ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

UNIT I

INTRODUCTION

Syllabus: Overview – History - Need-Classification -Additive Manufacturing Technology in

product development-Materials for Additive Manufacturing Technology – Tooling -
Applications
OVERVIEW
Additive manufacturing is said to be the next Industrial Revolution. Before 3D printing
came to life, the subtractive manufacturing was mainly the way to cut simple designs, then
combining multiple of those components by welding or brazing them together into a single
complex unit.
Designers had to have in mind the limitations of all manufacturing techniques involved
on the product, from the first phases (by casting, stamping,...) to the end up details (by milling,
drilling, Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining centres or any surface finishing
technique). As design tools improved over the years, especially when talking about Computer-
Aided Design (CAD) tools, the limitations of the 20th century manufacturing methods were
exposed. Computers allow us to design highly complex parts and components limited only by
our imagination, but they cannot be easily produced with the traditional scheme.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) allows parts, once thought impossible, to be produced.
By constructing objects layer by layer, we have the opportunity of designing and building things
in a completely new way, which is a benefit that really should be used to attempt to get the full
potential offered by this manufacturing technology. The additive method allows to produce
complex parts with unique geometries that would be difficult or even impossible to create using
traditional machining methods. Paired with CAD software, this technique affords the creation
of new types of object with unique material properties. Furthermore, it creates them leaving
behind little waste, compared with traditional methods like machining and welding.
Therefore AM could be in the near future the main procedure to undertake many product
enhancements in parts or designs that have been unchanged for years. In many cases it has been
known for a long time how to modify those products to become better in aspect, efficiency or
safety, but it was not done because it was either not profitable due to manufacturing costs or it
was impossible to fabricate or mass-produce with such difficult modifications. With AM all
these products may have a second look and a completely new approach.

Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Additive manufactured components also allow engineers to reduce part count, as it is a

great way to replace complex assemblies with single parts that are lighter than previous designs,
saving weight and increasing efficiency

Additive Manufacturing

The basic principle of Additive Manufacturing technology is that a CAD generated

3D model is used directly to fabricate a three-dimensional object by adding layer-upon-layer of
material and fuse them together.

NEED FOR AM
 Wide availability of CAD/CAM software.
 Improved automation and component technologies.
 A growing library of ‘printable’ materials.
 Major industry and government investment.
 Freedom to operate enabled by patent expirations.
 Momentum, confidence, and creative vision.

Advantages and disadvantages of additive manufacturing

Advantages of additive manufacturing

 Complex 3D geometries with internal features can be printed without any

tooling
 Reduced waste compared to machining
 Part can be printed directly from the 3D model without the need for a drawing
 Prototypes can be made quicker allowing designers to check different
iterations resulting in quicker design cycle phase
 Less tooling for smaller batches compared to traditional machining
 Production tooling can be printed
 Different materials can be mixed during the printing process to create a unique
alloy
 Different sections of the part can be different variant of the same alloy
Disadvantages of additive manufacturing

 Because the technology still in its infancy the build process is slow and costly
 High production costs because of the equipment cost
 Various post-processing required depending on the type of additive
manufacturing used
Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

 Small build volume compared to other manufacturing part size such as sand
casting
 Poor mechanical properties hence need post-processing
 Poor surface finish and texture

HISTORY
•In the 60s Herbert Voelcker had thoughts of the possibilities of using computer aided machine
control to run machines that build parts from CAD geometry.

•In the 70s he developed the mathematics to describe 3D aspects that resulted in the first
algorithms for solid modeling

•in the 80s Carl Deckard came up with the idea of layer based manufacturing

•And while there are several people that have pioneered the Rapid Prototyping technology, the
industry generally gives credit to Charles Hull . The term "stereolithography" was coined by
Charles W. Hull, in his US Patent 4,575,330, entitled "Apparatus for Production of Three-
Dimensional Objects by Stereolithography" issued in 1986.

Additive manufacturing first emerged in 1986 with stereolithography (SL) from

3D Systems, a process that solidifies thin layers of ultraviolet (UV) light‐sensitive liquid
polymer using a laser. The SLA‐1, the first commercially available AM system in the world,
was the precursor of the once popular SLA 250 machine. (SLA stands for StereoLithography
Apparatus.) The Viper SLA product from 3D Systems replaced the SLA 250 many years ago.

