ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
AiBuild’s AiSync digital tool path generation software
SCALING UP 3
Katherine Nowill explains how digital tools are accelerating the transition of 3D printing from desktop to at-scale automated manufacturing
D printing has typically been associated with the production of small 3D resin components layer-by- layer on desktop machines. Granted,
the principle process remains the same, however as the industry embraces the multiple benefits of 3D printing, both size and the material used to construct 3D printed objects has changed significantly. 3D printing is very different to
subtractive manufacturing, where an item is evolved through the machining, milling
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or grinding of a solid block of material. Whilst still utilised in some sectors, such as aerospace, subtractive manufacturing is fast falling out of favour with some manufacturers, especially when raw material wastage and the cost of sourcing raw materials are both key considerations in industry today within a constrained global supply chain. Te key differentiators for manufacturers using 3D printing as a proven production method today are
many, and these can be translated into unique selling points (USPs) to potential customers, or even enable a manufacturer to tap into new markets and inflate their product inventories.
Te range of materials that can now be 3D printed has increased, as has the size of the product to be 3D printed. Entire car bodies can now be constructed using large scale additive manufacturing applications, usually complemented by an industrial robot that makes it possible to use heavy extruder heads that can melt metals and composites, and even lay down aggregate in the construction industry. All of this is made possible by digital technologies and software, designed specifically to create even complex tool paths that enable the realisation of a concept of structure offline, before any material is laid or a robot is switched on. As a result, further costs and material savings can be achieved. Prototyping in manufacturing is
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