Multi-Process Strategy To Embed Optical Fibers In 3D-Printed Metal Parts

To meet low-carbon targets, Europe can rely on over 250,000 km of railway, 25,000 km of hydrogen pipelines, more than 100 nuclear power plants with complex piping systems, and emerging technologies like small modular reactors and advanced engines. However, intensified use of existing infrastructure and stringent design demands in new technologies make continuous material health monitoring essential. Yet, most critical parts are made of high-strength metals with high melting points, preventing direct sensor integration via welding or casting. FIBER3D proposes a groundbreaking fabrication technology that enables the production of sensors that can be directly welded onto existing surfaces or embedded within newly manufactured metal components. This is achieved by combining optical fiber sensors—capable of measuring temperature and strain along their length—with advanced spraying and 3D-printing techniques. The consortium, formed by world-leading experts in photonics, chemistry, materials science, metallurgy, thermo-mechanics, applied mathematics, and mechanical design, offers guarantees of success. FIBER3D’s technology can be applied across the entire existing Europe’s railway network, hydrogen transport systems, and nuclear infrastructure, as well as in 3D-printed parts for low-carbon technologies. This unique and transformative material health monitoring approach will significantly improve the sustainability, safety, and competitiveness of key industries by enabling real-time diagnostics and predictive maintenance, preventing catastrophic failures. FIBER3D will revolutionize material health monitoring in both existing and future industrial systems.