Friday, July 13, 2018

Introduction to Additive Manufacturing

Additive Manufacturing (AM) refers to a process by which digital 3D design data is used to build up a component in layers by depositing material. The term ‘3D printing’ is increasingly used as a synonym for Additive manufacturing (Srinivas and Babu, 2017). However the latter is more accurate in that it describes a professional production technique which is clearly distinguished from conventional methods of material removal. In conventional machining such as turning and milling, the material is getting removed from a solid block (Eos.info, 2018). In other words, the material is subtracted from the work piece so these processes are termed as subtractive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing is just the opposite of subtractive manufacturing (See Fig.1.1). It builds up components layer by layer using materials which are available in powder, liquid or filament forms.


Fig.1.1 Conventional Manufacturing V/S Additive Manufacturing (Bct-technology.com, 2018)
The material may be plastic, metal, concrete or one day human tissue. In the past few years, many companies have embraced AM technologies and are beginning to enjoy real business benefits from the investment. The technology is maturing and has worked its way into a number of markets. It is one of the hottest and most interesting advancements in the design and marketing world today.

References:

Bct-technology.com. (2018). NX 11.0.2 Additive Manufacturing - BCT Technology AG. [online] Available at: https://www.bct-technology.com/en/support/tips-tricks/nx-1102-additive-manufacturing.html [Accessed 12 Jan. 2018].

Eos.info. (2018). EOS Industrial 3D printing - Process, method and benefits. [online] Available at: https://www.eos.info/additive_manufacturing/for_technology_interested [Accessed 12 Jan. 2018].

Srinivas, M. and Babu, B. (2017). A Critical Review on Recent Research Methodologies in Additive Manufacturing. Materials Today: Proceedings, 4(8), 9049-9059.

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