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The future of metal AM
A look at the future: What does the next decade hold for metal Additive Manufacturing? Machine price and size, maintenance costs, production speed, safety, materials, metallurgy and quality – these are just some of the factors that will play a role in driving the development of metal AM over the next ten years. Concerns, such as repeatability, post-processing and ease of use, will determine whether the technology can fulfil the potential it promises. One thing is clear: many factors must improve before metal AM can become a true mainstream production technology. In this article, Olaf Diegel and Terry Wohlers, Wohlers Associates, draw on their expertise and experience to predict what the next decade may look like for metal Additive Manufacturing.
As metal Additive Manufacturing continues to grow in popularity, with an ever increasing range of industrial applications, what will it look like a decade from now? Several major drivers will shape the market, including machine price and size, maintenance costs, production speed, and safety. Materials, metallurgical properties, dimensional accuracy, surface quality, repeatability, post-processing requirements, and ease of use are also concerns. They must be addressed and improved upon if the technology is to develop into a large market.
Directed Energy Deposition and hybrid systems One challenge for metal AM is the production of ready-to-use parts with tight engineering tolerances and good surface finish. Most additively manufactured parts with tight tolerances require some form of machining. Directed Energy Deposition (DED) machines with integrated multi-axis CNC capabilities, referred to by many as hybrid AM machines, offer a potential solution for certain types of parts (Fig. 1). These systems first additively manufacture several layers by DED
before changing to a CNC cutting tool to remove material and machine finish surfaces where needed. DED then resumes, followed by additional machining. DED and machining alternate until the part is complete. Hybrid DED and Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) can produce ready-touse parts directly from the machine, although both require the removal of parts from the build plate. The surfaces where the parts are attached to the build plate may require additional machining and finishing following removal. The deposition speed of DED systems is good
Fig. 1 Hybrid AM showing material deposition (left) and milling (right) (Courtesy DMG Mori)
Vol. 7 No. 3 © 2021 Inovar Communications Ltd
Metal Additive Manufacturing | Autumn 2021
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