What Is Additive Manufacturing Process Chain

Common to am technologies is the use of a computer 3d modeling software computer aided design or cad machine equipment and layering material.

What is additive manufacturing process chain. As part of the revolution in digital manufacturing am can radically simplify the production of complex parts while simultaneously improving functional performance reducing part weight and. These steps called the process chain are the same regardless of which machine is used for additive manufacturing. Leaner manufacturing process traditional multi part components can be manufactured as a single part thus decreasing assembly costs and refining the supply chain. Additive manufacturing also known as 3d printing is a process used to create a physical or 3d object by layering materials one by one based on a digital model.

Enhancing the additive manufacturing process chain the design freedom provided by additive manufacturing am or 3d printing technology is an important enabler in cutting edge product innovation. The 3d printing process is only one step of the additive manufacturing process chain. Additive manufacturing thus enables the creation of 3d objects. As a manufacturer of end products or a contributing supply chain partner it is imperative to understand the opportunities and challenges additive manufacturing will present for you.

The aerospace industry is a pioneering sector for additive manufacturing and is paving the way to serial production. Additive manufacturing am is an appropriate name to describe the technologies that build 3d objects by adding layer upon layer of material whether the material is plastic metal concrete or one day human tissue. Additive manufacturing technologies offer businesses better value and a competitive advantage in several ways including. In the past years the focus of many additive manufacturing users shifted to the pre and post processes of additive manufacturing after the first step of the ideal am design.

Additive manufacturing technologies have been changing approaches to design for years. Additive manufacturing thus enables the creation of 3d objects. We have seen substantial growth in uk supply chain industries especially in areas such as composite materials low carbon technologies digital process engineering additive manufacturing and robotics and autonomous systems all of which offer high growth opportunities. Unlike subtractive manufacturing that creates its final product by cutting away from a block of material additive manufacture adds parts to form its final product.

The only difference is the way the individual layers are created. These steps called the process chain are the same regardless of which machine is used for additive manufacturing.