Sub Module -1: Introduction to production techniques for additive manufacturing, particularly decisive in the case of three-dimensional components
Duration: 2 Hrs
Recipients: users with the need to know and deepen the use of additive manufacturing (AM), to apply it to the development and testing of new components by replacing traditional mechanical processing technologies.
Objectives: the module aims to introduce the user to specific AM technologies with particular attention to techniques that use metal powders (Metal Additive Manufacturing). For each technique, the operating principle, the process parameters that influence the final product, the benefits they entail and the possible applications will be analyzed.
Contents:
- Introduction to the module
- Phases of the AM process, from design to finishing
- Processes and materials
- Advantages and disadvantages
- Final thoughts
- Examples of AM applications
- Key points of this module
Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a transformative approach to industrial production that enables the creation of lighter, stronger parts and systems.
It is yet, another technological advancement made possible by the transition from analog to digital processes. In recent decades, communications, imaging, architecture and engineering have all undergone their own digital revolutions. Now, AM can bring digital flexibility and efficiency to manufacturing operations.
AM uses data computer-aided-design (CAD) software or 3D object scanners to direct hardware to deposit material, layer upon layer, in precise geometric shapes. As its name implies, additive manufacturing adds material to create an object. By contrast, when you create an object by traditional means, it is often necessary to remove material through milling, machining, carving, shaping or other means.
Although the terms “3D printing” and “rapid prototyping” are casually used to discuss additive manufacturing, each process is actually a subset of additive manufacturing.
While AM seems new to many, it has actually been around for several decades. In the right applications, AM delivers a perfect trifecta of improved performance, complex geometries and simplified fabrication. As a result, opportunities abound for those who actively embrace additive manufacturing.