Additive Manufacturing Nick Kreuter

Background Additive Manufacturing, aka 3D printing began development in the 1980’s by pioneer Chuck Hull of 3D Systems Corporation. First called Rapid Prototyping (RP) for its fast and more cost effective methods, the name was changed in 1983 to 3D Printing with Hull’s invention of the SLA machine. In the early 2000’s the recognized name 3D printing became known as Additive Manufacturing, and has continued to grow greatly over the last decade. Ranging from $5000 to over a $1,000,000, 3D Printers are used for both small simplistic applications like building a wrench or a 3D scale model, to building very complex jet engine parts. 3D Printing is the new era of casting and metal working processes

Applications Product development Data visualization Rapid prototyping Specialized manufacturing

Processes Selective Laser Melting (SLM): Uses a high powered laser beam to fuse together mine metallic powders. Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS): Uses a laser that aims at specific point in space to sinter the metallic powder following a 3D CAD model. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS): Similar process to the DMLS but instead of sintering the material if fully melts the material allowing for different properties, crystal structure and porosity to form. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM): Closest associated idea with AM, commonly used for prototyping, it lays down materials in a stereolithographic way rather than sintering or melting the material together. Stereolithography is one process that allows for FDM to be able to produce products and it works by adding layers to a of a photopolymer and curing these layers with a UV laser. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcj5xhTux9M

Industry Used in many industries, Additive Manufacturing is helping Industrial growth by making manufactured parts easier and faster to produce and help businesses show realistic models.

AM in Industry General Electrics Aviation department is now using AM to make their fuel nozzles for their new air planes. Doing it this way will heavily cut back on their labor, production costs and made the parts lighter yielding less fuel consumption. They are also looking into wider ranges of metal alloys including titanium, aluminum and nickel-chromium alloys to allow for more applications across their entire company.

Cool Facts The next BIG thing… 3D Printing makes it to NASA space station!! The company Made In Space, designed the first 3D Printer with capabilities to be able to print in zero gravity circumstances. With this printer in space engineers can email 3D CAD files to the space station where the astronauts can print things like tools for the applications they are working on, instead of having to wait for the next support mission. The future of Medicine 3D printing is in developmental stages for creating body replacement parts for hips, knees and other artificial replacements. Cornell University used silicone as a material and was able to print a realistic ear. Current ongoing research is looking to the future capabilities for when your sick and need medicine, all it will take is a simple click of a print button and the medicine you need will be printed right at your home. The next BIG thing… 3D Printed clothes and cars

Exponential Growth “According to futurists, additive manufacturing will make the life we know today barley recognizable in 50 – 70 years.” “We’re already printing skin, kidneys, and replicas of a beating human heart. If a person loses a limb, we’ll be able to print, layer by layer, a replacement. Its theoretically possible.” (Jack Uldrich) While the US is working on making a 3D printed car China has already printed a house, and Holland has printed the first cheeseburger. 3D printing is continuously growing and is the future of our consumer lifestyles.

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