The IOJET project, funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU and co-funded by the IRISS call promoted by SMACT, is now nearing completion, marking a significant milestone for the Legor 3D Metal Hub. The allocated contribution amounts to €182,996. CUP: H29J25000060004 – COR: 24279901.

The initiative, representing a further step forward in Legor’s technological innovation journey, falls within the field of Additive Manufacturing technologies, and specifically Binder Jet Technology, an innovative powder bed solution that combines high productivity with raw material reusability.

One of the most delicate stages of this process is the extraction of parts from the metal powder bed: an operation that is currently manual and entails risks of damage, material loss, and high repetitiveness for the operator. With IOJET, this challenge has been addressed through the development of a robotic system capable of automating the extraction process, simplifying part handling and increasing the efficiency of the entire production workflow.

To achieve these objectives, IOJET has been integrated into the operational Binder Jet 3D Printing process in steel and silver, using Digital Twin technology for the dynamic comparison between the real object and the 3D model, along with digital projection systems and robotic devices.

The project was developed in collaboration with Joanneum Research, part of the SMACT ecosystem, which oversaw the design and implementation of the part targeting and extraction system from the powder bed.