Metal Additive Manufacturing, or 3D printing, offers the possibility to produce complex parts without the design constraints of traditional manufacturing routes

Metal Additive Manufacturing, also known as metal 3D printing, offers unrivalled design freedom with the ability to manufacture parts from a wide range of materials. This is a prototype of an optimised bracket for an Airbus A380, with conventional bracket behind (Courtesy EADS)

Components that would not have even been possible just a few years ago can now be made to high standards using a wide range of metal powders. No longer solely a prototyping technology, Additive Manufacturing is now being used for the production of series components for the most demanding applications.

Additive Manufacturing, also referred to as 3D Printing, is a technology that produces three-dimensional parts layer by layer from a material, be it polymer or metal based. The method relies on a digital data file being transmitted to a machine that then builds the component.

Browse our guide to metal Additive Manufacturing / metal 3D Printing

The following introduction to metal Additive Manufacturing / metal 3D Printing outlines a number of the key technologies used to process metal parts and provides a look at the current state of the industry.

• What is Additive Manufacturing?
• Metal Additive Manufacturing / 3D Printing processes
• Metal powders – the raw materials
• Secondary finishing processes
• Properties and standards
• Applications for AM technology
• Design advantages of Metal Additive Manufacturing
• Growth areas and market potential
• Summary and outlook
• CASE STUDY: Vacuum calibration sleeve
• CASE STUDY: Hydraulic crossing

This introduction to metal Additive Manufacturing / metal 3d Printing is based on an article written by J F Isaza and C Aumund-Kopp, Fraunhofer IFAM, Germany, and published in Powder Metallurgy Review Vol 3 No 2. Click to download the magazine free of charge. Powder Metallurgy Review is the leading international magazine for the PM industry.