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Overview of the AM Research Association

Mission

By transcending the boundaries of industry, academia, and government, and building the academic and technical foundations of additive manufacturing (AM), we aim to widely disseminate AM technology in Japan using digital techniques and strengthen the country’s manufacturing sector. Additionally, we aspire to provide policy recommendations to the government, consolidate activities such as involvement in the Japan Academy of Sciences, and work towards establishing the ‘Japanese Institute of Additive Manufacturing(JIAM)’

Note: This research group handles a wide range of materials, not limited to metals (metallic materials), including polymers, ceramics, glass, resins, cells, and their composite materials

AM Research Association

Chairperson: Takayoshi Nakano
Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University

Vice Chairperson: Atsushi Maekawa
Visiting Professor, Osaka University
Senior Fellow, SIGMAXYZ Inc.
(Former Director, Technical Research Association for Future Additive Manufacturing (TRAFAM))

Purpose

In recent years, AM has attracted great interest in both academia and industry as a technology that transforms the manufacturing system. Although the basic concept of AM was invented in Japan, amid the wave of digitalization on a global scale, Japan has fallen behind Europe, the United States, and China in terms of research/budget size and number of results reported.

In order for Japan to once again take the lead in the field of additive manufacturing (AM) and, consequently, lead the world’s materials science (metals, ceramics, resins, cells, etc.) through AM, it is essential to have a ‘space’ for seamless discussion from basic research to the societal implementation of research outcomes, without barriers between industry, academia, and government. Furthermore, AM is not just a method to obtain complex-shaped parts; it is also a technology that allows versatile control of material properties directly connected to the functionality of materials. It is achieving control over material properties and functionalities that transcend traditional methods. Therefore, it is necessary to perceive it as a transdisciplinary and integrative field spanning many areas such as materials engineering, crystallography, computational materials science, welding engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, information technology, civil and architectural engineering, and medicine. Additionally, the fusion of AM with digital twin technology holds the promise of significant advancements. To foster organic collaboration between industry, academia, government, and multiple fields for the creation of outstanding academic research outcomes originating from Japan, practical application of high-value-added products, and to steer discussions and decisions regarding the future direction of Japan’s AM field, this research group is established.