Advanced additive manufacturing, also known as advanced 3D printing,
refers to a set of advanced techniques and technologies that go beyond traditional
3D printing methods. It incorporates new materials, designs, and technologies that
allow for greater customization, complexity, and efficiency in the production of
three-dimensional objects.
2. Contents
i. Introduction
ii. What is Advanced Additive Manufacturing
iii. How it differs from traditional additive manufacturing
iv. Types of Advanced Additive Manufacturing Technologies
v. Advanced Materials for Additive Manufacturing
vi. Advanced Design Techniques for Additive Manufacturing
vii. Applications of Advanced Additive Manufacturing
viii. Advantages of Advanced Additive Manufacturing
ix. Challenges and Limitations of Advanced Additive
x. Future of Advanced Additive Manufacturing
xi. 🚀Going beyond Earth
xii. Conclusion
4. What is Advanced
Additive Manufacturing?
Advanced additive manufacturing, also known as advanced 3D printing,
refers to a set of advanced techniques and technologies that go beyond traditional
3D printing methods. It incorporates new materials, designs, and technologies that
allow for greater customization, complexity, and efficiency in the production of
three-dimensional objects.
Advanced additive manufacturing can work with a wider range of
materials, including metals, ceramics, composites, and even biological
materials.
Multi-material 3D printing allows engineers to create parts with
unique properties and customized designs.
4D printing adds a fourth dimension of time, enabling printed objects
to change shape or behavior over time in response to external stimuli.
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5. How it differs
from traditional additive manufacturing ?
Advanced Additive Manufacturing offers higher precision, accuracy, and better
repeatability than traditional Additive Manufacturing.
Advanced Additive Manufacturing offers a wider range of material options than
traditional Additive Manufacturing, including multi-material and gradient
materials with varying properties.
Advanced Additive Manufacturing offers more design freedom than traditional
Additive Manufacturing, allowing for the creation of complex geometries and
lattice structures.
Advanced Additive Manufacturing offers faster production speed than traditional
Additive Manufacturing by printing multiple parts simultaneously, having larger
build volumes, and printing at higher speeds without sacrificing quality or
accuracy.
6. Types of Advanced
Additive Manufacturing Technologies
Powder bed fusion
Selective laser sintering (SLS)
Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS)
Binder jetting
Metal binder jetting (MBJ)
Sand binder jetting (SBJ)
Directed energy deposition (DED)
Laser engineered net shaping (LENS)
Electron beam melting (EBM)
Material extrusion
Fused deposition modelling (FDM)
Pellet extrusion (PEx)
Vat photo polymerization
Stereo lithography (SLA)
Digital light processing (DLP)
7. Powder bed fusion
In this technology, a layer of powdered material is deposited on a build platform, and a heat source is used to
selectively fuse the material. The most commonly used powder bed fusion technologies are Selective Laser
Sintering (SLS) and Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS).
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
A high-power laser is used in SLS to fuse powdered material together, layer by layer, until the final part is
created.
SLS can be used to create parts from a variety of materials, including plastics, ceramics, and metals.
8. Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS):
DMLS uses a high-power laser to melt and fuse metal powder together, layer by layer, until the final part
is created.
DMLS is widely used in the aerospace and medical industries to create complex metal parts with high
strength and durability.
9. Binder jetting
In this technology, a liquid binding agent is selectively deposited onto a layer of powdered material, which is
then fused together using a heat source. The two most commonly used binder jetting technologies are Metal
Binder Jetting (MBJ) and Sand Binder Jetting (SBJ).
Metal Binder Jetting (MBJ)
MBJ is used to create complex metal parts with high strength and durability.
In MBJ, a liquid binding agent is deposited onto a layer of metal powder, which is then fused together
using a heat source.
10. Sand Binder Jetting (SBJ):
SBJ is used to create sand molds and cores for the casting industry.
In SBJ, a liquid binding agent is deposited onto a layer of sand, which is then fused together using a heat
source.
11. Directed energy deposition
In this technology, a heat source is used to melt and fuse material as it is deposited onto a build platform. The
two most commonly used directed energy deposition technologies are Laser Engineered Net Shaping
(LENS) and Electron Beam Melting (EBM).
Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS)
Laser Engineered Net Shaping uses a high-power laser to melt and fuse powdered material together,
layer by layer, until the final part is created.
