Additive Manufacturing (AM), often referred to as 3D printing, is the process of creating an object by building it one layer at a time. It first begins by reading in data from the computer aided design (CAD) file and then lays down successive layers of liquid, powder, sheet material, etc. in a layer-upon-layer fashion to fabricate a 3D object. These modern techniques are what differentiates additive manufacturing from traditional manufacturing, which often requires machining or other techniques to remove extra material. In fact, there are a variety of Additive Manufacturing processes:
VAT Photopolymerisation: This process begins with a platform being lowered into a liquefied material (can be plastic, polymer, resin, etc). A computer controls a strong UV light which cures the liquefied into a solid material mimicking the shape of the CAD and unused liquid is drained away for later use.
Binder Jetting: Commonly known as 3D printing, this process forces products to take shape while liquid bonding agents are applied alternatively with layers of powdered forms of plastic, ceramic, metal, etc.
Material Jetting: Similar to binder jetting, Material Jetting has liquid material (wax, photopolymers, polymers) dropped onto a work surface where a UV light cures the finished product. A more simpler analogy would be comparing this process to an inkjet printer in your home.
Material Extrusion: This is a branch of 3D printing where material is drawn through a nozzle and deposited onto a build surface layer by layer. The material then passes through this nozzle with constant and uniform pressure, and this process is used for more difficult materials like molten glass, metal, etc. Material extrusion can be imagined as a baker applying frosting on a surface with a frosting gun.
Powder Bed Fusion: This process first applies a thin <0.1mm layer of material into a build platform and uses a laser to fuse the powdered material into place/shape. Subsequently, more thin layers of powder are fused and added to the print surface.
Directed Energy Deposition: DED uses a constant stream of powder powder which is blown by a non-reactive gas into the systems laser where it melts. There is a nozzle arm that deposits this melted material onto a work object where it slowly cools and solidifies.
Additive manufacturing is a transformative manufacturing approach that allows for the production of lighter and stronger parts at a faster rate than before. With additive manufacturing, the possibilities are endless, and we hope to see that in the future these processes become more refined and technical.