THE ADDED VALUE OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

ALUMNI IN FOCUS

“3D printing, or Additive Manufacturing as we call it in the field, is a fascinating and versatile technology. You can let your imagination run free and create the craziest things,” says Prof. Brecht Van Hooreweder, head of the AM research team a director of KU Leuven’s fledgling Institute for Additive Manufacturing. On 30 June 2022, his new 3D printing lab was inaugurated by Princess Elisabeth. A portrait of a passionate engineer, scientist and value-added seeker.

The fact that Flanders is at the top in 3D printing technology owes a lot to KU Leuven,” notes Brecht. “The pioneering research of prof. emeritus Jean-Pierre Kruth led to numerous innovations, patents and international companies, the eye-catchers being the spin-offs Materialise and LayerWise which is now part of 3DSystems.” As a member of the jury at the defence of Brecht’s PhD, the 3D printing pioneer discovers the upcoming talent and promptly includes the postdoc in his research team. When the eminent professor retires in 2015, his successor is just about ready.

Solar team

Brecht graduated in 2008 as an engineer in Electromechanics at the then Group T University College in Leuven. In the same year, he and the Solar Team achieved second place in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia, a feat that would only be surpassed 11 years later by the eighth team’s world and two European titles. “During qualifying, our solar car drove the fastest time which meant we started in pole position,” Brecht

recalls vividly. “A problem with the steering system caused a delay that we were unable to make up for. But we had proved that, as a young team, we could compete with the best in the world.” Brecht still calls his Solar adventure an unparalleled learning experience. No wonder he continues to advise and coach subsequent teams for five years after the race.

In the Solar Team, Brecht is responsible for Design and Aerodynamics. In this position, he develops the lightweight tubular frame of the Umicar Infinity, which is also the subject of his master’s thesis. Through his co-supervisor, he can immediately enter a new research project at the Department of Mechanical Engineering after his studies. But Brecht aspires to more. At the same time, he follows a predoctoral programme at the Faculty of Engineering Science, which was still required at the time if you wanted to obtain a PhD in Engineering Technology.

In 2013, Brecht obtained his PhD with a thesis on measuring the service life of mechanical components using fatigue tests. He experiments with scale models whose test results he extrapolates to real-life applications. At the Solar Team, he had previously perfected the aerodynamics of the solar car by placing a scale model in a wind tunnel. As a postdoc, Brecht continues to carry out fatigue tests, but on 3D printed materials. In 2016, he succeeded Prof. Kruth as professor of Additive Manufacturing and became head of the research group of the same name at the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Multidisciplinary

Under Brecht’s leadership, research in the AM group takes off. In five years, activity triples. “We are constantly looking for ways to improve 3D printing techniques and material quality,” says Brecht. “What makes us unique is that we design and build our machines ourselves. That gives us an edge over other centres around the world that are often much larger and have significantly more resources. Masters in Engineering Technology also play an important role in AM’s success story at KU Leuven. “Our research is very hands-on so specific technical profiles are virtually indispensable,” confirms Brecht. “Theory and practice are inseparable. But there is more. Since 3D printing has so many applications, multidisciplinary collaboration is equally a must. Healthcare and, more specifically, surgery are good examples. Custom printed artificial joints and dental implants are already well established but there is much more to come. For example, for MRI scans, we print personalised coils that not only pro-vide better image quality but also require less radiation and are significantly cheaper. In cooperation with specialists at the UZ, we are researching the printing of prostheses with living tissue. Also promising is the 3D printing of personalised medication. Together with colleagues from the Department of Materials Engineering, we are looking for techniques to 3D-print technical ceramics. If we succeed in this, a new market of heat exchangers tor nuclear reactors will open up.”

Ecosystem

Cross-disciplinary cooperation is also at the heart of Leuven.AM, the KU Leuven Institute for Additive Manufacturing of which Brecht is the director. “With the university, the UZ and numerous high-tech companies, we have a unique ecosystem

in Leuven for innovative research but also for education and services. Our aim is to create added value: economically, ecologically, socially, ethically. AM’s assets are truly enormous. A few success cases to illustrate : 23x faster production throughput, 20x lower costs, 60% less weight and 100% less waste”.

Crown princess Elisabeth and prof. Brecht Van Hooreweder

Barely four months after the launch of Leuven.AM, Brecht is unpacking a new first: the opening of the Princess Elisabeth Additive Manufacturing Lab in the presence of the crown princess herself. “With a royal ambassador, we hope to appeal to more young people, especially girls who are still heavily underrepresented in technical studies and professions,” says Brecht. “The demand for highly skilled technical profiles will continue to grow. The 3D printing sector alone is growing by an average of 25% every year. When I see how enthusiastic schoolchildren are after visiting our lab, I think we can help turn the tide. With 3D printing, you can easily connect with young people’s world and appeal to challenges or problems they know. With such an approach, we can make a difference. That too is creating added value”.

Yves Persoons

www.mech.kuleuven.be/en/research/am