In 1988, 3D Systems and Ciba‐Geigy partnered in SL materials development and

commercialized the first‐generation acrylate resins.

After 3D Systems commercialized SL in the U.S., Japan’s NTT Data CMET and
Sony/D‐MEC commercialized versions of stereolithography in 1988 and 1989, respectively.
NTT Data CMET (now a part of Teijin Seiki, a subsidiary of Nabtesco) called its system Solid
Object Ultraviolet Plotter (SOUP), while Sony/D‐MEC (now D‐MEC) called its product Solid
Creation System (SCS).

Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

In 1990, Electro Optical Systems (EOS) of Germany sold its first Stereos
stereolithography system. The same year, Quadrax introduced the Mark 1000 SL system, which
used visible light resin.

In 1991, three AM technologies were commercialized, including fused deposition

modeling (FDM) from Stratasys, solid ground curing (SGC) from Cubital, and laminated
object manufacturing (LOM) from Helisys. FDM extrudes thermoplastic materials in
filament form to produce parts layer by layer. SGC used a UV‐sensitive liquid polymer,
solidifying full layers in one pass by flooding UV light through masks created with electrostatic
toner on a glass plate. LOM bonded and cut sheet material using a digitally guided lase.

Selective laser sintering (SLS) from DTM (now a part of 3D Systems) and the Soliform
stereolithography system from Teijin Seiki became availablein 1992. Using heat from a laser,
SLS fuses powder materials.

In 1993, Soligen commercialized direct shell production casting (DSPC). Using an

inkjet mechanism, DSPC deposited liquid binder onto ceramic powder to form shells for use in
the investment‐casting process. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) invented and
patented the process that Soligen used.

1994 was a year of many new additive‐manufacturing system introductions.

ModelMaker from Solidscape (then called Sanders Prototype) became available, as did new
systems from Japanese and European companies. ModelMaker deposits wax materials using
an inkjet print head. One of the new Japanese systems was a small stereolithography machine
from Meiko targeted mainly at the makers of jewelry. (Meiko ended its SL business in 2006.)
Meanwhile, Kira Corp. commercialized Japan’s first non‐stereolithography system

Also in 1994, Fockele & Schwarze (F&S) of Germany introduced a stereolithography

machine, but on a limited basis. The German company EOS commercialized a machine called
EOSINT based on laser‐sintering technology the same year.

In 1996, Stratasys introduced the Genisys machine, which used an extrusion process
similar to FDM but based on technology developed at IBM’s Watson Research Center. Using
a technology that deposits wax material layer by layer using an inkjet printing mechanism.

AeroMet was founded in 1997 as a subsidiary of MTS Systems Corp. The company
developed a process called laser additive manufacturing (LAM) that used a high‐power laser
and powdered titanium alloys.
Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

In 1998, Optomec commercialized its laser‐engineered net shaping (LENS) metal

powder system based on technology developed at Sandia National Labs.

In March 1999, 3D Systems introduced a faster and less expensive version of Actua
2100 called ThermoJet.

In January 2000, Helisys announced that Toyoda Machine Works of Japan would
manufacture and sell LOM systems in Japan.German company Buss Modeling Technology
(BMT), announced that it would manufacture and sell a color 3D printer based on powder and
binder technology developed by Aad van der Geest of the Netherlands.

In February 2001, 3D Systems acquired OptoForm, a French company that developed

a stereolithography method of using non‐liquid photocurable materials. The OptoForm
technology is capable of using ceramics, metals, and various composite materials in the
form of pastes.

In early 2002, Stratasys introduced its Dimension product at a price of $29,900. The
Dimension machine, which deposits ABS plastic, is based on the former Prodigy product. The
same year, Concept Laser GmbH began to sell its M3 Linear machine. Also in 2002,
Envisiontec GmbH began to sell its Perfactory and Bioplotter machines. The Bioplotter
produces scaffold structures from various biomaterials for tissue engineering. Wuhan Binhu
Mechanical & Electrical Co., Ltd. of China began to sell lamination, laser sintering,
stereolithography, and plastic extrusion (similar to FDM) systems in 2002. The same year,
Solidscape introduced its T66 product, a lower‐priced version of its drop‐on‐demand inkjet‐
based machine. Phenix Systems of France sold its first Phenix 900 system in 2002. The machine
uses solid‐phase sintering to produce ceramic and metal parts.

