Some companies approach Additive Manufacturing as a drop-in replacement for conventional manufacturing technologies. This approach, however, does not take into account the unique possibilities that additive processes offer and can result in parts that are not commercially viable due to cost. By designing parts specifically for AM, companies can reduce costs and improve efficiency while taking advantage of the possibilities offered by the technology. In this report, Olaf Diegel and Terry Wohlers look at the impact of good AM part design on machine operating costs [First published in Metal AM Vol. 4 No. 1, Spring 2018]
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Additive Manufacturing continues to gain a reputation as a key technology that will have a major impact on all aspects of mechanical engineering. Under the guidance of Major Ryan O’Hara, the United States Air Force’s (USAF) Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), based in Dayton, Ohio, has expanded its AM-focused education and R&D capabilities with the purchase of a Laser Powder Bed Fusion system from Germany’s Concept Laser. In the following article, AFIT’s Benjamin Doane and colleagues highlight work done at the institute to develop AM test bed components to support a high temperature testing programme [First published in Metal AM Vol. 4 No. 1, Spring 2018]
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Making the investment in a metal Additive Manufacturing machine is, for many, the first step on a journey to truly understanding how the technology can transform a business. There are, however, many considerations when planning such an investment; from essential ancillary equipment and devices, such as sieving stations, to facility changes, software and support. In this exclusive report, Terry Wohlers and Olaf Diegel highlight some of the commonly overlooked costs and considerations when making the move to establish an in-house AM capability [First published in Metal AM Vol. 3 No. 4, Winter 2017]
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Over the past decade Honeywell has been a leader in accelerating the adoption of metal Additive Manufacturing in the aerospace industry. With dedicated facilities in five countries, the company is at the forefront of the development of new commercial aerospace applications and the supply chain needed to implement series production. Dr Dhruv Bhate, Associate Professor in the Polytechnic School at Arizona State University, visited Honeywell’s Phoenix facility on behalf of Metal AM magazine and met with Donald Godfrey, an Engineering Fellow at Honeywell and the person most credited with initiating and directing the company’s progress in the field of metal AM [First published in Metal AM Vol. 3 No. 3, Autumn 2017]
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Paying the right amount of attention to Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) can make the difference between economic success and failure. When considering Additive Manufacturing for production applications, it is important to consider designing, or redesigning, parts that would otherwise be produced using conventional manufacturing. In this case study, Terry Wohlers and Professor Olaf Diegel, both of Wohlers Associates, reveal how industrial mining machine manufacturer Atlas Copco has used DfAM to increase the value of a hydraulic manifold [First published in Metal AM Vol. 3 No. 3, Autumn 2017]
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Additive Manufacturing presents the opportunity to completely rethink a product’s design, transforming its functionality and reducing manufacturing complexity. With the right application and the right approach, the results really can live up to industry buzzwords such as ‘disruptive’ and ‘transformational’. In the following article, Optisys LLC reveals how, through intelligent design optimisation, the company has used Additive Manufacturing to develop the next generation of RF antenna systems for aerospace and defence [First published in Metal AM Vol. 3 No. 3, Autumn 2017]
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The global tyre industry and its supply chain met in Hannover, Germany, from February 14-16 for the Tire Technology Expo 2017. This exhibition and accompanying technical conference was held at the Hannover Messe for the second time and attracted 280 exhibitors and close to 5000 international visitors. Dr Georg Schlieper visited the exhibition on behalf of Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine and reports on the growing use of Additive Manufacturing in the tyre industry [First published in Metal AM Vol. 3 No. 2, Summer 2017]
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There is a growing recognition that software can play a vital role in determining the success or failure of Additive Manufacturing within an organisation. As Autodesk’s Michael Gouge and Pan Michaleris explain, metal AM is about far more than having the right machine or specifying the right material. Dedicated AM software can today quickly and accurately simulate distortion in metal AM processes, significantly reducing build failure rates, minimising the associated economic impact and contributing to the enhancement of the technology’s reputation amongst end-users [First published in Metal AM Vol. 3 No. 1, Spring 2017]
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Bottle openers manufactured by metal Additive Manufacturing have become a popular promotional gift, with a variety of designs produced by AM technology suppliers. In the first of a new series of design oriented articles for Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine, Olaf Diegel and Terry Wohlers reveal how these products effectively demonstrate several key concepts that designers need to understand in the development of parts for production by metal AM [First published in Metal AM Vol. 3 No. 1, Spring 2017]
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Additive Manufacturing promises huge benefits for industry, but exploiting these in practice can prove difficult. For example, although truss-like component forms will often be found to be much more structurally efficient than traditional forms, identifying these has thus far been laborious and time-consuming. However, a new optimisation approach means that engineers can now directly identify optimised truss forms for AM components, saving time and effort. Prof. Matthew Gilbert of LimitState and the Advanced Additive Manufacturing (AdAM) Centre at the University of Sheffield outlines the technology and its application [First published in Metal AM Vol. 3 No. 1, Spring 2017]
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One of the most promising aspects of Additive Manufacturing is the design freedom it enables. One manifestation of this design freedom lies in our ability to manufacture cellular structures such as lattices and honeycombs. Implementing cellular structures with AM, however, poses a range of design and manufacturing challenges. In this article Dr Dhruv Bhate, from Phoenix Analysis & Design Technologies, Inc. (PADT), focuses on a key area connecting design and manufacturing to final part implementation – the mechanical behaviour of these structures and the challenges and approaches to developing a reliable way to predict it [First published in Metal AM Vol. 2 No. 4, Winter 2016]
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There is no doubt that the Additive Manufacturing of series components is quickly becoming a reality. From high-profile applications in the aerospace industry to performance components for the automotive sector, there are now numerous examples of the successful implementation of metal AM. However, the route that a company chooses in order to adopt AM technology could have a significant impact on a component’s development time and cost. As Nick Williams reports, Germany’s FIT AG sees opportunities in leveraging its expertise to supporting companies with the outsourcing of component development and production. To achieve this, the company has created a model AM factory that it plans to replicate worldwide [First published in Metal AM Vol. 2 No. 3, Autumn 2016]
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