What Is Additive Manufacturing and What Are Its Applications?

What Is Additive Manufacturing and What Are Its Applications?

There are many manufacturing processes in the world and many industries which use the same manufacturing processes. However, the one that is widely used is the additive manufacturing technique. Usually, in a normal manufacturing process the end product is produced by chiseling and carving the raw material into the desired product. However, this is not the case with the additive process.

In this manufacturing process, the structure of the products is created by adding layers of material one over the other in a significant way to create the end result. The layers added are minuscule and thin and is added with the help of cartridge filled with the desired material. The cartridge sprays the material slowly one layer over another in a gradual process to create the final result. The entire procedure is guided and handled by CAD software and a computer which acts as a printer to print the product.

Advantages of additive manufacturing

Some of the benefits of using this manufacturing technique are:

One can create products and final results which are complex and those which cannot be created using traditional methods. One can create a huge variety of shapes and figures as they will not be carved out of a single unit but will be produced using gradual layering.
The products which are created are also better in terms of strength and durability as there are no chances of flaws and weak points in the product. Also, the process of additive manufacturing helps in protecting the environment as compared to factory methods.
The additive manufacturing also makes the process of production flexible in terms of resources as one can make changes in the design easily.
The process is also cost and time effective meaning the process gets completed much faster with the help of CAD software. This is the reason why most of the companies are choosing this process over the traditional ones.
Applications of additive manufacturing

Some of the applications where additive manufacturing is used extensively are:

Turbos and turbines: the production of turbines is greatly helped by additive production processes these days. Mostly aerospace industry uses the technique to create lightweight turbos in minimum costing and designing complexity. Also, it helps in reducing the time consumption all the while keeping in mind safety.
Orthopedic implants: there are many kinds of products and implants that are used in the industry of dentistry like crowns, dentures, bridges, etc. All these products are created by the additive manufacturing techniques, these days to reduce the cost and also to reduce the production time keeping in mind the safety and quality standards.
Repair: these days the tool repairing is also done with the help of additive manufacturing, which is also called as metal laser sintering. This makes the downtime less and also help in optimizing the functioning life of the tool.
Jewelry: to create new and more intricate designs of the jewelry additive production processes are used. This way one can achieve the new and unusual kind of designs with complete metal density. This also helps in lessening the production time and cost.



3d Druck Aachen