BERLIN, Germany and GRAZ, Austria, Dec 2, 2025 – BigRep, a leading provider of large-format additive manufacturing systems, is entering into a strategic partnership with FH JOANNEUM. As part of this collaboration, the University’s Institutes of Aeronautics, Production Engineering, and Automotive Engineering will expand their research capabilities to include the BigRep ALTRA 280 industrial high-temperature 3D printer. The goal is to develop new applications for large-format additive manufacturing and increase process reliability on an industrial scale.
Under the direction of FH-Prof. DI Dr. Georg Wagner, several degree programs at FH JOANNEUM are working on practical research projects that advance industrial 3D printing in aerospace, automotive engineering, and production engineering.
“With the BigRep ALTRA 280, we can produce complex functional components in their original size and realistically investigate processes, materials, and lightweight structures,” explains Prof. Wagner. “This lays the foundation for making large-format additive manufacturing even more stable and economical.”
The collaboration focuses on three key research areas:
- Process stability & scaling: Development and validation of new AM applications to reduce production costs and cycle times in industrial processes.
- Functional lightweight construction: Design, topology optimization, and 3D printing of air duct components, internal structural parts, and tools for aerospace and automotive engineering – with a focus on fluid mechanics, weight, and load-bearing capacity.
- Material qualification: Research and testing of new polymer materials, including flame-retardant, carbon fiber-reinforced, and high-temperature plastics such as ABS-FR, PA12-CF, PEKK, or PEI9085, for the development of functional, high-performance components.
The BigRep ALTRA 280 is used not only for printing functionally integrated components—for example, with integrated channels, sensor mounts, or hollow structures—but also for proving and testing new materials in the machine’s open material system.
“We are delighted to have FH JOANNEUM as a partner that so closely combines research and practice,” says Thomas Janics-Jakomini of BigRep. “This collaboration demonstrates how large-format industrial 3D printing is becoming a true driver of innovation in production and material development for aerospace, automotive, and even food technology.”
About FH JOANNEUM
FH JOANNEUM is one of Austria’s leading universities of applied sciences, specializing in engineering, business, health, and media. In the fields of production engineering and aerospace research, the university focuses on practical projects in close cooperation with industry.
About BigRep
With over 1,000 large-format 3D printers deployed across various industries, BigRep has established itself as a trusted leader in FFF technology. Companies worldwide, including Bridgestone, Kawasaki, Ford, Airbus, and Daimler, as well as renowned educational and research institutions such as Nagoya City University, Meiji University, and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), rely on BigRep’s German-made 3D printers.
BigRep’s vision is to facilitate the transition from prototype development to mass production for engineers, designers, and manufacturing companies—from startups to Fortune 500 companies—and to bring products to market faster. For more information, visit https://bigrep.com.
