VALDED – Validated Directed Energy Deposition (DED) for critical industrial applications

Developing validated DED process for industrial applications

Duration of the project

1.1.2026 – 31.12.2028

Source of funding

EURA 2021 / ERDF, Uusimaa Regional Council

The VALDED project develops a validated operational model for applying DED metal additive manufacturing in industrial and safety-critical applications. The project integrates design, manufacturing, testing, and digital quality assurance into a unified process, lowering the adoption threshold for companies and strengthening the competitiveness of regional industry.

The VALDED project develops a comprehensive and validated operational model for the utilisation of Directed Energy Deposition (DED) metal additive manufacturing in industrial and safety-critical applications. The project addresses the need for reliable adoption of DED technology, particularly for large-scale, high-performance and dynamically loaded components used in manufacturing, repair and modernisation.

The project integrates the entire process chain, including design and redesign for additive manufacturing (DfAM), production, process monitoring, post-processing, material and structural testing, as well as digital quality assurance and documentation. A key focus is on demonstrating reliability through testing and data-driven validation, with particular emphasis on fatigue performance, enabling DED-manufactured components to meet industrial and classification society requirements.

The project integrates the entire process chain, including design and redesign for additive manufacturing (DfAM), production, process monitoring, post-processing, material and structural testing, as well as digital quality assurance and documentation

The work is based on the Quad Tech Turku (QTT) environment and the infrastructure of Turku University of Applied Sciences and the University of Turku, which is further strengthened through new equipment and testing investments during the project. A critical outcome is the establishment of regional capabilities for systematic testing and validation of DED-produced materials and components, including fatigue testing and advanced use of process data.

As results, the project delivers a practical operational model, guidelines and openly available publications that lower the threshold for companies to adopt DED technology. Industrial pilots, themed workshops and company-specific coaching activities ensure knowledge transfer and practical impact for the regional maritime and manufacturing industries. In the long term, VALDED strengthens industrial competitiveness in Southwest Finland, supports material efficiency and low-carbon solutions, and lays the foundation for permanent RDI capabilities and service offerings.