This document discusses design considerations for additive manufacturing (AM) with metals. It outlines that while AM provides design freedom, there are still capabilities and limitations to consider. Key factors for metal AM include minimum feature size due to laser spot diameter, avoiding large overhangs and interior holes that require supports, minimizing supports through feature shape and part orientation, and preventing part distortion from residual stress. The document presents a case study comparing a conventional hydraulic manifold design to designs adapted and purposefully designed for AM, showing increased mass savings as the design leverages more AM capabilities. True design for AM allows for an extremely efficient design that consolidates parts and is self-supporting. Understanding AM characteristics is important for successful design.
FDM Process introduction (A part of Additive Manufacturing Technique OR Commonly Known as 3D Printing). 3D printing is an evolved manufacturing technique; it is comparatively better than conventional substractive manufacturing. There is minimum wastage of material because material is added only at those locations where it is required. To make 3D model you need a 3D printer and feeding material and obviously power source. Any thermoplastic material whose melting temperature lies in the range of 150-240 deg. C can be used in FDM based 3D printing.
Selective Laser Sintering is one of the most used processes of Rapid Prototyping. It is a powder based process where powder of different metals/materials get sintered by LASER.
Product Development & Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM)Katie Marzocchi
Product Development & DfAM in the Dawn of Digital Transformation
Empire Group provides a glimpse into the future of product development and how an understanding of DfAM is critical to the success of PD professionals and manufacturers alike. You’ll learn some of the basic fundamentals of DfAM and see real-world design examples and optimizations from Empire Group’s Design & Engineering team.
Website: www.empiregroupusa.com
Phone: 508-222-3003
email: info@empirepd.com
BAHIR DAR UNIVERSITYBAHIR DAR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (BiT)FACULTY OF MECHANICAL AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING Rapid Prototyping & Reverse Engineering [MEng6123]
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts Preparation for use as a Pattern Often
Guidelines for process selection
Guidelines for process selection Approaches to Selection
Guidelines for process selection Selection Example
Guidelines for process selection - Selection Example
In this example, it is decided to allow customization of certain features.
Only standard 12 mm diameter x 100 mm length bolts will be used for the inner bore, therefore, these dimensions will be constrained.
Customers will be allowed to customize all other features of the caster wheel
within allowable ranges for this model wheel, as displayed in the table below.
Guidelines for process selection - Selection Example
Guidelines for process selection Selection Example
In this example, we examine two weighting scenarios (relative importance ratings).
Scenario 2
All selection attributes were equally weighted.
Guidelines for process selection Selection Example
FDM Process introduction (A part of Additive Manufacturing Technique OR Commonly Known as 3D Printing). 3D printing is an evolved manufacturing technique; it is comparatively better than conventional substractive manufacturing. There is minimum wastage of material because material is added only at those locations where it is required. To make 3D model you need a 3D printer and feeding material and obviously power source. Any thermoplastic material whose melting temperature lies in the range of 150-240 deg. C can be used in FDM based 3D printing.
Selective Laser Sintering is one of the most used processes of Rapid Prototyping. It is a powder based process where powder of different metals/materials get sintered by LASER.
Product Development & Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM)Katie Marzocchi
Product Development & DfAM in the Dawn of Digital Transformation
Empire Group provides a glimpse into the future of product development and how an understanding of DfAM is critical to the success of PD professionals and manufacturers alike. You’ll learn some of the basic fundamentals of DfAM and see real-world design examples and optimizations from Empire Group’s Design & Engineering team.
Website: www.empiregroupusa.com
Phone: 508-222-3003
email: info@empirepd.com
BAHIR DAR UNIVERSITYBAHIR DAR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (BiT)FACULTY OF MECHANICAL AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING Rapid Prototyping & Reverse Engineering [MEng6123]
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts
Post processing of AM parts Preparation for use as a Pattern Often
Guidelines for process selection
Guidelines for process selection Approaches to Selection
Guidelines for process selection Selection Example
Guidelines for process selection - Selection Example
In this example, it is decided to allow customization of certain features.
Only standard 12 mm diameter x 100 mm length bolts will be used for the inner bore, therefore, these dimensions will be constrained.
Customers will be allowed to customize all other features of the caster wheel
within allowable ranges for this model wheel, as displayed in the table below.
Guidelines for process selection - Selection Example
Guidelines for process selection Selection Example
In this example, we examine two weighting scenarios (relative importance ratings).
Scenario 2
All selection attributes were equally weighted.
