Additive manufacturing
Additive Manufacturing (AM) is an appropriate name to describe the technologies that build 3D objects by adding layer-upon-layer of material.
Common to AM technologies is the use of a computer, 3D modeling software (Computer Aided Design or CAD), machine equipment and layering material. Once a CAD sketch is produced, the AM equipment reads in data from the CAD file and lays downs or adds successive layers of liquid, powder, sheet material or other, in a layer-upon-layer fashion to fabricate a 3D object.
List of additive manufacturing technics:
- 3D printing
- Filament winding, produces composite pipes, tanks, etc.
- Direct metal laser sintering
- Fused deposition modeling
- Laminated object manufacturing
- Laser engineered net shaping
- Selective laser sintering
- Stereolithography
- Electron-beam
- ……….
Design for additive manufacturing
By this methode all manufactural knowledge of the process must be incorporated into the 3D model. That is why it is important for the designer to have thorough knowledge or obtain this knowledge from the final production process.
