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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
printer to be used is also crucial. “Te build volume space is not a commodity, it is expensive. So, you want to pack as many parts into that build volume as possible. Tis also comes into play with print orientation: by adjusting the print orientation, you have to think about both the strength of the part and how many parts you can get into the build line to print at once.”
MORE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN On a surface level, additive manufacturing can be a more sustainable method of producing lighter parts, as it generally requires less material. However, support materials are still needed to produce many of these parts, and these materials ultimately still end up as waste once they have been removed during post-processing. Terefore, the sustainability of DfAM can be far better assessed by looking at a part’s impact once it is in use, says McDevitt. “Tere’s lots of benefits to taking
weight out of a product,” he explains. “From an emissions standpoint, taking weight out of a car or airplane can deliver significantly improved fuel efficiency, and this is where the impact on sustainability is huge.” According to McDevitt, these are the kinds of considerations that engineers
that requires extra machinery. However, in another scenario, manufacturing supports can actually accelerate the printing process, as the quality of the support material does not matter because it will just be thrown away, meaning the printer can fly through this stage fairly quickly. Tese considerations all need to be made during the design process, depending on the nature of the part, the ratio of part material to
support material, and what each of these materials are made up of. “Ten there are other arguments,”
DfAM software is helping to lightweight parts in a wide range of industrial sectors
must be aware of during the design phase, looking not just at how parts can be produced more sustainably, but also at the impact they will have during their lifecycle once in use. Naturally, there are trade-offs that engineers will face when designing for sustainability, as there is pressure to print parts both economically and quickly, too. Tis is usually decided on a case-by- case basis. For instance, in one scenario printing supports could slow down the manufacturing process as removing these supports can be a time-consuming process
McDevitt continues. “When designing for additive manufacturing, you need to consider where you are putting the printer, environmental control, the printer’s requirements, humidity and other factors, all of which will have an impact on the sustainability of the manufacturing process. Most importantly, though, it is crucial for engineers to take a step back and look at the design of a part not only during the manufacturing process, but also regarding how it will impact the environment throughout its entire life.”
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