Laser Engineered Net Shaping is widely used for creating complex metal parts with high strength and
durability.
12. Electron Beam Melting (EBM)
Electron Beam Melting (EBM) uses a high-energy electron beam to melt and fuse powdered material
together, layer by layer, until the final part is created.
EBM is widely used in the aerospace and medical industries to create complex metal parts with high
strength and durability.
13. Material extrusion
In this technology, a heated nozzle is used to deposit material in a layer-by-layer fashion. The two most
commonly used material extrusion technologies are Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) and Pellet
Extrusion (PEx).
Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM)
Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) is used to create parts from a variety of materials, including plastics,
composites, and even food.
FDM works by extruding melted material through a nozzle, layer by layer, until the final part is created.
14. Pellet Extrusion (PEx)
Pellet Extrusion (PEx) is a 3D printing technique that uses pellets of plastic instead of filament to create
parts by melting them and extruding them through a nozzle layer by layer.
PEx is a suitable manufacturing process for creating parts that require a high level of durability, such as
automotive parts, household appliances, and medical equipment.
15. Vat photo polymerization
In this technology, a liquid resin is selectively cured using a light source. The two most commonly used vat
photo polymerization technologies are Stereo lithography (SLA) and Digital Light Processing (DLP).
Stereo lithography (SLA)
Stereo lithography (SLA) works by using a laser to selectively cure a liquid resin, layer by layer, until the
final part is created.
SLA is widely used for creating parts with high accuracy and fine detail.
16. Digital Light Processing (DLP)
Digital Light Processing (DLP) works by using a projector to selectively cure a liquid resin, layer by layer,
until the final part is created.
DLP is widely used for creating parts with high accuracy and fine detail, as well as for creating large parts
quickly.
17. Advanced Materials for Advanced
Additive Manufacturing
Metal alloys such as titanium alloys, aluminium alloys, and nickel alloys are widely used in
advanced additive manufacturing to produce complex geometries.
Advanced additive manufacturing techniques enable the production of high-temperature
materials such as ceramics, refractory metals, and intermetallic, which have high melting points
and excellent mechanical properties at high temperatures.
Composite materials with improved properties such as strength, stiffness, and toughness can be
produced by combining two or more materials such as polymers, metals, and ceramics.
Biomaterials such as bone scaffolds, dental implants, and tissue engineering
scaffolds can be produced using advanced additive manufacturing techniques,
which have the ability to promote tissue growth and regeneration.
Smart materials that can change their properties in response to external stimuli
such as temperature, light, or pressure can be produced using advanced additive
manufacturing techniques, and have a wide range of applications in fields such as
sensors, actuators, and microelectromechanical systems.
18. Advanced Design Techniques
for Additive Manufacturing
Topology optimization uses algorithms to optimize the shape of a part for a specific set
of performance criteria, helping to minimize weight while maintaining strength and
durability.
Generative design uses algorithms to generate multiple design iterations based on a set
of performance criteria, leading to innovative and complex designs that would be
difficult to achieve with traditional manufacturing methods.
Lattice structures are complex, lightweight geometries that can be created using
additive manufacturing and are ideal for parts that require a high strength-to-weight
ratio.
Multi-material printing allows for the creation of complex parts with different materials
and properties, which is particularly useful for medical and dental applications.
Design for manufacturability is an approach that considers the manufacturing process
during the design phase to ensure that the part can be produced efficiently and
effectively, reducing costs and lead times while improving the quality of the final
product.
19. Design for Additive Manufacturing (DFAM) is a design methodology that considers the unique
capabilities and limitations of additive manufacturing. It provides designers with more design freedom,
material optimization, minimization of support structures, part consolidation, and design validation,
leading to reduced costs, assembly time, and overall weight of the final product.
20. Applications of
Advanced Additive Manufacturing
Aerospace:
3D printing is used to manufacture complex and lightweight
parts for aircraft and spacecraft using advanced materials like
metal alloys and carbon fibre composites.
Additive manufacturing is used to produce parts with unique
shapes, such as fuel nozzles and engine components that
cannot be made using traditional manufacturing methods.
Medical and dental:
3D printing is used to fabricate custom prosthetics, implants, and orthotics for patients, and create
precise and complex structures for dental crowns, bridges, and aligners.
Bio printing is a type of additive manufacturing that uses living cells to create tissues and organs for
transplantation.
