Design for Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM), also called 3D printing, enables the manufacture of nearly any geometry without the constraints imposed by traditional manufacturing techniques. As this technology advances and the costs of 3D printed parts continue to fall, AM will become a more prevalent and viable engineering and business solution. In order to take full advantage of this technology, new approaches to design need to be implemented in order to facilitate innovative and cost-effective solutions. The following describes some of the factors that need to be taken into consideration when designing metal parts to be created by the selective laser melting (SLM) method. Redesigns performed for two real industrial cases are included to demonstrate one approach to design, as well as some of the benefits gained.