University of Turku Adds Multi-Material Recoater to Metal 3D Printing System-3DPTimes

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University of Turku Adds Multi-Material Recoater to Metal 3D Printing System

October 27, 2026 Hardware 3DPTimes Editorial | Source: University of Turku announcement, October 26, 2026. 5

The October 26 infrastructure update adds selective powder placement within each layer, supporting research on material interfaces and plasma-generator components.

Archive: University of Turku Arcanum building, Samuli Lintula, May 17, 2007, CC BY-SA 2.5. Campus illustration, not the AM4Plasma laboratory or current installation. Complete displayed photograph reproduced as JPEG and rescaled; content unchanged.

The University of Turku has installed a Schaeffler Aerosint SPD2.1-B5 multi-material recoater in its Aconity MIDI+ metal 3D printing system, the Finnish university announced on October 26.

The recoater uses three powder-delivery drums to place different powders in selected regions of a layer before laser processing. This adds material placement as a design variable alongside a part’s shape, creating an experimental platform for components with different properties in different regions.

The university plans to study laser–material interactions, solidification, bonding between neighbouring materials and manufacturing defects. Reliable interfaces still depend on suitable material combinations and processing conditions; installation alone does not establish qualified industrial performance.

The infrastructure supports AM4Plasma research into plasma-generator hardware. Heat-resistant regions combined with heat-transfer paths are among the potential directions for future fusion-energy and aerospace-propulsion components. These remain research applications.

Funding came through the ongoing EUREKA Network AM4Plasma project, coordinated by Turku, with Finnish support from Business Finland’s Co-Innovation programme. The update concerns new installed capability, distinct from the project funding announcement published in November 2025.

Archive photograph: the University of Turku’s Arcanum building, photographed by Samuli Lintula on May 17, 2007. This is a campus illustration, not the AM4Plasma laboratory, recoater or current installation. CC BY-SA 2.5. Complete browser-displayed photograph reproduced as JPEG and rescaled; photographic content unchanged. Image reproduction remains CC BY-SA 2.5. Original: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arcanum,_University_of_Turku.jpg . License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/ .

Primary source: University of Turku, October 26, 2026: https://www.utu.fi/en/news/press-release/new-multi-material-metal-3d-printing-infrastructure-could-revolutionise .