ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
A DESIGN-DRIVEN PROCESS
Increased demand for customised products and rapid prototyping across various industries has fuelled the rise of additive manufacturing ( AM ).
“ Additive Manufacturing ( AM ) is defined as the process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data , usually layer upon layer , as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies .”
A 3D metal printer produces a steel part ; revolutionary additive technology for sintering metal parts .
According to analyst Grand View Research , the global 3D printing market size was valued at US $ 13.78 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate ( CAGR ) of 21 % from 2021 to 2028 . Globally , 2.1 million units of 3D printers were shipped in 2020 and the shipments are expected to reach 15.3 million units by 2028 .
“ The aggressive R & D in three-dimensional printing ( 3DP ) and the growing demand for prototyping applications from various industry verticals ( particularly healthcare , automotive and aerospace and defence ) are expected to drive market growth . The industrial application of 3D printing is referred to as Additive Manufacturing ( AM ) as it involves a layer-bylayer addition of material to form an object
The global 3D printing market size was valued at US $ 13.78 billion in 2020
The laser sintering method . referring to a three-dimensional file with the help of software and a three-dimensional printer . A relevant 3D printing technology is selected from the available set of technologies to implement the process . The last step involves the deployment of this process across different industry verticals , based on necessity ,” said the analyst .
Additive Manufacturing ( AM ) is defined as the process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data , usually layer upon layer , as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies . It offers design flexibility , mass customisation , process sustainability and rapid product development .
The term AM encompasses many technologies including subsets such as 3D Printing ; Rapid Prototyping ( RP ); Direct Digital Manufacturing ( DDM ); layered manufacturing and additive fabrication . The early use of AM , in the form of Rapid Prototyping , focused on pre-production visualisation models . More recently , AM is being used to fabricate enduse products in aircraft , medical implants , automobiles and even fashion products .
Flexible benefits
“ Additive manufacturing is the process of building complex and precise products with the help of software integrated design techniques . This technology makes use of CAD ( Computer-Aided Design ) or 3D object
46 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR July / August 2021