The document discusses additive manufacturing (AM) and its current state and future potential. It describes AM applications in medical, aerospace and motorsport fields. The state of the art includes materials like titanium and stainless steel that can be used in AM, as well as machines with build volumes up to 400x400x400mm and lasers up to 3kW. The future is promising, with new opportunities in lightweight optimized parts, and AM components already being used in aerospace and medical applications. Continued development of new materials and larger machines will allow more complex parts to be produced.

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State of the Art and Future of Additive
Manufacturing

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Contents
• Additive Manufacturing (AM)
• Its Applications
• Thinking AM
• State of the art
• What does the future hold?

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AM and its Applications

4. What is AM?
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5. 3D Printing or Additive Manufacturing
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3D Printing
• Rapid Prototyping
• Machines less than £5K
Additive Manufacturing
• Production components
• Machines more than £500K

6. Applications
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Medical
Aerospace
Motorsport

7. The Hype
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Thinking AM

9. AM – the Key Points
• Design: completely different thought process
• Need to design for AM
• Focus on critical features: pathways/channels
• Reduced weight, scrap and cost
• Combine components
• Mounting holes and brackets built into the part.
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10. AM – the Key Points
• Process:
• Not self supporting – may require supports
• Attached to platform and removed post-build
• May require post-processing to achieve finish
required
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11. Additive vs. subtractive example
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http://www.manufacturingthefuture.co.uk/design-guidelines/
PDF version also available – Please contact me

12. Final Part
• Mass reduced to <30% of original
• Smooth flowing pathways
• Higher performance
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• Manufacture lead
time halved.

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State of the Art

14. Materials
• Titanium: Ti6Al4V, TiCP
• Nickel: Inconel 718, Inconel 625
• Maraging steel: 1.2709/M300
• Stainless steel: 15-5PH & 316L
• Cobalt Chrome: UNS R31538
• Aluminium: AlSi10Mg & Aerospace Grade Alloys
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15. Machines – EOS M280
• Key characteristics:
• Build volume 250 x 250 x 300mm
• 400W Yb fibre laser
• Spot size 100µm
• Layer thickness 20-80µm
• Wall thickness: 0.1mm
• Accuracy: ± 0.2mm or better
• Surface finish: As built 4-10µm  Post finishing 0.04-0.5µm
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16. Machines – Renishaw AM250
• Key characteristics:
• Build volume: 250 x 250 x 300mm
• 400W Yb fibre laser
• Spot size 70µm
• Layer thickness 20-100µm
• Wall thickness: 0.1mm
• Accuracy: ± 0.2mm or better
• Surface finish: As built 7-15µm  Post finishing 0.04-0.5µm
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The Future

18. The Future - Markets
• Aerospace:
• GE’s New Leap Engine will have 9 AM parts
• Over 1,000 individual components
• Parts already flying in US military aircraft and
in orbit in satellites
• Other components are in test for future missions
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19. The Future - Markets
• F1: safety critical components already racing
• Further components and materials being tested
• Medical: optimised surface structures under
approval by FDA
• Outer surface of acetabular cups
• Selective areas of hips and shoulder implants
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20. The Future - Materials
• New material suppliers coming on line
• New materials can be sourced in weeks
• 3T building in pure copper
• In talks with CERN
• Potential materials:
• Tungsten, Niobium, Molybdenum, Copper alloys
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21. • Key characteristics:
• Build volume 400 x 400 x 400mm
• 1kW Yb fibre laser
• Spot size 90µm
• Layer thickness 20-100µm
• Wall thickness: 0.04mm
• Accuracy: ± 0.1mm or better
• Surface finish: As built 2-8µm  Post finishing 0.04-0.5µm
• All in one system  Production
Machines – EOS M400
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22. • Key characteristics:
• Build volume 350Ø x 400mm
• 3kW laser
• Spot size 180µm
• Layer thickness 20-100µm
• Wall thickness: 0.1mm
• Accuracy: ± 0.1mm
• Surface finish: As built 20-30µm  Post finishing 0.04-0.5µm
• All in one system  Production
Machines – Arcam Q20
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23. AM and FCC
• RF components
• Complex novel WG
• Multiple WG’s combined
• Tuners / Couplers / Antenna
• Spacers
• Oxygen free materials
• Mixed materials
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24. Summary
• New opportunities:
• Holes & channels, lightweight optimised structures,
multiple parts built as one.
• Parts already in use for real application:
• Safety, flight & mission critical
• Materials being developed and supply improved
• New machines allow for more materials
• Machines no longer a limitation
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Confidence in the technology is
growing fast – With this we will see
the development of new materials
and machines

26. Daniel France
R&D Project Manager
+44 (0)7917524544
Daniel.France@3trpd.co.uk
Questions

27. Daniel France
R&D Project Manager
+44 (0)7917524544
Daniel.France@3trpd.co.uk
Questions