additive manufacturing is one of the major advancements of industry 4.0 it is comprised of several different processes using a variety of materials to create applications with new production possibilities and solutions emerging as we speak each process follows three primary steps design slice and print a design can be created from an original concept utilizing computer-aided design software or cad by selecting an existing design through libraries or by scanning an existing part with 3d scanning each of these methods will then take the 3d model and create an stl file the stl file is then transferred to slicing software which preps the model for the final printing stage the model is sliced into layers and a path will be generated that the printer can understand a variety of parameters can be adjusted during this stage manufacturing begins through one of the 3d printing processes in each process material is added layer by layer in additive manufacturing you're only using the materials that are needed compared to some traditional manufacturing methods where the material is removed and scrapped the materials utilized in additive manufacturing are vast from metals to sand and concrete to human tissue let's take a look at each process and which materials each supports binder jetting printing process works by applying a liquid bonding agent to a powdered material first powdered material either plastic metal glass sand or ceramic is rolled out in a thin layer the printhead then applies the binder to the areas of the powdered material that will become the final part the build platform is lowered and the entire surface is re-coated with fresh powder this process is repeated again and again to build up parts layer by layer after the printing process is complete the loose powder is removed and the 3d printed part is extracted directed energy deposition also known as ded is essentially a form of buildup welding the material either in powder or wire form is melted by an energy source while it's being deposited the process repeats with each layer adhering to the underlying layer the energy source can be generated from a laser electron beam electron arc or plasma directed energy deposition can make new parts add features or repair existing parts material extrusion works similar to a hot glue gun where glue is heated and squeezed out as a liquid for material extrusion a filament or pellet material is heated and extruded through a nozzle and deposited onto a build platform layer by layer in more sophisticated systems additional extruders can apply different materials within the same build with one material acting as a support structure the capabilities of material extrusion are diverse ranging from consumer plastics to aerospace titanium material jetting uses a process and equipment similar to ink jet printing but instead of dropping ink the printhead selectively deposits droplets of material onto the platform an energy source such as a uv light is then used to cure the layer before dispensing the next layer this process excels at producing parts and assemblies with excellent detail and a relatively smooth surface finish parts can be full color or have multiple types of material recent improvements in materials have led to its adoption for indirect and direct production of functional components powder bed fusion is a process where powder material is spread and a thermal energy source such as a laser or electron beam selectively fuses regions of the build area the build box is lowered and the powder is re-coated continuing the process layer by layer for polymer material the powder surrounding the part acts as a support enabling the production of complex shapes and fine details sheet lamination just like its name indicates is a process where sheets of material are stacked the boundary of the layer is cut and bonded together to form an object the sheet lamination process has many forms and can utilize a wide variety of materials such as paper polymers and metals along with numerous methods of bonding the layers of material these bonding methods include adhesives chemical heat and solid state welding processes such as ultrasonic consolidation that photopolymerization gets its name from its original form of using a large vat of liquid photopolymer resin or liquid plastic which solidifies when exposed to a strong light source the light source selectively cures a layer of the liquid material and the platform and part moves together to let uncured material coat the next level that polymerization is typically regarded to be the highest resolution am process and is capable of producing parts with extraordinarily fine details these advanced manufacturing techniques are just scratching the surface of what's possible additive manufacturing is used to create prototypes and models it's used in tooling for repairs and in the creation of end usable parts just 30 plus years young additive manufacturing is still in the early stages of development in industry 4.0 what is is constantly changing and evolving so what's to come is beyond our imaginations or is it additive manufacturing has recalibrated what's possible in the minds of those who embrace it we encourage you to explore projects here at america makes maybe you'll be the next to create what will be thank you for visiting the nation's leading institute for the advancement of additive manufacturing