In late 2003, 3D Systems began to sell and ship its InVision 3D printer, a machine that jets and
hardens photopolymer, similar to Objet’s machines. 3D Systems priced the machine at $39,900.

At EuroMold 2003, EOS introduced its EOSINT M 270 direct metal laser‐ sintering
machine. The system uses a fiber laser rather than a CO2 laser, which is used in the EOSINT
M 250 Xtended machine. Another German company, Trumpf, introduced its TrumaForm LF
and TrumaForm DMD 505 machines at EuroMold. The LF machine uses a 250‐watt laser and
fiber optic cable to direct light onto a bed of pure powder metal. Trumpf partnered with POM
to produce the DMD 505 machine. The 505 includes a 5‐axis motion system.

Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

At EuroMold 2004, Concept Laser of Germany introduced the M1 cusing laser‐melting

machine. The machine can process all of the metals of the M3 Linear but it does not support
laser erosion or laser marking.

In March 2005, Z Corp. released its latest color 3D‐printing system, the Spectrum Z510.
It offers a larger build volume, produces better quality parts than the Z406, and is less expensive
at $49,900. The same month, Stratasys dropped the price of the Dimension SST from $34,900
to $29,900. The machine offers a soluble support removal system that automates the process.

In January 2006, Stratasys signed an agreement with Arcam to be the exclusive distributor in
North America for electron beam melting (EBM) systems.

In February 2006, 3D Systems announced its InVision DP (dental professional)

system that includes an InVision 3D printer and 3D scanner for the dental market.
Stratasys added the Vantage X systems starting at $99,000 and reduced the price of its Vantage
i machine to $85,000.

At EuroMold 2007 in December, Envisiontec introduced the PerfactoryXede, a machine that is

dramatically larger than its previous Perfactory systems

At the October TCT 2008 event in Coventry, England, MTT released a larger selective laser‐
melting machine, the SLM 250‐300. The machine offers a 250 x 250 x 300 mm (9.8 x 9.8 x
11.8 inch) build volume with automated powder handling and recycling.

In January 2009, 70 individuals from around the world met at the ASTM International
headquarters near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to establish ASTM Committee F42 on
Additive Manufacturing Technologies. The committee was created to produce standards on
testing, processes, materials, design (including file formats), and terminology.

In February 2010, 3D Systems acquired Moeller Design (Seattle, Washington) to expand

3Dproparts. Optomec was awarded a Navy contract to continue developing the LENS process
for aircraft engine repair. Materialise released its Magics Metal SG support generation software
for metal additive manufacturing.

By 2011, several industries were adopting AM as their main method of manufacture.

Manufacturers of in‐the‐ear hearing aids were first to adopt AM technology industry wide for
the production of custom‐fit shells. The direct metals processing technologies garnered

Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

significant interest and growth. Biomedical and aerospace applications have led the way in this
area.

The ASTM International Committee F42 on Additive Manufacturing Technologies

progressed impressively. The terminology standard was the first to be completed, in 2009. The
F42 main ballot titled Specification for Data Exchange Format for Additive
Manufacturing standard was balloted and approved in May 2011 as the first non‐
terminology standard. In July 2010, the ASTM F42 design subcommittee released its survey
on AM design rules. This work is seen as critical to continued adoption of AM for end‐use
production parts.

EasyClad (France) introduced the MAGIC LF600 large‐frame AM machine in February

2012. With a large build volume and up to two independent 5‐ axis controlled deposition heads,
the machine can be used for tooling, repair, and functionally gradient material deposition. 3D
Systems announced Print3D, a plug‐in for CAD programs such as Solidworks and
Pro/Engineer. It gives dynamic part costing for parts and assemblies through 3D Systems.

Arcam (Sweden) released its Arcam Q10 machine, which specifically targets the
medical implant market, in March 2013.

