The project “Process‑based integration of traceability over the entire product life cycle” was carried out within the consortium POLYLINE, an integrated line application of polymer‑based additive manufacturing technologies. Additive Marking GmbH served as the funding recipient under the grant number 13N15139 and the work ran from 1 August 2020 to 31 July 2023. The initiative was financed by the German federal research funding body, supporting the development of secure, automated traceability solutions for additive manufacturing.
Technically, the effort focused on embedding a direct marking system into the polymer laser‑sintering process. The team first defined the requirements for all stages of the production chain, from digital model preparation to final inspection, and produced a comprehensive requirement catalogue in collaboration with the University of Augsburg and Fraunhofer IGCV. Workshops involving partners such as 3YOURMIND, Krumm, BMW Group, DyeMansion, EOS, and Grenzebach helped shape a process model that incorporates serialisation through unique part‑level markings.
A key scientific outcome was the creation of an automated marking solution that can be applied during the build itself. Optical readers were evaluated in partnership with the University of Paderborn, revealing that readable markings require additional contrast enhancement and a shadow‑based embossing technique to achieve sufficient contrast between the marking and the polymer surface. This insight guided the design of the marking process and the subsequent scanning solution. The scanning system was integrated into a demonstration line, and a user interface was developed to allow operators to assign and monitor part‑specific identifiers in real time.
Parallel to the marking development, the consortium established a digital twin of the production process. Data from the laser‑sintering build, including process parameters and monitoring signals, were fed into the twin to provide a continuous record of each part’s manufacturing history. This digital twin serves as the backbone for quality management and qualification, enabling traceability from the initial CAD model through every subsequent process step to end‑of‑line sampling. The integration of the scanning solution into the demo line demonstrated stable readability of the markings throughout the entire build, confirming the feasibility of the approach.
The project also produced a set of best‑practice guidelines for implementing direct marking in polymer additive manufacturing, covering aspects such as contrast optimisation, embossing depth, and scanner calibration. These guidelines are intended to support future research and industrial deployment, particularly in regulated sectors such as medical technology and aerospace where product authentication is critical.
Collaboration was central to the project’s success. Additive Marking GmbH acted as the software service provider, translating research findings into a deployable solution. The University of Paderborn supplied expertise in optical scanning and contrast analysis, while Fraunhofer IGCV and the University of Augsburg contributed to process modelling and data integration. The consortium’s diverse expertise—ranging from automotive engineering (BMW Group) to additive manufacturing hardware (EOS) and digital twin technology (Grenzebach)—ensured that the developed solution addressed both technical feasibility and industrial relevance. The project’s outcomes lay a foundation for subsequent research initiatives, bilateral agreements, and potential market offerings, thereby advancing the broader Industry 4.0 strategy aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of German manufacturing.