3D-printing RDI & learning environment

Savonia's know-how and history of 3D-printing stem from early 2000, when Kuopio Design Academy and Kuopion Rouvasväenyhdistys acquired EOS P350 SLS AM-machine for business and teaching use. Savonia still has design teachers and staff who were aboard commissioning the machine.

The first touch to 3Dprinting on engineering size was on 2009, when mechanical engineering department acquired a plaster 3D-printer to Opistotie Campus. The first plastic material extrusion printers were acquired on 2011 when the mechanical design side also woke up to see the need for a change in traditional designing due to the new manufacturing methods. On the following years the potential of AM / 3D-printing was detected on the operations of multiple industry areas.

The planning of actual 3D-printing RDI & learning environment was started on 2015 in ALVO project. The aim was to design a modern multidisciplinary environment taking into account the needs of Savonia’s different departments (Engineering, Design, Business Economics and Health Sector). The first step in the beginning of the environment happened in 2016 and at the same time, multiple plastic extrusion printers were acquired for the environment. In 2017-2018 the machinery of the environment was reinforced with VAT Fotopolymerization machines and it was realized that most of the cheap printers had aged so much in a couple of years that updating them became a priority. At the same time a survey to the needs of Pohjois-Savo area companies was made in regards to 3D-printing and an alarming trend was discovered – the companies in the said area did not really consider the effects of 3D-printing to their businesses.

In 2018, a 3D-printing Investment and research project was started to update the machinery and at the same time introduce metal 3D-printing to the environment. More information about the project can be found at https://3dtulostus.savonia.fi/en/savonia-3d-environment/investment-development-project

The Machines of the environment will be located on a couple of places at Microkatu Campus on September 2020. Metal, plastic and robotic 3D-printing will be situated on different sites at the Campus.

Plastic 3D-printing will be at the hearth of the campus, while Metal 3D-printing is on it’s own site for safety reasons and the methods using robots are going to be centered on or close to the mechanical engineering laserwelding-cell. The location of Concrete 3D-printing solution will depend on the machine.

• Plastic 3D-printing will be at the hearth of the campus.
• Metal 3D-printing will be on it’s own site for safety reasons
• All 3D-printing methods using robots are going to be centered on or close to the mechanical engineering laserwelding-cell.
• The location of Concrete 3D-printing solution will depend on the machine.