Additive Manufacturing Technology
Additive Manufacturing is a technology that uses three dimensional printing to convert engineering design files into durable and fully functional objects created from metal, glass and sand. This technology produces products layer by layer: After each layer particles are attached by chemicals or heat and then the next layer is added. This binding procedure is repeated throughout. Additive Manufacturing makes possible geometries not previously feasible to be manufactured. Full-form parts are created directly from computer-aided design (CAD) data for various commercial, art and industrial applications.
Manufacturers across many industries are using Additive Manufacturing, which is a digital manufacturing process, to produce various products including: blades and impellers for aerospace use, engine parts for automotive applications, and medical prosthetics that require easily adjustable design modifications, and pattern-less sand molds for pumps used in the energy and oil industry,.
This sophisticated manufacturing process begins with a CAD file which conveys data concerning how the completed product ought to look. The CAD file is then relayed to a specialized printer where the product is generated through the recurring laying of thinly powdered material (including metal, plastic, glass and sand) and binder to slowly construct the finished product. Because it works in the same way as an office printer placing ink on paper, this procedure is frequently called 3D printing. 3D printers can produce a wide variety of products, including parts for use in automobiles and airplanes, to replacing broken or aging industrial equipment, or for specific parts for medical needs.
Additive Manufacturing quickly produces product prototypes. This is an increasingly important function that considerably lessens the traditional trial-and-error procedure so that new products can enter the market faster. Likewise, it can punctually create specialized and unique metal products which can replace broken or worn industrial parts. That suggests companies can radically reduce the time it takes to produce a replacement part and avoid expensive shut downs. With additive manufacturing, after a CAD drawing is produced the replacement component can be printed. With Additive Manufacturing tooling and storage of bulky patterns is practically eliminated.
Major global companies, such as Sikorsky, Caterpillar, and Ford have recognized that Additive Manufacturing can considerably lessen costs while presenting design liberties not previously possible. For some time now these companies have applied this technology in their manufacturing procedures. Additive manufacturing has strong market capabilities ranging from energy to aerospace to automotive, and it is not unusual to find 3D printers being used in foundries next to milling machines, at metal-working factories, and plastic injection molding equipment.
Companies that use Additive Manufacturing reduce the danger of trial and error, lessen costs, and make opportunities for design innovation. Additive manufacturing makes possible both the materialization and the design of objects by doing away with traditional manufacturing constraints.
Benefits of Additive Manufacturing
· Freedom of design – Additive Manufacturing can create an object of nearly any shape. No expensive dies or mouldings are to be produced. This also means that every single product can be unique if required!
· Complexity for free – With this process increasing object complexity will raise production costs marginally.
· Potential elimination of tooling – With Additive Manufacturing direct production is possible without time-consuming and costly tooling.
· Lightweight design – Additive Manufacturing allows weight reduction through topological optimization (for example with FEA1)
· Part consolidation – Additive Manufacturing reduces assembly requirements through consolidating parts into one component.
· Elimination of production steps – With Additive Manufacturing even complex objects can be produced in one process step.
· Less waste: With Additive Manufacturing building objects up layer by layer, rather than traditional machining procedures that cut away material can lessen costs and material needs by up to 90%.
· Lower energy intensity: This technique saves energy by reducing production steps, using significantly less material, producing lighter products and enabling reuse of by-products. Remanufacturing components by Additive Manufacturing and surface treatment procedures can also return old products to relatively new condition using just 2−25% of the energy needed to make new part.
· Agility: Additive Manufacturing techniques enable quick reaction to markets and create new production alternatives outside of factories, like mobile units which can be placed near the source of local materials.
· Additive manufacturing is an extremely environmentally friendly and energy efficient and manufacturing option.
Current Additive Manufacturing processes
1) Selected Laser Melting - With Selected Laser Melting the powder layers are selectively melted under an inert gas atmosphere with an accurately controlled laser that produces outstanding component surface finish, resolution and tolerances. One type of Additive Manufacturing technology uses lasers to sinter metal into various objects. This technology characteristically entails using a laser to heat up metal into a liquefied pool, after which extra metal is added. The laser is usually worked over the surface of the liquefied pool as new material is included, so that a preferred object can be sintered out of the liquefied metal. Some technologies that utilize this general method are selective laser sintering and direct metal laser sintering.
2) Electron Beam Melting - E-beam manufacturing is performed hot and under a vacuum. This makes possible the production of completely dense, extremely complex geometries in traditionally hard to manufacture and reactive materials. This method utilizes metal powder that is melted using an electron beam. Usually, the powder is melted in a vacuum, and then created into three dimensional forms layer by layer. Like laser sintering, this method is typically confined to industrial settings.
3) Aerosol Jet Deposition - Aerosol Jet Deposition is a high resolution printing technology for layer deposition onto flat or complex 3D substrates.
4) Spark Plasma Sintering - is a rapid sintering technique in which mechanical pressure and electric current are simultaneously applied to produce dense materials.
5) Metal Injection Molding - is a powder metallurgy process used to produce small complex parts.
Applications of Additive Manufacturing
Industry is taking advantage of additive manufacturing to produce plastic, metal, or composite parts and custom products without the cost, time, tooling, and overhead required in the traditional machining or manufacturing processes. This technology is particularly advantageous in low-to-moderate volume markets (defense and aerospace) that regularly operate without economies of scale.