Guidelines for process selection Selection Example
this short ppt gives you a rough idea about the additive manufacturing process of stereolithography. This process is apart of 3d printing technologies around us. Also included is link to a video that will help you further.
Lecture # 03 Design for Additive ManufacturingSolomon Tekeste
Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM)
DfAM - A generic term used to describe rules and parameters for a part design to be produced with an AM process
DfAM - is the practice of designing products to reduce or minimize manufacturing and assembly difficulties and costs,
DfAM aims
To take advantages of the unique AM technologies capabilities to design and optimize a product/component,
To utilize the characteristics of AM methods to improve the product/component functions according to the capability of the selected AM process.
In doing so, the designers should tailor their designs to maximize the advantages of AM methods, such as complex geometries and lightweight
Design Aspect and Design Consideration in AM
Design aspect
Any particular feature which can be quantified at the design phase.
Includes;
Geometric features of the part’s shape (overhangs, bores, channels, etc.)
Part’s programming parameters (layer thickness, orientation, etc.).
Design consideration
The result on the manufactured part
Specific properties of the process and quantified with certain key performance indicators.
These includes; surface roughness, accuracy, build time, etc.
Design Aspect and Design Consideration in AM
With conventional manufacturing processes, these aspects are mostly a concern for the production engineer rather than for the designer;
But, the significance of these aspects is high for the outcome in AM technologies.
This presentation deals with the rapid prototyping fundamentals, rapid tooling vs conventional tooling and types of RP such as stereolithography,fused deposition modelling , laminated object manufacturing , 3d printing and selective laser sintering.
this short ppt gives you a rough idea about the additive manufacturing process of stereolithography. This process is apart of 3d printing technologies around us. Also included is link to a video that will help you further.
Lecture # 03 Design for Additive ManufacturingSolomon Tekeste
Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM)
DfAM - A generic term used to describe rules and parameters for a part design to be produced with an AM process
DfAM - is the practice of designing products to reduce or minimize manufacturing and assembly difficulties and costs,
DfAM aims
To take advantages of the unique AM technologies capabilities to design and optimize a product/component,
To utilize the characteristics of AM methods to improve the product/component functions according to the capability of the selected AM process.
In doing so, the designers should tailor their designs to maximize the advantages of AM methods, such as complex geometries and lightweight
Design Aspect and Design Consideration in AM
Design aspect
Any particular feature which can be quantified at the design phase.
Includes;
Geometric features of the part’s shape (overhangs, bores, channels, etc.)
Part’s programming parameters (layer thickness, orientation, etc.).
Design consideration
The result on the manufactured part
Specific properties of the process and quantified with certain key performance indicators.
These includes; surface roughness, accuracy, build time, etc.
Design Aspect and Design Consideration in AM
With conventional manufacturing processes, these aspects are mostly a concern for the production engineer rather than for the designer;
But, the significance of these aspects is high for the outcome in AM technologies.
This presentation deals with the rapid prototyping fundamentals, rapid tooling vs conventional tooling and types of RP such as stereolithography,fused deposition modelling , laminated object manufacturing , 3d printing and selective laser sintering.
Leveraging Geometric Shape Complexity, in Optimal Design for Additive Manufac...Altair
Additive manufacturing (AM) technology enables the possibility of realizing highly efficient, optimized structural components with configurations not achievable using conventional manufacturing methods. The Altair and Solid Thinking toolsets provide advanced capabilities to design structural topologies to minimize weight and maximize other performance criteria. However, conventional manufacturing processes require application of design constraints, such as directional access for machining, in the optimization that limit the structural efficiency of the resulting design. AM can remove many of these constraints to allow for more efficient configurations under the applied loading conditions. Case studies show the potential to reduce weight up to 30% for components with applied bending and torsional loads by allowing increased complexity configurations that could only be manufactured additively.
3D Printing Market ( A comprehensive study on Material ( MEtal, PLastics, Cer...BIS Research Inc.
The report has covered more than 50 players involved in the 3D printing and Additive Manufacturing technology.
The report presents a detailed market analysis of 3D printing and Additive Manufacturing by incorporating complete pricing and cost analysis of components & products, product benchmarking, Porter’s analysis and PEST (Political, Economic, Social & Technological factor) analysis of the market. Market Classification encompasses segmentation & sub-segmentation of the market by Technology, Materials, Application industry and Geography.
