September 3, 2019 Author: IntelliMaker Source: Additive Manufacturing
For current technology, the primary method of additive manufacturing is 3D printing technology.
Note: It is the primary method
Additive Manufacturing ≠ 3D Printing
Popular Science: Is There a Difference Between Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing?
Additive manufacturing is a process where a 3D model, created through design or scanning, is sliced into countless cross-sections along a certain coordinate axis. These layers are then printed one by one and stacked together in their original positions, forming a solid, physical model.
Additive manufacturing can:
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Create complex objects (free from the limitations of traditional processing).
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Enable product diversification without increasing costs (one printer, no need to modify molds).
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Offer short production cycles.
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Be space-efficient and portable for manufacturing.
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Allow zero-skill manufacturing.
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Save materials (no waste material, recyclables, etc.).
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Achieve precise physical replication (e.g., 3D photo studios).
Popular Science: Is There a Difference Between Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing?
Additive manufacturing integrates computer-aided design, material processing, and forming technologies. It is based on digital model files, using software and numerical control systems to solidify special materials layer by layer, creating physical products. It is precisely due to these technical characteristics that additive manufacturing has garnered global attention and has the potential to bring a series of profound changes to traditional manufacturing. Currently, there are six main additive manufacturing technologies:
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VAT Photopolymerization additive manufacturing
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Technologies based on sintering and melting (Powder Bed Fusion)
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Technologies based on powder-binder (Binder Jetting)
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FDM: Fused Deposition Modeling
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Aerosol printing technology
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3D bioprinting of cells
Related article: A New Direction for Manufacturing: Additive Manufacturing
Popular Science: Is There a Difference Between Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing?
So, do you understand additive manufacturing now? Still confused about the relationship between additive manufacturing and 3D printing? Let's see what the experts say:
Standards organization ASTM International equates the two terms in its definition: "Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, uses computer-aided design to build objects layer by layer."
Wikipedia states, "Today, the precision, repeatability, and material range have increased to the point that 3D printing is considered an industrial production technology, under the name of additive manufacturing."
Author Dave Turbide simply puts it: Additive manufacturing is "the industrial version of 3D printing."
Putting these and other definitions together, we can begin to see the differences that exist between 3D printing and additive manufacturing.
In the narrowest sense, the two terms refer to the same thing: directly adding parts from CAD. They are synonyms, coexisting in a domain that is both useful and largely overlapping.
Currently, "3D printing" is the term used in shops and factories.
Today, our concept of "3D printing" is much broader, but the term is often associated with filament-based plastic printers, the pride and joy of many hobbyists and self-described makers. But beyond that, there are binder jetting printers, laser metal 3D printers, and glass and clay 3D printers...
Popular Science: Is There a Difference Between Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing?
On the other hand, "additive manufacturing" refers to its application in business and supply chains.
Additive manufacturing offers flexibility in the time needed to load files from anywhere in the world. It enables batch customization of parts and allows for storing raw materials like filament and printing spare parts on demand. Additive manufacturing technologies enable designs impossible with subtractive manufacturing techniques, such as hollow designs with infill or topology-optimized designs. In this way, additive manufacturing takes all the design and production possibilities of 3D printing and applies them to engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain management.