21. Automotive:
3D printing is used to create lightweight and complex parts for cars such as engine components
and brake callipers, and produce customized parts and tooling for manufacturing processes.
Metal binder jetting is used to create moulds for casting metal parts.
Consumer products:
Additive manufacturing is used to produce customized jewellery and accessories, create unique
and intricate designs for furniture and home decor, and personalized phone cases and other
accessories.
22. Advantages of
Advanced Additive Manufacturing
Design Flexibility: Advanced additive manufacturing allows for the creation of
highly complex and intricate designs that are not possible with traditional
manufacturing techniques.
Reduced Waste: Advanced additive manufacturing techniques only use the
required amount of material to build a part, resulting in less waste and reduced
costs.
Faster Production: Advanced additive manufacturing techniques can produce
parts faster than traditional manufacturing methods due to no need for tooling.
Improved Part Performance: Advanced additive manufacturing techniques can
create parts with improved performance characteristics, such as greater strength,
lighter weight, and higher precision.
Cost-Effective: Advanced additive manufacturing can be cost-effective, especially
for small production runs, as there is no need for expensive tooling or moulds.
23. Challenges & Limitations
of Advanced Additive
Material Properties: Advanced additive manufacturing faces challenges due to limited
materials range, which are still limited by the manufacturing process, such as particle
size, purity, or melting point.
Part Quality: Advanced additive manufacturing can have potential defects in parts that
affect the overall quality and performance of the final product, such as porosity,
warping, and layer adhesion issues.
Equipment Costs: Advanced additive manufacturing requires specialized and
expensive equipment, which can be a barrier to entry for smaller businesses or start-
ups.
Process Complexity: Advanced additive manufacturing techniques can be complex
and require skilled operators with specialized knowledge and training to operate and
maintain the equipment.
Comparison with Traditional Manufacturing: Advanced additive manufacturing has
advantages over traditional manufacturing methods, but it also has limitations, such as
being less cost-effective for certain applications, especially for high-volume production.
24. Future of
Advanced Additive Manufacturing
Researchers are exploring new materials such as metal alloys, composites, and ceramics
to improve the properties of additive manufacturing parts.
Advancements in technology will increase the speed, efficiency, and accuracy of additive
manufacturing, resulting in faster production times and lower costs.
Improvements in technology and materials will lead to higher quality parts with greater
precision, allowing for more complex and intricate designs.
Additive manufacturing can be combined with traditional manufacturing methods such
as CNC machining and injection moulding to create hybrid processes that are more
efficient and cost-effective.
As technology continues to improve, new applications for additive manufacturing may
emerge, including in fields such as construction, food production, and electronics
manufacturing.
25.
26. Reduced Launch Costs:
AAM can reduce the cost of launching payloads into space by
enabling the production of lightweight and optimized structures.
Space Habitat Construction:
AAM can be used to construct space habitats and infrastructure on the
Moon or Mars, reducing the amount of material that needs to be
transported from Earth.
In-Space Manufacturing:
In-space manufacturing using AAM can reduce the cost and time
required to transport parts from Earth and enable the production of
parts and structures optimized for space conditions.
Space Mining:
AAM can be used to process and refine materials mined from
asteroids or the Moon, reducing the need for transporting materials
from Earth.
Producing biomaterials:
In space has benefits such as studying the effects of microgravity on
biological cells, reducing contamination risk, improving quality,
increasing efficiency, and discovering new biomaterials with unique
properties.
27. Conclusion
Advanced additive manufacturing is changing the landscape of manufacturing and
offers benefits such as increased design flexibility, reduced costs, and improved part
performance.
There are several types of advanced additive manufacturing technologies, each with
its advantages and limitations, and the choice of technology depends on the
specific application requirements.
Advanced materials, such as carbon fibre composites, metal alloys, and ceramics,
play a crucial role in creating high-performance parts with advanced additive
manufacturing techniques.
Design for additive manufacturing (DFAM) is a crucial aspect of leveraging the full
potential of advanced additive manufacturing, enabling improved performance and
reduced weight.
Advanced additive manufacturing has already found applications in various
industries, including aerospace, medical and dental, automotive, and consumer
products.
Challenges and limitations related to material properties, part quality, and
equipment costs need to be overcome.
The future of advanced additive manufacturing is promising, with continued
developments in materials, technology, and applications.