The additive manufacturing of prototypes or end products offers various advantages. In order to take advantage of these benefits, however, systematic qualification of the workforce is indispensable.

Our company offers you an extensive range of further training. The spectrum ranges from general seminars on the basics of additive manufacturing to design notes on AM-compliant design in the plastics and metal sector and workshops with concrete customer-specific re-design options for existing products.

In addition to seminars, training in the form of part-time studies is also integrated into the range of services offered by IwF GmbH. The course is primarily aimed at technical specialists from small and medium-sized companies.  In this distance learning course, students benefit from the close cooperation between the Fachhochschule Schmalkalden (head of the course), the Department of Production Engineering at the University of Duisburg-Essen, IwF GmbH as a competent training partner and the Verband Deutscher Werkzeug- und Formenbauer (VDWF) as a renowned service partner.

Additive manufacturing technologies are becoming increasingly important in a market environment characterized by fast product life cycles and increasing individualization of products. The currently industrially used additive manufacturing processes differ considerably from one another, e.g. with regard to the principle of action applied or the materials that can be processed. Therefore, the suitable technology or process chain must be selected for each application scenario and converted into an efficient production process or various processes must be combined. The aim of the course is to provide technical specialists in particular with skills for the use of additives in manufacturing processes and to enable them to integrate these into operational processes in a target-oriented and profitable manner.

Studies at a glance

Form of study part-time
Duration of stud 2 semester
Completion of university certificate
ECTS 26
next study start winter semester 2022
Application deadline until 31.07.2022

The aim of the course is to provide students with well-founded specialist knowledge of technological aspects, materials and design methods of additive manufacturing. In addition, they should acquire the competence to analyze and evaluate opportunities and risks in the field of rapid technologies and to be able to implement projects in the field of additive manufacturing independently and in a goal-oriented manner, taking into account cost and quality aspects.

Subgoals include the abilities to:

  • Identify suitable and unsuitable areas of application and make an objective assessment in the context of conventional manufacturing processes,
  • Analyse the influence of the materials and manufacturing techniques on the quality of the products and
  • To formulate the constructive requirements for the design of AF components.

Study requirements

For the admission of the further training you need:

  • Study at a technical or scientific university or bachelor’s degree and at least one year of work experience that is conducive to further education, or
  • A-levels and a completed vocational training in a recognized technical profession and at least two years of professional experience conducive to further study, or
  • A secondary school leaving certificate and completed vocational training in a recognized technical profession and at least four years of professional practice conducive to further study, or
  • Relevant master’s degree and at least two years of professional experience conducive to further study.

Course contents

The distance learning course includes the following areas of study:

  • Fundamentals and general conditions of additive manufacturing
  • Non-industrial 3D printing
  • Materials and their qualification for additive production
  • Polymer-based additives manufacturing processes
  • Metal-based additives manufacturing processes
  • Product development process / design
  • Project management
  • Innovation management
  • Additive manufacturing processes for non-metallic-inorganic materials
  • Quality assurance and control
  • Introduction of additive methods and processes into the operational production environment
  • Communication and presentation of technical projects
  • Practical applications (design, model making, automotive industry, aviation, medical technology, tool and mould making, near-contour temperature control)