The LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology has received funding approval for the new COMET project We3D² and will take over project coordination. We3D² takes the successful predecessor project We3D into a new technological dimension. The focus is on new solutions for wire-based additive manufacturing (WAM), which enable the efficient production of large-volume metal components and process-integrated quality assurance.
The aim of the project is to be able to evaluate components made of aluminum, magnesium, or titanium digitally and layer by layer during the manufacturing process. This is made possible by innovative methods of data collection and analysis that allow intelligent linking of process data and material behavior—an important step toward fully digitized manufacturing.
The project is supported by a strong consortium that combines scientific excellence and industrial implementation expertise in equal measure. In addition to LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen as coordinator, the AIT Center for Vision, Automation & Control, Materials Center Leoben Forschung GmbH, RISC Software GmbH, and the Institute for Materials, Forming and Joining at Graz University of Technology are also involved. This scientific foundation is complemented by 14 leading industrial companies, which contribute their respective application and implementation expertise and thus make a significant contribution to the industrial relevance of the project.
Dr. Christian Chimani, Head of the Center for Transport Technologies and Managing Director of LKR, emphasizes: “COMET is a particularly important and effective funding program for us because it corresponds exactly to our research strategy: applied research with clear industrial relevance. With We3D², we bring technological innovations directly into industrial practice – from material development to the process to digital quality assurance.”
COMET – Research with impact
We3D² is one of seven new COMET projects approved in July 2025 as part of the Austrian COMET competence center program. Funded by the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility, and Infrastructure, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, and Tourism, and the provinces of Upper Austria, Styria, and Vorarlberg, the projects make a targeted contribution to strengthening Austria as a center of research and industry.
Further information on the COMET program: https://www.ffg.at/en/comet