MTEC, led by Dr. Anchalee Manonukul, the Head of the Alloy and Smart Manufacturing Research Team within the Materials Processing and Automated Manufacturing Research Group and the Principal Investigator, organized an event for its research project titled “Development of 316L Stainless Steel Filaments for 3D Metal Printing via Extrusion-Based Process to Fabricate Complex and Near-Net Shape Components.” This initiative is supported by the National Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO) through the Program Management Unit for Competitiveness Enhancement (PMU-C). From February 17 to 21, 2025, a research delegation from Montanuniversitaet Leoben in Austria, a team participating in the project, visited Thailand to discuss implementation strategies, tour MTEC laboratories, and meet with companies specializing in extrusion-based 3D printing technology.
On February 20, 2025, in the Busakorn Room at the NECTEC Building, Thailand Science Park, the project hosted a special seminar titled “Advancements in Polymer and Metal 3D Printing.” The event was officially opened by Assoc. Prof. Toemsak Srikhirin, the Director of MTEC, and featured experts in extrusion-based 3D printing technology as keynote speakers.
The seminar featured seven key presentations, including:
- “Additive Manufacturing of Highly-Filled Polymers at the Institute of Polymer Processing”
by Dr. Christian Kukla, Research and Innovation Service, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Austria - “Challenges in Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing”
by Dr. Stephan Schuschnigg, Institute of Polymer Processing, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Austria - “Development of Polymer Blends and Composites for Fused Filament Fabrication: Balancing Mechanical Properties and Printability”
by Dr. Bongkot Hararak, Researcher, Plastic Product Development Research Team, Materials Processing and Automated Manufacturing Research Group, MTEC - “Bio-Based Composites in 3D Printing: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities”
by Dr. Chuanachom Uamnate, Metallurgy and Materials Science Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University - “Personalized Orthotic Fabrication System Using 3D Printing Technology”
by Dr. Boonlom Thawornyutikarn, Researcher, Orthotic Design and Manufacturing Innovation Research Team, Biomedical Materials and Devices Research Group, MTEC - “Environmental Impacts of 3D Printing Through Life Cycle Assessment”
by Dr. Kanjanawadee Singkoraj, Researcher, Plastic Product Development Research Team, Materials Processing and Automated Manufacturing Research Group, MTEC - “Recent Developments in Sinter-Based Metal 3D Printing”
by Dr. Chanun Suwanpreecha, Researcher, Alloy and Smart Manufacturing Research Team, Materials Processing and Automated Manufacturing Research Group, MTEC
The seminar was attended by forty-seven participants from both the public and private sectors.
The visit activities included site visits to companies specializing in extrusion-based 3D printing technology, namely:
Taisei Kogyo (Thailand) Co., Ltd. – Pathum Thani Province
IRPC Public Co., Ltd. – Rayong Province
Labtech Engineering Co., Ltd. – Samut Prakan Province