
The final meeting of the SIADD project was held on 14 december 2022, during which the main results achieved were presented.
In addition to the scientific director of the project, prof. Antonio Domenico Ludovico, and representatives of all the partners, the expert appointed by the MUR, prof. Raffaele Cioffi who expressed particular appreciation for the work done.
SIADD, started in July 2019 and concluded in December 2022, dealt with the production in Additive Manufacturing (more commonly known as 3D printing) today seen as a highly disruptive force in the global manufacturing industry since it has strong implications and designs a new way of conceiving production, from the point of view of the product, production processes, production tools and business models.
The national research bodies ENEA and CNR, the University of Salento, the Polytechnic of Bari, the Polytechnic of Milan and the Kore University of Enna, the companies AvioAero, Enginsoft, Umbra Group, Novotech, HB Thecnology and Elfim.
Within the project, as demonstrated by the results presented, new methodologies and technologies have been developed through extensive research and experimentation aimed at significantly reducing the defects inevitably generated by metal AM processes, implementing innovative solutions for monitoring the production process, produce a significant lightening of the metal structures, study the production processes, with a focus on the design of materials, simulating the manufacture of complex parts, investigate the possibility of creating composite structures, sustainable from the point of view of producibility, study the manufacturing sustainability, thus evaluating both the economic potential of the AM processes under study, and the cost/benefit relationship of the same technologies under study and finally providing a possible business model for evaluating the impact of the same technologies
Thanks to SIADD, methodologies for managing processes downstream of additive manufacturing have also been developed, taking into consideration the particular technology used, with the aim of providing tools capable of optimizing these processes, with a view to achieving the technological requirements foreseen, time and cost containment.
The total investment for SIADD was over 7 million Euros, of which more than 50% of the costs were borne by the project proponents.
In addition to the direct results, an initial assessment of the impact generated by the project was carried out in terms of employment effects and the strengthening and expansion of technical-scientific skills.
In addition to numerous degree and doctoral theses, SIADD has generated a large scientific production (over 40 articles and publications have been surveyed) and has allowed the activation of over 20 new contracts between research grants and project collaborations.
The consolidation of the relationships between the partners, as well as the important goals achieved in terms of knowledge, skills and production capacity, lays the foundations for the industrial exploitation of the results and the expression of new planning that will make it possible to achieve ever more ambitious goals.