Today, additive manufacturing is reducing the aerospace industry’s important materials measure, the “buy-to-fly” ratio—pounds of material needed to make one pound of aerospace quality material—by more than half. For example, small scale designers are taking advantage of additive manufacturing to simultaneously reduce material requirements and easily create engine parts with complex internal structures. Also larger manufacturers of jet ducts in Boeing F-18 fighters can be made with smoothly curving channels that allow more efficient air and fluid flow than those created with the difficult traditional method of boring through solid structures
Manufacturers across many industries are using Additive Manufacturing, which is a digital manufacturing process, to produce various products including: blades and impellers for aerospace use, engine parts for automotive applications, and medical prosthetics that require easily adjustable design modifications, and pattern-less sand molds for pumps used in the energy and oil industry,.
This sophisticated manufacturing process begins with a CAD file which conveys data concerning how the completed product ought to look. The CAD file is then relayed to a specialized printer where the product is generated through the recurring laying of thinly powdered material (including metal, plastic, glass and sand) and binder to slowly construct the finished product. Because it works in the same way as an office printer placing ink on paper, this procedure is frequently called 3D printing. 3D printers can produce a wide variety of products, including parts for use in automobiles and airplanes, to replacing broken or aging industrial equipment, or for specific parts for medical needs.
Additive Manufacturing quickly produces product prototypes. This is an increasingly important function that considerably lessens the traditional trial-and-error procedure so that new products can enter the market faster. Likewise, it can punctually create specialized and unique metal products which can replace broken or worn industrial parts. That suggests companies can radically reduce the time it takes to produce a replacement part and avoid expensive shut downs. With additive manufacturing, after a CAD drawing is produced the replacement component can be printed. With Additive Manufacturing tooling and storage of bulky patterns is practically eliminated.
Major global companies, such as Sikorsky, Caterpillar, and Ford have recognized that Additive Manufacturing can considerably lessen costs while presenting design liberties not previously possible. For some time now these companies have applied this technology in their manufacturing procedures. Additive manufacturing has strong market capabilities ranging from energy to aerospace to automotive, and it is not unusual to find 3D printers being used in foundries next to milling machines, at metal-working factories, and plastic injection molding equipment.
Companies that use Additive Manufacturing reduce the danger of trial and error, lessen costs, and make opportunities for design innovation. Additive manufacturing makes possible both the materialization and the design of objects by doing away with traditional manufacturing constraints.
Benefits of Additive Manufacturing
· Freedom of design – Additive Manufacturing can create an object of nearly any shape. No expensive dies or mouldings are to be produced. This also means that every single product can be unique if required!
· Complexity for free – With this process increasing object complexity will raise production costs marginally.
· Potential elimination of tooling – With Additive Manufacturing direct production is possible without time-consuming and costly tooling.
· Lightweight design – Additive Manufacturing allows weight reduction through topological optimization (for example with FEA1)
· Part consolidation – Additive Manufacturing reduces assembly requirements through consolidating parts into one component.
· Elimination of production steps – With Additive Manufacturing even complex objects can be produced in one process step.
· Less waste: With Additive Manufacturing building objects up layer by layer, rather than traditional machining procedures that cut away material can lessen costs and material needs by up to 90%.
· Lower energy intensity: This technique saves energy by reducing production steps, using significantly less material, producing lighter products and enabling reuse of by-products. Remanufacturing components by Additive Manufacturing and surface treatment procedures can also return old products to relatively new condition using just 2−25% of the energy needed to make new part.
· Agility: Additive Manufacturing techniques enable quick reaction to markets and create new production alternatives outside of factories, like mobile units which can be placed near the source of local materials.
· Additive manufacturing is an extremely environmentally friendly and energy efficient and manufacturing option.
Current Additive Manufacturing processes
1) Selected Laser Melting - With Selected Laser Melting the powder layers are selectively melted under an inert gas atmosphere with an accurately controlled laser that produces outstanding component surface finish, resolution and tolerances. One type of Additive Manufacturing technology uses lasers to sinter metal into various objects. This technology characteristically entails using a laser to heat up metal into a liquefied pool, after which extra metal is added. The laser is usually worked over the surface of the liquefied pool as new material is included, so that a preferred object can be sintered out of the liquefied metal. Some technologies that utilize this general method are selective laser sintering and direct metal laser sintering.
2) Electron Beam Melting - E-beam manufacturing is performed hot and under a vacuum. This makes possible the production of completely dense, extremely complex geometries in traditionally hard to manufacture and reactive materials. This method utilizes metal powder that is melted using an electron beam. Usually, the powder is melted in a vacuum, and then created into three dimensional forms layer by layer. Like laser sintering, this method is typically confined to industrial settings.
3) Aerosol Jet Deposition - Aerosol Jet Deposition is a high resolution printing technology for layer deposition onto flat or complex 3D substrates.
4) Spark Plasma Sintering - is a rapid sintering technique in which mechanical pressure and electric current are simultaneously applied to produce dense materials.
5) Metal Injection Molding - is a powder metallurgy process used to produce small complex parts.
Applications of Additive Manufacturing
Industry is taking advantage of additive manufacturing to produce plastic, metal, or composite parts and custom products without the cost, time, tooling, and overhead required in the traditional machining or manufacturing processes. This technology is particularly advantageous in low-to-moderate volume markets (defense and aerospace) that regularly operate without economies of scale.
Today, additive manufacturing is reducing the aerospace industry’s important materials measure, the “buy-to-fly” ratio—pounds of material needed to make one pound of aerospace quality material—by more than half. For example, small scale designers are taking advantage of additive manufacturing to simultaneously reduce material requirements and easily create engine parts with complex internal structures. Also larger manufacturers of jet ducts in Boeing F-18 fighters can be made with smoothly curving channels that allow more efficient air and fluid flow than those created with the difficult traditional method of boring through solid structures
