Objectives of the service
Metal additive manufacturing relies on powders that can degrade, contaminate or become unsafe to handle during receipt, storage, movement, reuse, recovery or disposal. Current records are often fragmented across spreadsheets, laboratory systems, paper certificates and operator judgement.
AMSynchro addresses this gap with a space-enabled assurance service that connects monitored containers, material genealogy, custody records, warning logic and audit-ready evidence. The ESA Kick-Start matured the platform, validated the service architecture, prepared pilot routes and demonstrated representative telemetry and warning logic using proof-of-concept IoT devices.
Users and their needs
Current user communities are centred on additive manufacturing operators, with additional relevance for hazardous-material handlers, recyclers, HSE stakeholders, auditors and insurers.
Main user groups:
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additive-manufacturing operators handling hazardous metal powders;
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quality, HSE and operations teams responsible for powder handling and evidence;
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hazardous-material handlers, recyclers and recovery organisations;
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auditors, insurers and oversight stakeholders reviewing process integrity.
Key needs:
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clearer evidence before material handling or opening;
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stronger genealogy across use, reuse, blending and recovery;
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reduced manual audit collation;
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trusted time/location context for handovers and geofencing;
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resilient alert and event continuity in constrained environments.
Service/ system concept
AMSynchro creates one assurance layer across the hazardous powder lifecycle. Local monitoring captures environmental and device data from monitored containers or facility contexts. The platform links telemetry with material identity, custody records, genealogy, warnings, dashboards and evidence outputs.
In simple terms, the service connects what happened, where it happened, when it happened and what action was taken. The same logic supports cloud, hybrid, on-premise and future air-gapped deployment routes, depending on the sensitivity of the site and customer requirements.
Space Added Value
Space assets strengthen both trust and resilience. Global Navigation Satellite System services provide independent timing and location context for handover, custody and geofencing events. This improves evidential value compared with manual timestamps or local records alone.
Satellite communications support continuity of critical alerts and event records in remote, mobile, maritime or security-constrained environments where terrestrial links cannot always be relied upon. During the Kick-Start, GNSS/location-related capability was tested using an external component and the Satcom implementation route was defined for follow-on pilots.
Current Status
Figure 3-2 – Representative AMSynchro dashboard showing proof-of-concept IoT telemetry. The dashboard visualises environmental data from demonstration containers using non-dangerous materials, including temperature, humidity, oxygen and pressure trends, with dew-point risk warnings used during internal testing.
Figure 3-3 – AMSynchro genealogy view for additive manufacturing powder. The genealogy view helps users understand how material batches evolve through sampling, approval, reuse and blending events, creating a clearer evidence trail for quality, safety and compliance decisions.
Figure 4-2a – Representative AMSynchro telemetry showing dew-point / condensation-risk warning logic. Temperature and humidity data were collected from demonstration containers and compared with the surrounding environment. The platform applied dew-point risk evaluation and generated warning states when environmental conditions approached the defined condensation-risk envelope.
Figure 4-2b – Representative AMSynchro telemetry showing pressure-differential opening-risk warning logic. Internal and external pressure data were compared over time, and the platform calculated absolute ΔP to classify the opening-risk status as SAFE, WATCH, RISK or HIGH RISK.
Images credit: THINKITTECH LTD
AMSynchro completed the ESA Kick-Start with a pilot-ready service baseline. The activity delivered a deployed multitenant platform, demo/sandbox environments, two proof-of-concept IoT monitoring devices, representative telemetry from two demonstration containers, dew-point / condensation-risk warning logic, pressure-differential opening-risk warning logic, external GNSS testing and a clarified Satcom implementation route for follow-on pilots.
The project confirmed additive manufacturing as the strongest first commercial beachhead and prepared the first industrial pilot route. A second hazardous-material pilot route was also identified. IP protection progressed through a UK patent filing. The next phase focuses on structured pilots, certified hardware development, cybersecurity hardening, AI/ML-supported alerting and first paid deployments.
Prime Contractor(s)
