We are excited to announce the launch of the "Bridging Innovations: A Design Challenge for Additive Manufacturing", in the course of MSE 2024, organized by the TU Darmstadt, University Kassel, and DGM. This competition is not just a showcase of creativity and engineering prowess but also a platform to tackle the current challenges faced in additive manufacturing (AM).

Additive manufacturing has revolutionized the way we conceive and produce complex structures, yet it continues to confront significant hurdles. Unclear design rules, reliability issues, and build space limitations often constrain the full potential of AM technologies. Designing and constructing load-bearing structures, such as bridges, presents a unique challenge where material integrity, structural strength, and efficiency in design must harmonize with the capabilities of AM processes.

Task: Participants are required to construct a bridge that spans a minimum distance of 30 centimeters and reaches a height of at least 20 centimeters. The bridge must include at least one joining feature and may be constructed only using additively manufactured parts. You can utilize any AM process and material.

The design draft and is to be submitted as a single .stl model together with a 2 page description on the design approach, the joining features are incorporated and chosen AM process as well as the reasoning behind that.

Eligibility: The competition is open to national and international students of all grades and PhD candidates.

Important Dates:

Registration Due Date: 15 August 2024
Online Submission of Design Draft/Model: 22 August 2024
Announcement of Selected Candidates: 30 August 2024
Prize Competition: MSE 2024 Conference in Darmstadt

Judging Criteria:

Height of the bridge
Span width of the bridge
Number and type of joining features
Maximum bearable load
Efficient use of materials

Prizes:

• 1st Prize: €1200 Voucher for AMC Workshops

• 2nd Prize: €650 Voucher for AMC Workshops

• All winners will also receive DGM junior membership.

How to Register: To register for the competition, please email mse@mse-congress.de.

Contact Information: For any inquiries regarding the competition, please contact Dr.-Ing. Michael Krämer at mse@mse-congress.de or +49 (0)69 75306-780.

We look forward to seeing your innovative designs and creations that demonstrate the potential of additive manufacturing in structural applications.

The competition is supported by Technologieland Hessen.