The report deals with all the driving factors, restraints, and opportunities with respect to the 3D printing and Additive Manufacturing market, which are helpful in identifying trends and key success factors for the industry. Lastly, the current market landscape is covered with detailed competitive landscape and company profiles of all key players across the ecosystem. The report also formulates the entire value chain of the market, along with industry trends of 3D printing application industries and materials used with emphasis on market timelines & technology roadmaps, and market & product life cycle analysis.
Lastly, the 3D printing and Additive Manufacturing market is segmented by geography across North America, South & Central America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and ROW (Rest of the World) and further sub-segmented by countries. Country specific market is estimated and the growth opportunities are identified.
More companies are exploring industrial applications for additive manufacturing, driven by the design freedom and potential product performance gains that it provides. Renishaw's AM Solutions Centres overcome barriers to AM deployment by providing facilities, equipment and engineering support for manufacturers who want to learn about AM and build a investment case.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) is undergoing a revolution as it moves from the model and tooling shop and onto the factory floor. A growing range of firms are deploying AM to create innovative new products that deliver increased performance in use and which could not be produced conventionally. Here we explore the drivers behind this transition and the increased demands that series production places on AM to deliver predictable, consistent parts. We look at the chains of linked processes and tools that are needed to create an integrated manufacturing process with AM at its heart, and the controls that must be employed to make AM a mainstream manufacturing process.
Car makers have to reduce consumption of vehicles and so, are continually looking for solutions to lighten components. For powertrain, components generally mean screwed assembly, contact and fitting interfaces, with different kind of loading to take into account (static and dynamic). Hence, we decided to apply with Altair assistance, a process of topology optimization on an assembly of gearbox housing in order to check its feasibility and efficiency. Several steps had to be solved from exhaustive identification of all mechanical constraints to execution of large models with Optistruct. By the end, the process has been defined and implemented on an existing gearbox and will be soon apply on the next one to design.
Speakers
Philippe Dausse, Modelization Specialist, PSA Peugeot Citroen Automobiles
Design Methodologies for ALM and Lattice partsAltair
Design for additively made parts has become a very hot topic. Many engineers see the potential for topology optimization when designing ALM parts, but once they start the workflow, they tend to get bogged down in how to complete the process.
Airbus - Topology Optimization Methods for Optimal Aircraft ComponentsAltair ProductDesign
Application of Topology, Sizing and Shape Optimization Methods to Optimal Design of Aircraft Components - a Technical Engineering & Analysis Paper from Altair ProductDesign
Design for Manufacturability power point presentation,
This PPT improve the study of design for manufacturability.
DFM is utilized in many industries ranging from industrial products, microelectronics, scientific instruments, and the aerospace industry
To design a product that can be easily, efficiently, and cost effectively be manufactured
To reduce overall cost of a product – warranty, engineering changes, factory floor space, unnecessary parts, and service
Using modules simplifies the manufacturing process
Allows for the use of standard components
Allows for tests to be conducted prior to the product being assembled
Using parts for the same or different operations multiple times in a product
Reduces the number of parts that need to be developed
Less machines - Less usage of factory floor space
Optimal assembly of a product occurs in one direction
Preferred direction is from above using gravity to assist in the manufacturing process
Errors in insertion due to positioning and dimensional variability cause damage to parts and to machinery
Use tapers, chamfers and moderate radii to ease insertion
Example – utilization of a rigid base and tactile and visual sensors in assembly
Positioning, orienting, and fixing a part are time consuming and costly
Use external guiding features to orient the part
Ideally the part should be placed one time
The process of designing the product and the manufacturing process simultaneously to increase the efficiency and reduce the time to launch a product
An engineered composite with the durability of an
injection molded part and the appearance of cast
aluminum. Address broad applications requiring high stiffness and heat resistance. For aerodynamic wind-tunnel models, household appliances, consumer products, automotive manifolds, ducts, electrical clips, cases, etc.
Design for Manufacturability Guidelines Every Designer should FollowDFMPro
Learn some important design for manufacturing guidelines for designing sheet metal parts and see how you can easily automate and configure the DFM review process in your organization so that you don’t a miss a single design guideline while designing your product. To know more visit http://dfmpro.geometricglobal.com/
Increasing the Strength and Reliability of Press FitsDesign World
Retaining compounds increase the strength and reliability of traditional press and shrink fits. Retaining compounds improve the distribution of stress, which increases maximum load transmission and performance. They create a physical barrier that eliminates fretting, oxidation and galvanic corrosion, which increase service life.
Recent chemical advances in retaining address assembly process variables including gaps, surface finish and cleanliness ensuring consistent performance. Application equipment provides repeatable precision dispensing.
