FOCUS ON ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
FLEXIBLE
Additively manufactured guitar by Sandvik .
DESIGN DRIVE
Additive manufacturing ( AM ) is a transformative approach to industrial production that enables the creation of lighter , stronger parts and systems .
“ The outlook for AM is bright . New materials , sustainable processes and advanced software are priming the technology for a greater share of part manufacturing .”
Additive Manufacturing ( AM ) is different from the subtractive method of production , which envisages grinding out unnecessary material from a block of material . AM technology allows layer-by-layer procedural manufacturing of three-dimensional objects that are connected through a system comprising applicable digital files and the help of a 3D printer and 3D printer software . A suitable additive manufacturing technology can be selected from the available set of technologies , depending upon the application .
“ AM is helping manufacturers in prototyping ; designing the structure and end products ; modelling and shortening time to market . As a result , production expenses have considerably reduced and manufacturers are in a better position to offer products at reasonable prices . The adoption of 3D printers is expected to increase as a result of these benefits ,” explained analyst , Grand View Research .
“ Although the terms ‘ 3D printing ’ and ‘ rapid prototyping ’ are casually used to discuss additive manufacturing , each process is a subset of additive manufacturing . In the right applications , additive manufacturing delivers a perfect trifecta of improved performance , complex geometries and simplified fabrication ,” added GE Additive .
AM types and processes
One AM technology is sintering whereby the material is heated without being liquified to create complex high-resolution objects . Direct metal laser sintering uses metal powder , whereas selective laser sintering uses a laser on thermoplastic powders so that the particles stick together .
20 | www . ismr . net | ISMR July / August 2022