Additive manufacturing is a manufacturing or fabrication technique used to manufacture physical or 3D objects by adding materials one at a time on the basis of a digital model. This is contrary to subtractive manufacturing, which forms the finished object by removing material from a block, additive manufacturing involves the addition of pieces. 

Engineers, architects, and construction managers are the main users of additive manufacturing, which has replaced manual drafting. It enables the development, revision, and optimization of the design process and assists users in creating designs in three dimensions to envisage construction. Engineers may more readily and accurately create representations using this method, which enhances the quality of their designs.

What are the Applications of Additive Manufacturing?

  1. Rapid Prototyping 

Applications of additive manufacturing to prototyping enable early successes in the product design process. Prototypes made with 3D printing can be made more quickly and affordably than using more conventional techniques, and they take significantly less time to introduce new products. Faster prototype cycles also allow businesses the chance to develop, test, and evaluate a wider range of concepts in less time. This was demonstrated on a customer project at Jabil, where we were able to complete 19 enhanced design iterations for a single part in a fraction of the time required to complete only one using conventional techniques. It is simple to understand how more design-and-improvement cycles might immediately result in better goods. 

These advantages go far beyond the time and money saved during the prototyping stage; a better product is probably to have greater competitive advantages, produce more satisfied consumers, and build a stronger brand. Together, these factors produce a positive feedback loop that raises revenues and margins. It's simple to see how even modest increases in market share can result in large improvements to both the top and bottom lines in many product categories.

2. Design for Additive Manufacture

This feature gives engineers the freedom to produce more complex, functional geometries that are both stronger and lighter. It inspires a surge of creative design thinking. Businesses may now produce better, lighter, more complicated parts and products using additive manufacturing techniques that would not have been feasible or cost-effective to produce using subtractive manufacturing techniques. These, in turn, make it possible for new product lines with more functionality. DfAM frequently enables businesses to greatly reduce the number of discrete pieces necessary for final assembly. The use of the additive manufacturing technique for production parts has risen significantly over the past four years, according to Jabil's 2021 3D Printing Trends study, which was based on a survey of more than 300 decision-makers at businesses with annual revenues of more than $500 million. Today, more than 50% of participants employ additive manufacturing to create functional or end-use items, up from 18% in 2017.

  • Fixtures, tools, and Jigs: Companies are turning to additive manufacturing to address typical manufacturing problems, allowing them to market more quickly and ultimately surpass the competition by taking advantage of early-mover advantages. Through the use of additive manufacturing technology, businesses can reduce costs associated with the development of jigs, fixtures, and tooling, as well as inevitable delays, line shutdowns, and obsolete parts. Jigs, fixtures, and equipment are being made differently thanks to additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing has made it possible to simply produce them in-house as opposed to utilizing traditional machining, which frequently involves the overhead costs associated with outsourcing (vendor relationship management, bid processes, etc.). Faster turnaround times, cheaper part costs, and lower warehousing and inventory expenses are the apparent advantages.
  • Production parts: Companies are turning to additive manufacturing to address typical manufacturing problems, allowing them to market more quickly and ultimately surpass the competition by taking advantage of early-mover advantages. Through the use of additive manufacturing technology, businesses can reduce costs associated with the development of jigs, fixtures, and tooling, as well as inevitable delays, line shutdowns, and obsolete parts. Jigs, fixtures, and equipment are being made differently thanks to additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing has made it possible to simply produce them in-house as opposed to utilizing traditional machining, which frequently involves the overhead costs associated with outsourcing (vendor relationship management, bid processes, etc.). Faster turnaround times, cheaper part costs, and lower warehousing and inventory expenses are the apparent advantages. The value of DfAM is accelerated by the use of 3D printing to produce bigger numbers more affordably. Once more, this results in better, more competitive, and functional finished products that may continue to generate more sales and money. And it's a key factor in the growth of applications for additive manufacturing.

What are the different variants of additive manufacturing?

