Additive Manufacturing/3DPrinting - Process Fundamentals by Thermal Modeling

Additive manufacturing is a rapidly growing array of shapemaking technologies that construct parts by selectively adding material, layer by layer, into a 3-dimensional shape defined by a CAD solid model.  These processes are capable of producing shapes that are impossible to form via conventional machining, casting, or forming processes.  As such, the processes are particularly attractive for producing tailored, one-of-a-kind parts.  This presentation will describe the basic processes of additive manufacturing and their use in a wide variety of industrial and medical applications.  Descriptions will be presented for direct deposition and powder bed processes, binder deposition processes, and hybrid processes, with emphasis laser and electron beam energy sources.  Product characteristics, including distortion, residual stress and delamination will be discussed.  Illustrations are given of the application of thermal modelling to deeper understanding and control of the various processes.