ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Making the quantum

leap to mainstream.
With all the buzz surrounding 3D, or additive
manufacturing, youd think it was created
yesterday. The truth is, 3D printing has been
around for quite a whilesince the early 80s.1
What makes this technology so exciting right now
is its affordability. With prices as low as $500,
just about anyone can buy a 3D printer today
bringing this futuristic technology to mainstream
manufacturing.
3D printing is changing the way we manufacture.
Additive manufacturing can trim weeks, if not
months off design, prototyping and manufacturing
time. It can also help companies avoid costly errors
and enhance product quality.

Companies are using additive

processes for:
Shorter lead times

On-demand production

Mass customization

Reduced material waste

Reduced parts count

Lower lifecycle energy use

More complex shapes

Whats next for additive

manufacturing?

Additive technology is a game-changer for

many manufacturers. Its giving them new
ways to become more competitive on a global
scale. In fact, additive manufacturing sales are
expected to more than quadruple in the next
10 years, as the associated costs continue to
fall. By 2017, the global market for additive
manufacturing is predicted to be worth $3.5
billion.2 One thing is for sure: there is a lot to
be excited about.

1 The first working 3D printer was created in 1984 by Chuck Hull of 3D Systems Corp., 3D Printing:
What You Need to Know, PCMag.com.
2 Global Additive Manufacturing Market worth $3.5 Billion in 2017, Markets and Markets, 2013.

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING 101:

What is it and how does it work?

vs.

Different additive processes

fulfill different needs.

Additive vs. Subtractive

manufacturing.
The term additive manufacturing comes from its
process: building an object by adding successive layers
of material. Its also referred to as 3D printing, direct
digital manufacturing, rapid prototyping or on-demand,
personalized and customized manufacturing. Traditional
manufacturing has since become defined as subtractive,
referring to processes such as cuing, grinding and drilling
in which objects are shaped by subtracting material.
While these processes appear to directly oppose
each other, they are actually complementary, allowing
manufacturers to use both to their greatest advantage.

Industries
using additive
manufacturing:

Defense
Aerospace
Automotive
Medical
Architecture
Fashion

Jewelry
Home
furnishings
Metals
manufacturing
Art

The additive process can

be used anywhere in the
manufacturing cycle:
Pre-production (rapid prototyping)
Full-scale production (rapid manufacturing)
Tooling applications
Post-production customization

There are many kinds of additive processes for various

applications. Here are a few:
Plastics:
Fused deposition modeling
(FDM)Thermoplastic
materials are injected
through nozzles onto a
platform,
to build layers

Metals:
Laser-engineered net
shapingMetal powder is
injected into a molten pool

StereolithographyAn
ultraviolet laser builds layers
with an ultraviolet-curable
polymer resin

Electron beam melting

Creates layers using an
electron beam

3D printingA powder is
mixed with a binder to
build the layers

Laser sinteringFuses
powder-based materials into
layers with a laser beam

Organics:
Chocolate, sugar, meat
Human tissue and body parts

The 1-2-3 of
3D printing:
1. Designs are created in CAD (ComputerAided Design) 3D modeling soware
2. The additive equipment (i.e., 3D printer)
reads the data from the resulting CAD file
3. It lays down successive layers of liquid,
powder, sheet metal or other material to
fabricate the item

Additive manufacturing
in action:
Rocket engine parts

Prosthetics

Fuel injector assemblies

Surgical instruments

Soles for football shoes and

track spikes

Contemporary art

Nylon frames for eyeglasses

Dental copings (metal
structure for dental crowns
and bridges
Acetabular (hip) cups

On-site house component

construction
Functional human tissues
Online portal designs,
from bracelets to chairs