AMPOWER Academy

3D Printing
Training Hands-on

Interactive and hands-on 3D Printing trainings
brought to you in person by Additive Manufacturing experts

3D Printing Training with People

AMPOWER offers a comprehensive portfolio of 3D Printing training programs that are held by experts and seamlessly build on top of the online learning programs. The focus always lies on conveying practical skills while working hands-on with technologies. We can advise you on the best training program delivered through AMPOWER or one of our partners. 

3D Printing Trainings for professionals

From 3D Printing Training BASIC to PILOT PROJECT

3D Printing Training BASIC

Basic

The BASIC training provides a deep dive into the technology, from understanding the process and material properties to the process chain and design guidelines. It builds upon the online learning courses and offers participants the possibility to discuss questions and dive deeper into selected topics.

3D Printing Training DESIGN

Design

The DESIGN workshop consists of the BASIC module and a subsequent design workshop. Its aim is to transfer selected customer components from screening into additive concepts. The result are 3D printing concepts.

3D Printing Training PILOT PROJECT

Pilot Project

The PILOT PROJECT includes the BASIC training, an internal screening for 3D Printing and the DESIGN workshop. Subsequently, a selected design is transferred to CAD data, printed and post processed to the finished part. A detailed final report rounds off the PILOT PROJECT.

500

engineers have already been trained by the trainers

100%

of the participants rate the training as good or very good

25

years of experience of the trainers in Additive Manufacturing

3D Printing Training References

What our customers say about our 3D Printing training

“AMPOWER was recommended by our system supplier and we approached them with a request to train our worldwide engineering personnel. The expertise and background knowledge of the AMPOWER Team helped us to accelerate the implementation of Additive Manufacturing at BOBST. The trainings led to several successful applications.”
Amel Neumann
Additive Manufacturing Specialist, BOBST

3D Printing Training Packages

Overview of our 3D Printing training programs

The 3D Printing trainings and workshops can be carried out at your location or at our facility in Hamburg. Selected modules can be delivered online. Prices for the 3D Printing trainings are excluding VAT and travel expenses. Costs for the production of components are not included. The exact training content can be adjusted based on your goals and the prior knowledge of participants. All live trainings can be combined with the online learning programs.  Get an overview of how to access to our online learning programs here

Individual

Fundamentals

Design guidelines

Process chain

Material characteristics

Own participant parts

Creative workshop

Design concept

CAD design

Final report

Prototype produced

Total duration

Participants

Result

BASIC

x
x
x
x
x
x
1 day
8-12
Fundamentals

DESIGN

x
x
x
2 days
8-10
Component concept

PILOT PROJECT

3-4 months
8-10
Prototype
3D Printing training Content preview

3D Printing Training BASIC to teach the fundamentals

Our BASIC training aims to educate engineers and technical staff. The imparted knowledge builds upon the basics of the technology trained in the Online Learning modules, but also the material properties and design guidelines. The training documents serve as a reference work for design engineers and other engineers in the company. The lessons learned from our 3D Printing training are based on more than 10 years of experience in 3D Printing.

3D Printing Training Content
3D Printing Workshop preview

3D Printing training DESIGN to evaluate and discuss your parts

The DESIGN training builds on the BASIC Training. The basis is customer components, which were previously selected by the participants. In a first step, the requirements of the components are defined. Subsequently, creative methods are applied to develop solution concepts for 3D Printing. These lead to a design concept, which is subsequently evaluated. In the final step, the complete production process chain for 3D Printing is set up and the costs for the newly developed concept are estimated.

3D Printing Project preview

The 3D Printing training PILOT PROJECT as the complete package

The PILOT PROJECT builds on the BASIC Training and the DESIGN Workshop. Following the training of the fundamentals of  3D Printing, the participants’ own components will be further developed into concepts for additive manufacturing. In the PILOT PROJECT, these components are then converted into a CAD design and the data is created for production. This component is manufactured as a prototype and accompanied by the process chain to the ready-to-install component or to the complete assembly. The PILOT PROJECT results will be summarized in a final report and presented to the company management together with the project team.

3D Printing Training Concept
3D Printing training Hands-on

3D Printing training Binder Jetting - Full process chain

Metal Binder Jetting is one of the most promising metal 3D Printing technologies with a high potential for low cost and high-volume digital manufacturing. However, the complete process chain of Binder Jetting is highly complex and the supply chain is still developing. AMPOWER created a unique binder jetting training course in cooperation with the FRAUNHOFER IAPT in Hamburg. Participants will learn the theoretical basics accompanied by a comprehensive hands-on session through the complete process chain.

3D Printing Training Metal Binder Jetting
3D Printing Training Metal AM Specialist
3D Printing Training Hands-on

METAL specialist - Print your own part

Our METAL specialist training is aimed at future machine operators, application engineers and designers in the field of 3D Printing. This 3-day course will give an overview on the various metal 3D Printing technologies, from powder bed fusion and direct energy deposition to sinter-based AM processes. The functional principles, material properties and design guidelines with their advantages and disadvantages of the different metallic processes are highlighted. In addition, the participants will experience the system technology, the set-up and cleaning process as well as the post-processing of metallic 3D printing in a full-day hands-on training session.