/Source: http://www.wohlersassociates.com/

AM CLASSIFICATION
Major AM processes based on Hopkinson and Dickens’ classification

LIQUID BASED SYSTEM

• Stereolithography
• Jetting Systems
• Direct Light Processing
POWDER BASED SYSTEM
• Selective Laser Sintering
• Three-Dimensional Printing
• Fused Metal Deposite Systems
• Electron Beam Melting
• Selective Laser Melting

Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

• Selective Masking Sintering

• Selective Inhibition Sintering
• Electro photographic Layered Manufacturing
• High Speed Sintering
SOLID BASED SYSTEM
• Fused Deposition Modelling
• Sheet Stacking Technologies
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
The generic process involved in Additive manufacturing from starting from creation of
CAD model to the Product development is shown in figure in 8 stages.

The Eight stages in Additive Manufacturing are

1. Conceptualization and CAD

2. Conversion to STL
3. Transfer and manipulation of STL file on AM machine

Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

4. Machine setup
5. Build
6. Part removal and clean-up
7. Post-processing of part
8. Application

STEP 1: CONCEPTUALIZATION AND CAD

• The generic AM process start with 3D CAD information.
• There may be a many of ways as to how the 3D source data can be created.
• The model description could be generated by a computer.
• Most 3D CAD systems are solid modeling systems with some surface modeling
components.

STEP 2: CONVERSION TO STL

• The term STL was derived from Stereolithograhy.
• STL is a simple way of describing a CAD model in terms of its geometry alone.
• It works by removing any construction data, modeling history, etc., and
approximating the surfaces of the model with a series of triangular facets.
• The minimum size of these triangles can be set within most CAD software and
the objective is to ensure the models created do not show any obvious triangles
on the surface.
 The process of converting to STL is automatic within most CAD systems.
• STL file repair software is used when there are problems with the file generated by
the CAD system that may prevent the part from being built correctly.
• With complex geometries, it may be difficult to detect such problems while
inspecting the CAD or the subsequently generated STL data.
• If the errors are small then they may even go unnoticed until after the part has
been built.
STL is essentially a surface description, the corresponding triangles in the files
must be pointing in the correct direction; (in other words, the surface normal vector
associated with the triangle must indicate which side of the triangle is outside vs.
inside the part).
• While most errors can be detected and rectified automatically, there may also be a
requirement for manual intervention.

Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Step 3: Transfer to AM Machine and STL File Manipulation

• Once the STL file has been created, it can be sent directly to the target AM machine.
• Ideally, it should be possible to press a “print” button and the machine should build
the part straight away.
• However there may be a number of actions required prior to building the part.
• The first task would be to verify that the part is correct.
• AM system software normally has a visualization tool that allows the user to view
and manipulate the part.

 The user may wish to reposition the part or even change the orientation to allow it
to be built at a specific location within the machine.
• It is quite common to build more than one part in an AM machine at a time.
• This may be multiples of the same part (thus requiring a copy function) or
completely different STL files.
Step 4: Machine Setup
• All AM machines will have at least some setup parameters that are specific to
that machine or process.
• Some machines are only designed to run perhaps one or two different
materials and with no variation in layer thickness or other build parameters.
• In the more complex cases to have default settings or save files from
previously defined setups to help speed up the machine setup process and to
prevent mistakes.
• Normally, an incorrect setup procedure will still result in a part being built.
Step 5: Build Setup
• The first few stages of the AM process are semi-automated tasks that may
require considerable manual control, interaction, and decision making.
• Once these steps are completed, the process switches to the computercontrolled
building phase.
• All AM machines will have a similar sequence of layer control, using a height
adjustable platform, material deposition, and layer cross-section formation.
• All machines will repeat the process until either the build is complete or there is
no source material remaining.
Step 6: Removal and Cleanup
• The output from the AM machine should be ready for use.
• More often the parts still require a significant amount of manual finishing before
Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

they are ready for use.

• The part must be either separated from a build platform on which the part was
produced or removed from excess build material surrounding the part.
• Some AM processes use additional material other than that used to make the
part itself (secondary support materials).
Step 7: Post Process
• Post-processing refers to the (usually manual) stages of finishing the parts for
application purposes.
• This may involve abrasive finishing, like polishing and sandpapering, or
application of coatings.

