IPM CAS Seminar | Efhymios Polatidis, University of Patras, Greece | 03.09.2026

Traditional metallurgy hits physical limits – if we want stronger steel, we often lose its ductility and toughness. Although austenitic stainless steels possess internal deformation mechanisms (referred to as TRIP and TWIP) that act as microscopic „airbags“ absorbing impacts at the atomic level, we have no control over their distribution in conventionally cast metals. Dr. Polatidis will introduce a revolutionary concept where metal 3D printing (the L-PBF method) is used not just to create complex shapes, but as a „programming tool“ for the steel’s internal structure. The printer’s laser can rotate and arrange metal crystals in every millimeter of the component, precisely matching the forces they will face in real-world operation.