• Recent innovations in retaining: tolerance, higher temperature resistance, primerless formulas
• New data on retaining advancements: test results on strength, oil and chemical tolerance
• How to use retaining compounds to augment a press fit for increased reliability
• Application case histories for retaining including cost and performance
PCB manufacture is a progressive process adding value at each step. At the end of the line the maximum value has been assembled leaving only the depaneling or singulation process to take place. This mechanical separation is often under estimated and dealt with in the simplest possible manner giving inadequate attention to stress. Often this results in damage to PCBs and a significant loss of value. This Presentation outlines the basics on how to best protect the investment in the assembled PCBs by using the right level of cutting and handling technology.
Securing your Kubernetes cluster_ a step-by-step guide to success !KatiaHIMEUR1
Today, after several years of existence, an extremely active community and an ultra-dynamic ecosystem, Kubernetes has established itself as the de facto standard in container orchestration. Thanks to a wide range of managed services, it has never been so easy to set up a ready-to-use Kubernetes cluster.
However, this ease of use means that the subject of security in Kubernetes is often left for later, or even neglected. This exposes companies to significant risks.
In this talk, I'll show you step-by-step how to secure your Kubernetes cluster for greater peace of mind and reliability.
Neuro-symbolic is not enough, we need neuro-*semantic*Frank van Harmelen
Neuro-symbolic (NeSy) AI is on the rise. However, simply machine learning on just any symbolic structure is not sufficient to really harvest the gains of NeSy. These will only be gained when the symbolic structures have an actual semantics. I give an operational definition of semantics as “predictable inference”.
All of this illustrated with link prediction over knowledge graphs, but the argument is general.
Builder.ai Founder Sachin Dev Duggal's Strategic Approach to Create an Innova...Ramesh Iyer
In today's fast-changing business world, Companies that adapt and embrace new ideas often need help to keep up with the competition. However, fostering a culture of innovation takes much work. It takes vision, leadership and willingness to take risks in the right proportion. Sachin Dev Duggal, co-founder of Builder.ai, has perfected the art of this balance, creating a company culture where creativity and growth are nurtured at each stage.
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey 2024 by 91mobiles.pdf91mobiles
91mobiles recently conducted a Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey in which we asked over 3,000 respondents about the TV they own, aspects they look at on a new TV, and their TV buying preferences.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
Encryption in Microsoft 365 - ExpertsLive Netherlands 2024Albert Hoitingh
In this session I delve into the encryption technology used in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Purview. Including the concepts of Customer Key and Double Key Encryption.
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
Slack (or Teams) Automation for Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Soluti...Jeffrey Haguewood
Sidekick Solutions uses Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions Apricot) and automation solutions to integrate data for business workflows.
We believe integration and automation are essential to user experience and the promise of efficient work through technology. Automation is the critical ingredient to realizing that full vision. We develop integration products and services for Bonterra Case Management software to support the deployment of automations for a variety of use cases.
This video focuses on the notifications, alerts, and approval requests using Slack for Bonterra Impact Management. The solutions covered in this webinar can also be deployed for Microsoft Teams.
Interested in deploying notification automations for Bonterra Impact Management? Contact us at sales@sidekicksolutionsllc.com to discuss next steps.
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
2. So I’ve got complete design freedom, right ?
Not quite!
