Irresistible
rise ofAM
Additive Manufacturing (AM) seems to recognise no bounds – something that is a cause for
celebration and suspicion in what can often seem equal measure. Brian Wall reports
Everyone engaged in engineering
design seeks to get as close
to perfection as possible. It’s
what helps to drive engineering
designers onward in seeking to make a
difference. Many tools and techniques
have emerged to aid that quest – not
least computer-aided design (CAD) – and
now additive manufacturing (AM) has won
many converts to its cause. In reality,
AM certainly has its many plus points,
but there are minuses, too – which really
doesn’t make it that much different from
other technologies. Ultimately, it’s all
about what you are trying to achieve with
a product/concept and the design and
manufacturing process that needs to lie
behind that.
Arjun N, the Founder & CEO of
SolutionBuggy, a dedicated online
platform for the manufacturing sector,
points to the wealth of AM success
already enjoyed by the automotive, health
and aerospace industries, while big
brand names such as Nike launched its
rst athletic shoe to include 3D-printed
components. Fashion designers, artists
and food technicians are also taking up
the cause. “The technology’s potential
seems boundless,” he states. However,
he also recognises that AM cannot be
all things, to all people, and points out
where it is likely to bring real bene ts
and where it is likely to fall short.
ADVANTAGES
Variety is free – changing a part is
simple and can be made easily in the
original CAD le
Complexity is free – printing of a
complex part costs less than simple
cubes of the same size. The less solid or
more complex the object, the faster and
more and cheaply it can be made through
additive manufacturing
No need for assembly – hinges and
bicycle chains are some of the moving
parts that can be printed in metal directly
into the product, reducing part numbers
Minimal skill manufacturing is
involved – professionals take care of
the complicated parts with speci c
parameters and high-tech applications.
Children in the elementary school have
created their own gures by use of 3D
printing processes
Little lead time – after completing
the part’s stereolithography (STL) le,
engineers can immediately create a
prototype with a 3D printer. Once the part
has been printed, engineers may begin
to test its properties, instead of waiting
weeks or months for a prototype or part
to come in
16 www.ied.org.uk
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