The Chair of Design and Drive Technology (KAt) is an active member of the Direct Manufacturing Research Centre (DMRC – Academic) at Paderborn University. The DMRC – Academic is an interdisciplinary research network in which various departments from different faculties, particularly Mechanical Engineering, work together on forward-looking issues relating to additive manufacturing.

Additive manufacturing processes, often referred to as 3D printing, enable the direct production of components by building them up layer by layer. This technology opens up entirely new possibilities in product development and manufacturing. Compared with conventional manufacturing processes, additive manufacturing offers numerous advantages: a high degree of three-dimensional design freedom, the production of complex geometries without the need for additional tools, shorter development cycles, and the on-demand production of prototypes and end products.

The aim of the DMRC – Academic is to further develop these processes in a targeted manner, to expand their scope of application and to lay the foundations for industrial-scale production. Companies and academic departments across the entire value chain are involved in achieving this objective. In this context, KAt contributes its expertise in the design, construction and optimisation of components, as well as in drive technology applications.