Like any manufacturing process, AM technologies
have their capabilities and their limitations
Design for AM (DfAM) considerations for laser melted
metal parts include:
• feature size
• surface finish
• overhanging features
• minimizing supports
• avoiding component distortion
3. Feature Size
In machining, minimum feature size is governed
by cutting tool size
In AM, the minimum size of solid feature is
limited by the laser spot diameter:
• Spot heats powder and creates a weld pool
• Molten metal cools to form a dense solid
• Spot size and laser power determines
minimum feature size
4. Minimum Producible Feature Size
Sintering of neighboring powder means
minimum feature size is larger than laser spot
size, dependent on:
• Thermal conductivity of powder
• Energy imparted
With a 70 µm spot:
• Lattice struts down to 140 µm
• Wall thicknesses down to 150 – 200 µm
5. Overhangs
Avoid large overhangs
• Green builds OK
• Yellow poor surface finish
• Red distorts
Avoid overhang angles greater than 45
degrees to vertical Shallow
overhangs may
deform or have
poor surface
finish
Vertical
edges are OK
< 45° > 45°
6. Lateral Holes
• Holes in the side of parts create overhangs
• Small holes (< 10 mm) do not distort
• Large holes will need supports, or to be modified to reduce overhangs
7. Minimizing Supports – Feature Shape
Overhangs can be built using supports
Supports have to be removed after the build is complete
Changing the shape of lateral holes can remove the need for supports
Interior
supports
needed for
large bore
Teardrop and
diamond
holes do not
need supports
8. Minimizing Supports – Re-orientation
Re-orientation can be used to minimize
supports
• May require addition layers and build time
Interior
supports
needed for
horizontal bore
Minimal
supports &
wasted
material
Re-orientate
9. Residual Stress
AM is a welding process, although spot size is small and energy density is high
• Stress can build up in thick cross-sections, or where cross sections vary in
thickness
10. Part Distortion
Stress (particularly thick sections) • Avoid thick part sections
• Thin and consistent sections are best
• Use thicker build plates where stress
is likely to be high
Standard
and thick
build plates
11. • Adaptation for AM (AfAM):
– The redevelopment or modification of existing product designs to better suit the
design constraints imposed by additive manufacture; leveraging AM specific
benefits
– Existing product design specification (PDS) and system-level design reduce
available ‘design space’
• Design for AM (DfAM):
– The wholesale ‘blank sheet’ design and development of a new product; fully
exploiting the opportunities the technology provides
– Considerably more open design space and ability to influence system-level design
decisions
Slide 114/12/2016
13. • Hydraulic manifold for a circuit operating at pressures in the order of 200-500bar
• Weight limited application
• Simple circuit consisting of two check valves, a solenoid valve and their associated outlet
ports (male insert type)
Hydraulic Manifold Case Study
Slide 134/12/2016
14. Conventional Solution: Block Manifold
Slide 144/12/2016
Benefits
• A simple solution to the problem
• Easy to design
• Fast to manufacture
Limitations
• Sub-optimal performance due to cross-drillings
• Massively inefficient use of material
• 8 additional components in the form of pressure plugs
Mass: 4.6kg (10lbs)
16. Adapted for AM
Slide 164/12/2016
Benefits
• A significant reduction in mass
• Improved hydraulic performance
• ‘Drop-in’ replacement for conventional part
• Pressure plugs no longer needed
Limitations
• Horizontal passageways need support and machining
allowances can’t be too aggressive
• Removal of material reduces rigidity and complicates
machining
Mass: 1kg (2.2lbs)
17. • True DfAM products are always clean sheet designs
• Customer has a specific product application in mind
• Adherence to a product development methodology as per any other
conventional design process
• Engineering due diligence: cost/benefit, concept evaluation, design
optimisation, compromises for manufacture etc.
DfAM Checklist
Slide 174/12/2016
18. Designed for AM
Slide 184/12/2016
Benefits
• Extremely efficient use of material
• Alignment of valves allows for entirely self-supporting part
• Consolidation of outlet ports into design
Limitations
• High degree of CAD complexity/difficulty
• System-level engineering and design must be flexible in
order to react to and incorporate the potential advantages
of DfAM
MASS: 0.4kg (0.89lbs)
20. Minimizing Supports – Case Study
AM beer bottle opener
• Original sleek design (left)
• First optimisation to reduce
weight (right) resulted in
several overhangs (orange
circles), needing supports
(grey)
21. Minimizing Supports – Case Study
AM beer bottle opener
• Second iteration (left)
included modifications to the
shape to minimise support
• Third iteration (right) involved
a re-orientation, leaving only
self-supporting overhangs
(grey circles), needing just
one tiny support to connect
the bottle opener to the build
plate
22.
23. Summary
• Awareness of AM
characteristics & limitations is
critical to success
• DfAM rules encourage reduction
in part weight, build time and
cost
• Modern build preparation
software simplifies and speeds
up the DfAM process
Good afternoon. Thank you for being here with us today.
Introduction – My name is Robert Chiari, Regional Sales Manager with Renishaw, Inc. Primary focus and responsibility with our metals AM technologies.
Additive manufacturing (AM) gives us tremendous freedom to create components with free-form and intricate features, designs which would be impractical - if not impossible - to produce conventionally
Like any manufacturing process, the various AM technologies have their capabilities and their limitations.
In this presentation, we'll take a look at some of the key Design for AM (DfAM) considerations for laser melted metal parts.
We will consider feature size, surface finish, overhanging features, minimizing supports, and avoiding component distortion.
In machining processes, the size of detail feature that you can produce is limited by your choice of cutting tool.
The cutting tool size determines the minimum size of holes and slots in the part.
