the coordinator (AIMEN in Spain) to discuss licensing specific components of the pipeline.

Does this work only with specific metals or machines?

The system was designed to be hardware-independent — the project specifically developed automated hardware-independent process planning. It focuses on Direct Energy Deposition (DED) technologies and was demonstrated across multiple sectors (steel, tooling, aeronautics, construction), suggesting compatibility with various metal types and DED equipment.

How does this help with part certification and regulatory compliance?

The pipeline provides cybersecured bidirectional data flow across the entire additive manufacturing chain, creating a complete digital record from design to finished part. The project specifically targeted a manufacturing methodology for the certification of metal AM parts, with non-destructive testing (NDT) integrated into the process.

Is this ready to deploy now or still in development?

The project closed in March 2023 with TRL7 demonstrations completed at 5 industrial sites. The technology has been piloted in real factory environments. Deployment readiness may vary by specific component — the open-pilot networks were established to assist European industry in adopting the technology.

What technical support is available for adoption?

Four research organizations (AIMEN, IREPA, CEA, WEST) established open-pilot networks specifically to help European companies adopt metal additive manufacturing using this pipeline. These networked demonstrators at TRL6 were designed to assist the broader European industry ecosystem beyond the original 5 end-user pilot sites.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavyweight industrial consortium with 28 partners from 11 countries, and critically, 54% of them are industry players (15 out of 28). That's not a research club — it's a deployment-focused team. The 10 SMEs bring agility while major names like GKN (aerospace) and MX3D (construction-scale metal printing) bring real manufacturing credibility. Six universities and 3 research organizations provide the science backbone. The geographic spread across Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, UK, Sweden, Poland, Portugal, Greece, and Slovenia gives strong coverage of European manufacturing hubs. The coordinator AIMEN is a well-established metallurgical research association in Spain with deep ties to industry.

ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION METALURGICA DEL NOROESTECoordinator · ES
THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELDparticipant · UK
IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINEparticipant · UK
LOIRETECH INGENIERIEparticipant · FR
HOGSKOLAN VASTparticipant · SE
COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVESparticipant · FR
KEYSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES FRANCE S.A.S.participant · FR
ESI GERMANY GMBHparticipant · DE
PRIMA INDUSTRIE SPAparticipant · IT
INSTITUT DE RECHERCHE TECHNOLOGIQUE JULES VERNEparticipant · FR
NEW INFRARED TECHNOLOGIES SLparticipant · ES
DIN DEUTSCHES INSTITUT FUER NORMUNG EVparticipant · DE
MX3D BVparticipant · NL
ATOS SPAIN SAparticipant · ES
FUNDINGBOX ACCELERATOR SP ZOOparticipant · PL
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRAparticipant · PT
FUNDINGBOX COMMUNITIES SLthirdparty · ES
GKN AEROSPACE SWEDEN ABparticipant · SE
BRUNEL UNIVERSITY LONDONparticipant · UK
ARCELORMITTAL INNOVACION INVESTIGACION E INVERSION SLparticipant · ES
DGH ROBOTICA, AUTOMATIZACION Y MANTENIMIENTO INDUSTRIAL SAparticipant · ES
LIMITSTATE LIMITEDparticipant · UK
ALTFORM S.R.L.participant · IT
PANEPISTIMIO PATRONparticipant · EL
DATAPIXEL SLparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

AIMEN (Asociacion de Investigacion Metalurgica del Noroeste) in Spain — a metallurgical research association. Search for INTEGRADDE project coordinator contact on their website or ResearchGate.

Order a report on this consortium See ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION METALURGICA DEL NOROESTE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the INTEGRADDE team to explore adopting their certified metal additive manufacturing pipeline? SciTransfer can arrange an introduction and help you evaluate fit for your production needs.

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