  1. Vat Polymerization: Vat polymerization is a technique for printing 3D objects using photopolymerization. In this procedure, liquid photopolymer resin is placed in a vat or container, and when subjected to ultraviolet (UV) light, the resin solidifies. A platform glides lower to print the object layer by layer while the resin is UV-hardened. Some varieties of Vat polymerization include SLA and DLP. A light-activated resin or photopolymer is the printing substance employed. It is a polymer that, as the name might imply, changes its structural characteristics when exposed to a certain wavelength of light. The name of this procedure is photopolymerization. The resin in the vat is liquid at this time. The layers are then made harder by shining UV light, one of the most widely utilized types of light, onto the resin. According to the CAD, the light targets particular regions of the resin and produces the needed 3D item.
  • Binder Jetting: An adhesive binding agent is deposited onto tiny layers of powdered material using the binder jetting 3D printing technology. The materials are either metal like stainless steel or ceramic-based such as glass or gypsum. The 3D print head glides over the build platform while depositing binder droplets during the binder jetting 3D printing process, printing each layer similarly to 2D printers that print ink on paper. The powder bed descends once each layer is finished, and the printer applies a fresh layer of powder to the build area. Layer by layer, the procedure continues until all components are finished. The pieces are in a green, or unfinished, state after printing and need more post-processing before they are usable. The operator frequently incorporates an infiltrating substance to enhance the mechanical qualities of the pieces. In the case of ceramics, the penetrating substance is typically a cyanoacrylate glue or bronze in the case of metals.


Directed Energy Deposition: By directly melting materials and depositing them on the workpiece, layer by layer, the Directed Energy Deposition (DED) 3D printing process, also known as Direct Energy Deposition, generates parts. This method of additive manufacturing is crucial when using wire source materials or metal powders. DED is also known as laser-engineered net shaping, directed light fabrication, direct metal deposition, laser deposition welding (LDW), and three-dimensional (3D) laser cladding, among other terms. Along with the ability to create new parts (typically using a hybrid CNC mill/turn tool), DED can also repair complex broken elements like turbine blades or propellers. The majority of DED 3D printers are industrial devices with sizable footprints that demand a secure setting. A nozzle positioned on a multi-axis arm inside a closed frame, which deposits melted material onto the workpiece surface where it hardens, is how Directed Energy Deposition is typically performed. The method is conceptually similar to the 3D printing method using material extrusion. Nevertheless, a nozzle can travel in more than one direction with DED thanks to its five different axes, compared to the majority of FFF machines' three. The DED additive manufacturing method can be used to 3D print metals, most notably aluminum, copper, titanium, stainless steel, tool steel, copper, nickel alloys, and various steel alloys. The Directed Energy Deposition section's various sub-techniques each have their own compatibilities and restrictions.

Some Additive manufacturing software

  • Fusion 360: Fusion 360 by Autodesk is a good 3D model maker created for users of all levels. Both professionals in the workforce and hobbyists benefit from the software. Users of Fusion 360 have access to a large collection of tools that allow them to not only create accurate 2D and 3D models but also to animate, render, and simulate their creations all in one location. The software works flawlessly to build intricate machine parts from bottom to top. The program supports several working settings right in the UI.

  • Netfabb: An error during the creation of a 3D model can prohibit it from printing correctly. Print failures can also be brought on by crossing faces, inverted normals, disconnected borders, and holes in the mesh. Designers utilize the 3D model repair and cleaning tool netfabb to improve the models' ability to be printed. As part of its operation, Netfabb analyzes the model and takes action to fix any issues it discovers. Netfabb will fix gaps, align triangles correctly, merge close borders, remove self-intersections, and delete unnecessary and degenerate faces. A finished model that has been examined and found to be clear, waterproof, and printable is then sent back to the Exchange and made accessible for download on the model website.

Conclusion

Additive manufacturing is a fabrication technology that makes the entire process of manufacturing a lot easier and faster by rapidly layering a molten material on top of another layer until a 3D object takes form. It is markedly different from subtractive manufacturing methods such as CNC machining which remove pieces from a solid object. Additive manufacturing is directly linked to 3D designing. Learn 3 designing and master Additive Manufacturing with the interactive tutorials on SelfCAD.