How can you create a lightweight yet stable lightweight component? And how do you actually take it from an idea to a finished product? These questions occupied 18 students over recent months as part of a new project-based learning (PBL) format on end-to-end additive-subtractive manufacturing, which combines 3D printing and milling. This was the first course of its kind at TU Hamburg. Now, the course has officially concluded. The three student teams presented their tangible results, which were awarded by an expert jury.
Interdisciplinarity as the Key
In this innovative PBL course, three TUHH institutes and their researchers collaborated: Prof. Benedikt Kriegesmann from the Institute of Structural Mechanics in Lightweight Design; Prof. Ingomar Kelbassa and Dr. Dirk Herzog from the Institute for Industrialization of Smart Materials; and Prof. Jan Dege from the Institute of Production Management and Technology.
Professor Dege emphasized this interdisciplinarity as the key to success – both within the PBL course and beyond. “A lack of interdisciplinary education means that graduates often only possess isolated specialist knowledge,” said Prof. Dege. “In industry, this deficit manifests as ‘silo thinking’ between departments such as development and production. University teaching is also usually discipline-oriented. Topics like product development, lightweight construction, and manufacturing technology are taught separately. Without this understanding, design errors are often only recognized late – making corrections costly and complex. A holistic integration of manufacturing into the design process therefore becomes essential.”
The focus of the summer semester 2026 course was the entire process chain of modern lightweight structures. This included topology optimization – a method used to calculate an optimal base shape for components under mechanical load. Following this were additive manufacturing (3D printing) and subtractive finishing. This means the students not only developed a concept but also manufactured the component themselves. The brake pedal of the Formula Student team e-gnition Hamburg e.V. served as the application example. Through close collaboration with the team, the students received authentic real-world requirements and worked on a genuine lightweight component.
Experience Gained in Denmark
At the Institute of Production Management and Technology, Michel Seiffert works as a research associate. Together with his TUHH colleagues Niklas Reuter and Daniel Lichtenwald, Seiffert developed the course. He himself became familiar with the PBL format during a semester abroad at Aalborg University (Denmark): “Through direct application and close supervision by professors, theoretical content had to be thoroughly understood to successfully achieve the project goal. This resulted in a significantly deeper understanding and higher expertise compared to pure exam preparation. The PBL experiences from Denmark directly influenced the didactic concept and structure of the course.”
The course was funded by the Freiraum program of the Foundation for Innovation in Higher Education. In addition, a number of industry partners and organizations supported the project with material donations, funding, and expertise – alongside e-gnition, these included AMF Spanntechnik und Automatisierung GmbH, LMT Onsrud, the Fraunhofer IAMHH Center of Excellence, EOS, and Airbus.
Through exchange with industry, students gain not only insights into current practical challenges but also the opportunity to establish direct contacts with potential future employers. A new iteration of the PBL course is already planned for next year.