Step 8: Application
• Following post-processing, parts are ready for use.
• Although parts may be made from similar materials to those available from other
manufacturing processes (like molding and casting), parts may not behave
according to standard material specifications.
• Some AM processes create parts with small voids or bubbles trapped inside
them, which could be the source for part failure under mechanical stress.
• Some processes may cause the material to degrade during build or for materials
not to bond, link, or crystallize in an optimum way.

AM Materials
• Nylon, or Polyamide, is commonly used in powder form with the sintering process or
in filament form with the FDM process. It is a strong, flexible and durable plastic
material that has proved reliable for 3D printing. It is naturally white in colour but it
can be coloured — pre- or post printing. This material can also be combined (in
powder format) with powdered aluminium to produce another common 3D printing
material for sintering Alumide.
• ABS is another common plastic used for 3D printing, and is widely used on the entry-
level FDM 3D printers in filament form. It is a particularly strong plastic and comes in
a wide range of colours.
• ABS can be bought in filament form from a number of non- propreitary sources, which
is another reason why it is so popular.
• PLA is a bio-degradable plastic material that has gained traction with 3D printing for
this very reason. It can be utilized in resin format for DLP/SL processes as well as in
filament form for the FDM process. It is offered in a variety of colours, including

Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

transparent, which has proven to be a useful option for some applications of 3D

printing. However it is not as durable or as flexible as ABS.
• comes in filament form and is a wood/polymer composite (also referred to as WPC).
• A growing number of metals and metal composites are used for industrial grade 3D
printing. Two of the most common are aluminium and cobalt derivatives.
• One of the strongest and therefore most commonly used metals for 3D printing is
Stainless Steel in powder form for the sintering/ melting/EBM processes. It is
naturally silver, but can be plated with other materials to give a gold or bronze effect.
• In the last couple of years Gold and Silver have been added to the range of metal
materials that can be 3D printed directly, with obvious applications across the
jewellery sector. These are both very strong materials and are processed in powder
form.
• Titanium is one of the strongest possible metal materials and has been used for 3D
printing industrial applications for some time.
• Supplied in powder form, it can be used for the sintering/melting/ EBM processes.
• Ceramics
Ceramics are a relatively new group of materials that can be used for 3D printing with
various levels of success. The particular thing to note with these materials is that, post
printing, the ceramic parts need to undergo the same processes as any ceramic part
made using traditional methods of production - namely firing and glazing.
• Paper
Standard A4 copier paper is a 3D printing material employed by the proprietary SDL
process supplied by Mcor Technologies. The company operates a notably different
business model to other 3D printing vendors, whereby the capital outlay for the
machine is in the mid-range, but the emphasis is very much on an easily obtainable,
cost-effective material supply, that can be bought locally. 3D printed models made
with paper are safe, environmentally friendly, easily recyclable and require no post-
processing.
• Bio Materials
There is a huge amount of research being conducted into the potential of 3D printing
bio materials for a host of medical (and other) applications. Living tissue is being
investigated at a number of leading institutions with a view to developing applications
that include printing human organs for transplant, as well as external tissues for
replacement body parts. Other research in this area is focused on developing food
stuffs - meat being the prime example.

Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

AM APPLICATION

AM finds its application as listed below

• Functional models
• Pattern for investment and vacuum casting
• Medical models
• Art models
• Engineering analysis models
• Rapid tooling
• New materials development
• Bi-metallic parts
• Re-manufacturing.
• Application examples for Aerospace, defence, automobile, Bio-medical and
general engineering industries
Medical Application
• Surgical and diagnostic aids: Human models
• Prosthetics development
• Manufacturing of medically related products: hearing aids
• Tissue Engineering - The ultimate in fabrication of medical implants would be the
direct fabrication of replacement body parts

3DP used to make a skull with A bone tumour Objet Connex process showing
vascular tracks in a darker colour highlighted using ABS vascularity inside a human organ

Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

3D printing with ultra-clear materials can be used to make highly accurate

medical models that show detailed bone structures.
Source: Objet

EOS/Arcam/Within; orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00377

Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Hearing Aids using 3DP Titanium interbody spinal fusion cage fabricated

using SLM

SAMPLE FABRICATED PARTS

Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli
 ME6018 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Dr.S.Supriya
Govt. College of Engineering, Tirunelveli