Project Description
Key information
EU funding: € 7,91 Million
Total budget: € 9,75 Million
Duration: 48 months [March 2020 – Feb 2024]
Background: Grade2XL is a joint development programme aligning partners along the value chain to foster the rapid development of WAAM materials and process. Grade2XL will deliver multi-material products of superior quality and performance. The high printing rate of WAAM, combined with the ability to control material properties down to the nanoscale, will enable building strong and durable engineering structures.

The Grade2XL project, funded by the programme Horizon 2020, will demonstrate the potential of multi-material wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) for large structures ~1 to >10 m length. Grade2XL will strengthen Europe’s capacity to drive manufacturing innovation globally and withstand growing competition from Asia.
M2i is leading the Grade2XL consortium and has been carrying out the following tasks:
- Project initiation: proposal coordination and writing, consortium building
- (WP 1 Functional grading) Topology optimisation: Design tool for graded structures with minimum distortions
- (WP 7 Dissemination and exploitation): Generic communication and support in organising a WAAM Roadshow
- (WP 8 Project management): Main contact point with the European Commission, day-to-day management
Project Partners:
- Stichting Materials Innovation Institute (M2i), The Netherlands – Lead Partner
- Rotterdam Additive Manufacturing Fieldlab (RAMLAB), The Netherlands
- Gent University, Belgium
- Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
- Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux (CEA), France
- Technical Univerrsity of Denmark, Denmark
- voestalpine Böhler Welding, Germany
- Valk Welding, The Netherlands
- Air Products, Belgium
- Lincoln Electric Europe, The Netherlands
- Politechnika Wrocławska, Poland
- Naval Group, France
- Gorenje Orodjarna, Slovenia
- Energie de France, France
- Arrk Shapers, France
- MAN Energy Solutions, Denmark
- Ucosan (Villeroy&Boch), The Netherlands
- GKN Aerospace Services Ltd, United Kingdom
- Kuźnia Jawor S.A., Poland
- Bureau Veritas, France
- Pôle EMC2, France
Ambition:
Grade2XL will deliver a multi-material, high throughput WAAM system, removing the technological barriers that hinder the application of WAAM, on three levels:
- Material level: functionally graded (multi)materials will be achieved by controlling the two main factors governing the material properties: the chemical composition and the thermal.
- Process level: high WAAM productivity will be achieved using multiple wire deposition systems. The productivity will increase from typically 2 kg/h to 5 kg/h, which can double when a dual robot configuration is used. In-line contactless inspection will ensure first time right quality and facilitate qualification.
- Life cycle or system level: challenging applications will demonstrate the lifecycle benefits of WAAM multi-material devices and in-line process control.
News
First Grade2XL Design Contest: a success!
During the annual conference Meeting Materials of 15 December, organized by M2i, Grade2XL held its first open Additive Manufacturing Design Contest for young engineers.
WAAM DESIGN CONTEST: APPLICATION OPEN!
During the annual conference Meeting Materials, organized by M2i, the Grade2XL project will organize an open Additive Manufacturing Design Contest for young engineers as part of the Grade2XL project. We
Design Contest for Young Engineers
During its annual conference Meeting Materials, M2i will organise an open Design Contest for young engineers.
Kick-off new Horizon 2020 project Grade2xl
On 11-12 March, the kick-off meeting of Grade2XL took place at the Science centrum in Delft, followed by a visit to RAMLAB in Rotterdam. Due to current travel restrictions related
Horizon 2020 project on additive manufacturing coming soon!
M2i is proud to announce that the Grade2XL proposal on functionally graded materials for additive manufacturing was selected for funding in Horizon 2020.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 862017.