Ten times faster, lower resource usage, better quality – the great potential for efficiency improvements and the high market demand also convinced the jury.
At the “Digital Innovations” startup competition – organised by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) – the IKV spin-off Layer Performance was awarded the prestigious Gründungspreis+. The award ceremony took place during the Digital Summit of the German government on October 21 in Frankfurt.
“We are very honored to be one of six teams in Germany to receive the Gründungspreis+,” says founding member Lukas Pelzer, who conducted research into non-planar path planning in plasticising additive manufacturing as part of his dissertation at IKV back in 2018. This gave rise to the Layer Performance approach: while conventional 3D printing is characterised by the two-dimensional stacking of layers, the spin-off uses three-dimensional processes such as non-planar slicing and multi-axis slicing for process preparation.
The innovative technology offers a whole range of advantages: The stair-step effect typical of previous 3D printing is avoided and a previously unattainable surface quality of the components is achieved. This eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming post-processing steps. The strength of the components is increased many times over, which means that up to 90 % of the support material can be saved. The printing process is optimised and the process setup is accelerated. This can also significantly reduce production time and energy consumption.
“We are very honored to be one of six teams across Germany to receive the Gründungspreis+.”
Ten times faster, less use of resources, better quality – the great potential for increasing efficiency and the high demand from the market also convinced the jury. The first pilot projects have already been launched, including in areas of application where 3D printing was previously not possible. The additional option of being able to print directly onto existing components is particularly in demand from industry, opening up new dimensions for individualised mass production.
Until the end of 2025, the young company will have the opportunity to further develop and validate its idea on IKV’s premises and attract new investors and pilot customers – with support and impetus from IKV.