In AM, a similar rule applies, with the tool size being the spot size of the laser.
The size of the spot, along with laser power and modulation, controls the size of the weld pool and hence the size of the structure that is built.
The minimum producible feature size is generally somewhat larger than the spot size due to thermal conductivity.
Detailed structures such as lattices, where strut dimensions down to 140 microns can be built using a 70 µm laser spot.
Wall thicknesses as low as 150 – 200 µm can also be achieved.
The rule of thumb is that overhang angles greater than 45 degrees to the vertical should be avoided, with 30 degrees being preferred. Overhang angles greater than this will require supports.
As a general guide rule, circles or holes with a diameter less than 10 mm can be self-supported without causing distortion.
Review all three images – small hole, larger hole, teardrop
One answer to the problem of overhangs is to support the overhanging feature.
However, supports are effectively waste and have to be removed after the build is complete: they enable the AM process to succeed, but add complexity and cost further down the process line.
So a key part of the DfAM process is to assess how to build the part with the minimum of supports.
This means eliminating overhangs by angling the part, and by modifying the design of overhanging features such as holes, slots and channels.
We are programmed to design round holes because that is what we can most easily produce subtractively.
In cases where roundness is critical, then it is best to orientate a hole so that its axis is vertical with no overhangs.
If the hole must be in the side of the part, then consider whether it needs to be round or if it can be modified to make it more buildable - into a 'teardrop' or diamond shape, for instance.
In the example on this slide, the round lateral hole requires internal supports - the teardrop and diamond holes require none – they are self-supporting.
Orientation is another way to avoid supports, although this can come at the expense of additional layers and build time.
In the image on this slide, employing the 45 degree rule, we have tilted the component so that none of the interior of the cylindrical hole requires supports.
AM is essentially a high precision micro welding process.
This can lead to stress in large cross sections or in parts with varying cross sections.
That stress tries to break through the edge of the part, as shown in the image.
This stress can cause warping, and in extreme cases, can cause the part to pull away from its supports, or even to crack.
Where thick sections have to be built, it is wise to select a thicker build plate to resist these bending forces.
Where blocks of material are essential, consider filling them with lattice to reduce stress, weight, material cost and build time.
AfAM (interim) – relies on a pre-existing component that was designed to be manufactured with a conventional process, and needs to be modified for AM.
DfAM – is a new component, specifically planned to be produced with the AM process, this is where optimal design can be achieved.
Power curve of efficiency in product design
Let’s dive into an example of the design of a hydraulic manifold
Simple, easy, fast to manufacture – or is it?
Limited component performance
Inefficient use of raw materials – means a lot of waste
Secondary components, processes and assembly are required
Emphasis on functionality – improved flow performance
Scaffold integrates handles and creates free-standing component
Following 45º rule diamond shape eliminates need for internal supports
Secondary machining is still required for some internal channels
Listed are the nominal benefits when Adapted for AM
…and some of the limitations based on the constraints of modifying a design that was originally for a conventional process.
So we will move on from Adaptation for AM to Design for AM.
DfAM breaks away completely from design constraints of conventional manufacturing processes
Application, function and AM all play equally in the design considerations
The same hydraulic manifold when designed for AM
Though it requires expert level CAD abilities, the gains far out weigh the limitations
Results!
Conventional – blocky, cumbersome, inefficient flow, and use of materials
AfAM – gains limited by pre-existing design
DfAM – optimal design and functional performance, and over 90% savings in raw material
Let's look at one more example of dealing with overhangs.
Renishaw's AM beer bottle opener was originally conceived as the sleek design shown left.
Our first attempt to optimize this part for AM involved eliminating weight by creating a more intricate structure shown right. Highlight teardrop design.
This resulted in several overhangs (circled in orange), necessitating additional support material (grey).
So we tried again, this time with some additional structures to minimize the supports needed (left).
By inverting the part (right), we were able to design a build with self-supporting overhangs (circled in grey).
Only a tiny support to connect the bottle opener to the build plate was needed. Facilitating removal from the build substrate by hand.
And here they as built are on the build plate. Cheers!
AM gives us huge freedom to design parts differently, but we do need to be aware of some of the characteristics and limitations of the process, so that we create parts that can be built successfully.
The DfAM rules described above are not too onerous in practice, and actually encourage us to consider ways to make parts that are lighter, faster to build, and more cost-effective.
One final note: Modern design and build preparation software helps enormously to find an optimum design, orientation and support strategy so that we can produce consistent parts economically.