Additive manufacturing. Emerging technology with great potential for Wallonia

Commonly referred to as 3D printing, this cutting-edge technology will generate numerous opportunities in terms of jobs, added value and industrial optimization. Wallonia boasts a high-potential ecosystem of specialized players with an international outlook. As part of Digital Wallonia's Industry of the Future program, the region intends to strengthen the research, development and innovation dynamic around this technology by 2030.

Additive manufacturing (AM) allows the design of lighter, more robust, complex, and precise systems and components. It uses 3D modeling (Computer-Aided Design, CAD) or 3D object scanners to create any geometric shape with a level of precision as thin as a human hair.

To achieve high precision, additive manufacturing deposits and solidifies fine layers of powder, wire, or ribbon made from one or more materials (thermoplastic, biochemicals, metal, ceramics, glass, etc.), layer by layer until the desired object is fully formed.

There are seven main additive manufacturing processes:

1. Photopolymerization: Drawing the object layer by layer in liquid resin and solidifying it with UV light.
2. Powder Bed Fusion : Melting, fusing, and solidifying material powder until the object is complete.
3. Binder Jetting : Using an inkjet printhead to bind powder (commonly used for ceramic or metal objects).
4. Material Jetting : Projecting layers of different metals and waxes that solidify when exposed to light or heat.
5. Material Extrusion
   : Melting filament or material and continuously layering it to create the desired shape.
6. Laminated Object Manufacturing : Bonding sheets of material using ultrasound or friction welding to form the final object.
7. Directed Energy Deposition : Depositing and melting material onto previous layers until the object is complete (used for manufacturing objects from different materials).

The global market for additive manufacturing is estimated to exceed $33 billion by 2025 and is projected to reach over $51 billion by 2030. Its applications are vast, from micro-components for aircraft and dental implants to medical prosthetics and fashion products. Currently, 3D-printed objects are mostly used in aerospace, construction, automotive, healthcare, and new product development.

Additive manufacturing offers several advantages, including:

• Transforming production, supply, and distribution chains
  .
• Designing custom components
  quickly and cost-effectively, without being limited by expertise, industrial technology, or advanced equipment.
• Continuously improving components, parts, prototypes, and final products
  .
• Reducing time to market
  , like printing parts for jet engines that used to take a year.
• Creating stronger single objects
  without the need for assembly, brazing, or welding, whereas traditional methods would require multiple pieces.
• Reducing part weight by up to 80%
  .

Additive manufacturing continues to innovate, with new 3D printers capable of manufacturing objects from new materials. Furthermore, 4D printing is emerging, where 3D-printed objects can alter their structure and shape in response to external stimuli such as light, heat, or water. This self-assembling, programmable material technology presents significant future opportunities.

The European Patent Office (EPO) reports that European inventions in additive manufacturing account for half of the global market. Germany leads the sector, with nearly 20% of the European market share. Over 65% of European AM innovations come from large companies, 11% from universities and inventors, and 10% from very small enterprises.

Belgium is a pioneer in additive manufacturing research and industrial application. Projects are advancing expertise required to transition from prototypes to complex industrial manufacturing. By 2024, Belgian companies using this technology expect a 10% increase in turnover and the creation of over 1,500 new jobs. Belgian companies report key advantages such as the freedom to create customized and unique objects, reducing lead times, mass customization, profitability for small volumes, and on-demand production.

Wallonia hosts around 40 players specializing in additive manufacturing, 70% of whom are businesses offering services across the technology's value chain. Notable companies include 3D-Side (healthcare), Addiparts (industry), GDTech engineering (aerospace), and CERHUM (dental implants). These players are contributing to the development of more complex industrial processes, with startups accounting for 20% of the sector.

The region’s efforts to promote this technology include fostering collaborations between economic and research actors on regional, national, and international R&D projects in additive manufacturing. The technology is being integrated into sectors like industry 4.0, MedTech, smart cities, and more.

Additive manufacturing is strategically placed in Wallonia’s new innovation roadmap, which outlines ambitions for 2030. The technology is central to various fields such as circular materials, health innovations (implants and prosthetics), and sustainable energy and housing systems.

The future for additive manufacturing in Wallonia is promising, with efforts underway to boost expertise and strengthen collaborations across sectors.