Innovation Network for Customised Functional Components

The global trend towards increasing product customisation is presenting new challenges for industry and research alike: complex components must be manufactured flexibly, cost-effectively, and in small quantities—without compromising on quality. This is where the additive manufacturing process Fluid Material Extrusion (Fluid-MEX) comes into play. It enables tool-free production of highly functional components with locally variable properties such as elasticity, stiffness, or electrical conductivity. The focus is on elastomers: dimensionally stable yet elastically deformable plastics that return to their original shape after being stressed. Components produced using Fluid-MEX—such as those made from silicone or polyurethane—open up new possibilities for applications ranging from medical technology to mechanical engineering.

In the Fluid-MEX process, the base material—usually in liquid or paste form—is applied layer by layer onto a build platform or existing component areas using eccentric screw pumps. Thanks to its forming principle, Fluid-MEX holds great potential for producing components that require specific hardness and functionality, such as seals, flexible joints, or shock-absorbing elements with complex geometries. A major advantage of this process lies in the wide range of materials that can be processed and the ability to implement locally customised component properties. This significantly expands the application spectrum of functional elastomer components. Moreover, Fluid-MEX allows the use of industrially established and application-specific qualified materials, which is particularly relevant for approved materials in medical technology.

“Fluid-MEX is a highly innovative technology with tremendous potential for processing silicones. Currently, the technology still faces technical challenges: deformations, dimensional deviations, and surface defects limit the quality and functionality of the components, thereby restricting industrial use. Within the network, we aim to overcome these hurdles together in order to sustainably improve processing quality and productivity, expand the range of applications, and unlock new fields of use for Fluid-MEX,” says Philipp Ott, Research Associate in the Manufacturing and Remanufacturing Technology research group at the University of Bayreuth and Network Manager at FLEXNET.

The Environmentally Friendly Production Engineering research group at the University of Bayreuth plays a dual role in the project: as a research institute, it supports and coordinates technological developments, drawing on a wide array of measuring devices and test facilities; as network manager, it coordinates collaboration and exchange among network partners to generate further use cases and project ideas.

Currently, seven companies from various sectors—including medical technology, special-purpose machinery, and material development—are part of the network. Additional partners with experience in the technology or an interest in initial applications are welcome to join. The network’s kick-off event will take place on 30 September 2025 at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (Fraunhofer IPA), Universitätsstr. 9 in Bayreuth. Representatives of interested companies are warmly invited to attend this and future regular events.

Through interdisciplinary collaboration, the partners can optimally leverage existing expertise in areas such as research, machine development, process application, and various use cases. This leads to innovative solutions for the Fluid-MEX technology, enabling the development and market introduction of novel products.

“With FLEXNET, we are creating a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration between research and industry to bring the Fluid-MEX technology to market maturity and explore new application potentials,” says Dr.-Ing. Hajo Groneberg, also a Research Associate in the Manufacturing and Remanufacturing Technology research group at the University of Bayreuth and Network Manager at FLEXNET.

The FLEXNET project is supported as an innovation network through the Central Innovation Programme for SMEs of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) on the basis of a decision by the German Bundestag, with approximately €135,000 in funding, covering 90% of the total costs. The remaining 10% is provided by the network partners through their own resources.