Form and Function: merging Layers in Additive Manufacturing

By GiacomoGori

Founded in 2022 as a corporate venture buildingproject supported by financial and industrial partners, MadeInAdd is anadditive manufacturing platform that integrates instant quoting software,engineering consulting and a certified production network.

TECHNOLOGICAL PORTFOLIOAND END-TO-END SERVICES

The company's mission is simple and ambitious:to reduce the distance between design and finished part, ensuring reliable leadtimes, repeatable quality and the geometric freedom typical of 3D printing.

Today, MadeInAdd operates in multiple sectors –from mechanics to boating, from technical furniture to custom devices –offering a broad technological portfolio (polymers, composites and metals) andend-to-end services: from design for additive to aesthetic and functionalpost-processing, to dimensional and mechanical validation. Platforms andexpertise enable the transition from file to validated part through a rapidsupply chain with controlled times, costs and quality.

SPECIALISATION, TARGETS AND CUSTOMISATION

MadeInAdd focuses on 3 areas:

• rapid functional prototyping;

• small/medium series;

• discontinued legacy spare parts.

The target includes SMEs and corporate R&Ddepartments that want to reduce time-to-market, shipyards that require visiblecomponents with high-quality finishes, and design brands looking for largeformats, lightness and formal freedom.

Customisation is native for MadeInAdd: theystart with the usage requirements, select the most suitable technology andmaterial, and define tolerances and finishes as Federica Schieppati, SeniorCustomer Specialist, summarises. "There is no such thing as the bestmaterial; there is the right material for what the part has to withstand. Ourjob is to map the requirement and transform it into coherent technical choices.The more complex the component, the more the interaction between platform andconsultancy becomes the lever that makes the difference."

MadeInAdd'smission is simple and ambitious: to reduce the distance between design andfinished part, ensuring reliable lead times, repeatable quality and thegeometric freedom typical of 3D printing

DIGITAL PLATFORM WITH AI AND ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY

The flow is flexible: for standard cases youupload the 3D model, get an instant quote and place your order. For criticalprojects, the technical team verifies printability and design intent, proposesoptimisations for additive manufacturing (thicknesses, orientations,lightening, internal channels), defines functional tolerances and, ifnecessary, schedules CNC reworking, heat treatments or coatings. The platformmanages bills of materials, versioning and recalls, while engineers overseechoices that impact performance and costs. "The platform is the gateway;consulting is what makes the industrial result," notes Schieppati.

POLYMER POWDERS: SLS AND MJF WITH TECHNICAL FINISHES

For PA12/PA11 (including bio-based), TPU andglass/carbon-filled composites, MadeInAdd uses SLS and MJF: stable processes,ideal for thin walls, complex geometries and repetitive batches withouttooling.

The parts can be sandblasted, mass-coloured,sealed with vapour smoothing to reduce microporosity to improve the surfacefinish for aesthetic purposes and impermeability; alternatively, specificcoatings (anti-UV, anti-scratch, chemical-resistant) are applied.

The result is visible or functional: in themarine sector, the combination of PA12 with vapour smoothing allows forfinished monolithic covers and grilles, reducing assemblies and potential weakpoints.

LARGE FORMAT FDM/LFAM FORCAR BODIES, FURNITURE AND BOATING

When scale matters, FDM (Fused DepositionModelling) and LFAM (Large-Format Additive Manufacturing) enable enclosures orpanelling in one or a few pieces, with materials such as ASA (UV resistant),reinforced ABS (CF/GF), recycled PP and special blends. Post-processing such asfilling, priming, gel coating and RAL painting bring surfaces up to 'mould'standard.

• For shipyards, this means aesthetic columnsand lightweight, sturdy air intakes;

• for technical furnishings, sculptural volumeswith mass customisation logic;

• for events and retail, reduced productiontimes and ease of restoration.

Toolpath optimisation and the choice ofextrusion parameters allow for a measured compromise between time, mass andsurface quality, while the use of threaded inserts and structural bondingenables reliable fastenings and simplified maintenance.

METALS: DMLS FORSTRUCTURAL COMPONENTS AND RAPID MOULDS

DMLS (laser powder bed fusion) is used toproduce brackets, manifolds, support exchangers, mould inserts and criticalspare parts in AlSi10Mg, 316L/17-4PH, copper and titanium alloys. The typicalcycle includes heat treatments (stress relief/ageing), support removal, CNCreworking in critical areas and, where required, surface peening or coatings.

Advantages are high density, reduction in partsand weight, fast lead times for components that are difficult to obtain usingtraditional methods. "We can bring spare parts that are no longeravailable back into service, starting from scanning and reverseengineering," notes Schieppati: a strategic lever for maintenance andrefitting, particularly in areas where plant downtime is costly.

QUALITY, SCALABILITY AND CROSS-INDUSTRY USE CASES

Parts qualification combines checks (CMM, GOM),pressure/leak tests and process documentation. Depending on the requirement,critical to qualify, target roughness, fit (clearance/interference) andtolerance chains are specified, with control plans for series production.

The supply chain is managed according torequirements: production takes place where it is most efficient – maintainingqualified materials and parameters – without imposing CAPEX on the customer.Typical cases:

• nautical: monolithic grilles in ASA andengine components in AlSi10Mg with CNC machining;

• light mechanics: clamps and technical ductsin filled PA12;

• interior design: two-piece multicolouredcolumns with hidden joints;

• automation: functional MJF casings withtransparent windows integrated by bonding.

Batch management includes labelling,traceability of raw material powders/batches, serialisation and, if required,compliance reporting.

VISION AND NEXT STEPS

The roadmap reinforces 3 lines:

(1) advanced automation of design-for-additiveon the platform – orientations, support estimation, optimised nesting, defectsimulation and AI suggestions – to reduce iterations and waste;

(2) expansion of the certified materialscatalogue (biobased PA11, bio-sourced PA12, high-conductivity copper alloys forheat exchangers, high HDT resins and ESD polymers for electronics);

(3) product-as-a-service: pre-scheduled spareparts, with dedicated portals for fleets and plants.

On the sustainability front, the company ispushing for reusable powders, recycled mixtures and lightweight parts thatreduce mass and consumption throughout the life cycle.

"The only limit is the designer'simagination: our job is to transform it into real, reliable, ready-to-useparts, with production times and numbers, not laboratory ones," concludesSchieppati. The goal lies in helping more companies, more quickly, from file tovalidated part, with documented quality, predictable costs and creativefreedom.

Customisationis native for MadeInAdd: they start with the usage requirements, select themost suitable technology and material, and define tolerances and finishes.There is no such thing as the best material, just the right one for what thepart must withstand

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