Tailored 3D Printing trainings

Additional topics and trainings

Management, Marketing and Sales

3D Printing enables new business models and can render great benefits. In addition to the fundamentals of Additive Manufacturing, you will learn about key market indicators and their future development in this one-day training course. Using real world examples of applications and new business models, you build a knowledge base to help you make the right decisions in your business.

3D Printing Training PILOT PROJECT

Quality Management, Documentation

3D Printing poses a great challenge for the quality management of established companies. In this training, benefit from best practices in medical technology and aerospace. Learn how to create the correct specification and documentation for 3D Printing and learn about the key aspects of risk analysis. In addition, the training details quality assurance procedures. Identify the CTQ (Critical to Quality) characteristics of the 3D Printing process.

Process and Manufacturing Optimization

Operational excellence is the foundation of successful 3D Printing. Learn how to identify and measure metrics such as Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) at an Additive Manufacturing facility. Also, find out which process parameters have a significant impact on material quality and how you can optimize your process.

Customized Training

To meet your organization’s specific needs, our experts will design and provide training content and workshops tailored to your requirements. After understanding the goals you want to achieve, a tailored program support your personnel with the right the skill set and motivation.

You are looking for a 3D Printing training with industrial production in mind?

AMPOWER Academy Training Benjamin Haller Contact

Benjamin Haller

Director Academy

Reach out and send a message to our Director Academy responsible for online and live training.

Sinter-based AM technologies and process chain

Sinter-based AM - a technology overview

Many different printing technologies - one sintering process

The sinter-based AM (SBAM) technologies have, as the name suggests, the sintering process in common. In this process, the printed green part is consolidated into a dense part and receives its final properties. The green part can be printed in advance using different technologies.They all have in common that metal powder is bound to the desired shape by a binder. The best-known printing technologies include Binder Jetting and Filament Material Extrusion.

In this section, you learn everything about the sinter-based AM  process chain and get an overview of the different printing technologies.

Goal and structure of this course

This course is aimed at engineers, designers and other professionals that are working closely with sinter-based AM technologies. The goal is to cover the most important aspects that will enable engineers and designers to fully grasp the capabilities and technical limitations of the printing technologies and the sintering process to succeed in technology selection and part design. Besides going through the course from the beginning until the end, this course can also act as a constant source of knowledge while working on AM projects. 

The course is structured into the following sections.

This section will start with an overview of the sinter-based AM process chain and its printing technologies, followed by a technology deep dive into the most important aspects of the BJT technology, followed by a closer look at the debinding and sintering step also including sintering simulation .

The second section will provide an overview of the different materials that are available as well as part characteristics that can be achieved with the BJT process and typical methods for quality assurance. Finally, several common defects in the BJT process are presented. 

The last section will act as a guideline for designers. Besides generally describing the process when designing for Additive Manufacturing, actionable restrictions and guidelines for the BJT process are provided. The final section will present several design examples from different industries. 

What you will find in this section

Sinter-based AM process chain

From digital model to finished part

Data preparation

Simulation to compensate the deformation during the sintering step, nesting of parts and definition of printing parameters

Printing

Through various printing processes, different feedstocks such as metal powders, filaments, pellets or dispersions are processed into green parts

Unpacking

Unpacking of fragile green parts needs to be done carefully and is typically a manual process.

Debinding

Debinding describes the process of removing the binder which results in a brown part

Sintering

To reach the structural integrity of a metal part, a sinter process is required. The powder particles fuse together to a coherent, solid structure via a mass transport that occurs at the atomic scale driven via diffusional forces.

The brown part shrinks ~13-21 % in each direction.

The process chain of sinter-based technologies differs from other AM Technologies. Especially the post-printing processes (debinding and sintering) are crucial to achieve the intended mechanical properties.

Technology principle

How does Binder Jetting work?

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Afterwards the build platform moves downward by the amount of one layer thickness and a new layer of powder is applied. Again, the liquid binder is deposited and hardened in the required regions of the next layer to form the green body. This process is repeated until the complete part is printed. After the complete printing process is finished the parts have to be removed from the “powder cake” meaning the surrounding loose but densified powder. To improve the removal of the excess powder from the green body often brushes or a blasting gun with air pressure are used.

To create a dense metal part the 3D printed green body has to be post-processed in a debinding and sintering process. Similar to the metal injection molding process BJT parts are placed in a high temperature furnace, where the binder is burnt out and the remaining metal particles are sintered together. The sintering results in densification of the 3D printed green body to a metal part with high densities of 97 % to 99,5%, dependent of the material.

Printing Technologies

Metal Binder Jetting

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Material Extrusion

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Mold Slurry Deposition

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Metal Selective Laser Sintering

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting