Project ensure good health for those who work with AM

28 February, 2022

A new Vinnova-project will ensure good health of workers along the entire value chain of additive manufacturing (AM). To achieve this, consensus and recommendations for health check-ups, routines, preventive measures, occupational exposure limits (OELs), etc. will be developed. This could act as input to authorities like the Arbetsmiljöverket, when developing laws for mandatory health check-up, AFS-provisions and OELs.

24 companies cooperate

24 companies, institutes, universities and hospitals participate in the Vinnova project Which means that new knowledge is generated that can benefit all.

Health check-ups will be more accurate for the health effects that can occur in the AM industry. Informal exposure limits for particulate matter and vapor in the air will be designed in this project and will probably be adapted for different materials, material-technology combinations, particle size classes and / or specific airborne substances based on research results. In parallel, preventive measures must be taken that will lead to reduced emissions of particles and vapors from equipment for the production and handling of feedstocks, the AM process and post processing.

Participating in the project are Volvo Cars, Add North 3D, Siemens Energy, Nederman, Absolent, AMEXCI, Arcam, Sandvik, Digital Metal, Alfa Laval, SSAB, Freemelt, ScanDust, Uddeholms, Swerim, Sensor Visions, ZYYX Labs, Region Östergötland, Sahlgrenska universitetssjukhuset, RISE, RISE IVF, KTH, Karolinska Institutet and Örebro universitet.

The budget for the project is approximately SEK 13 million, of which Vinnova contributes SEK 5.1 million.