No 02.2017
DIALOGUE & OPINION
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING: THE REAL REVOLUTION?
Disruption, revolution or evolution? How far can additive production processes truly change manufacturing? What are the realistic expectations of 3-D printing – and who stands to benefit? MAN Diesel & Turbo spoke to Professor Johannes Henrich Schleifenbaum, the Head of Additive Manufacturing and Functional Layers at Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology and the Chair for Digital Additive Production at RWTH Aachen University.
Professor Schleifenbaum, you are a bridge
think outside of the classic assembly-line
to 30 years. We need to do more in schools
between academia, research and industry
production methods, such as bonding, join-
and universities, but also with seasoned en-
for the breakthrough technology of addi-
ing, fusing, milling or other conventional
gineers. It’s hard to tell someone to forget ev-
tive manufacturing, commonly known as
manufacturing techniques? We need to start
erything they’ve learned and been successful
3-D printing. Where do you see its real po-
with the requirements for the component,
with for years, that they have to start afresh.
tential? The roots to AM lie in rapid proto-
and then create a workspace that provides as
They need to discover this topic and acquire
typing, which first gave us the opportunity
much freedom as possible to design it. This is
the necessary new skills and knowhow.
to quickly create a model and grasp it in our
the real challenge. It’s not about a direct
The fact that this process is not yet tru-
hands, rather than just visualizing it. The
transfer of conventional components into
ly established is in itself a hurdle. The auto-
power this holds is often greatly underesti-
the additive manufacturing processes, as
mation technology for AM is not quite there
mated. In my opinion, the true beauty of AM
that would only result in making them more
yet. So far, we’ve been working on taking tra-
lies in being able to transfer creative design
expensive to make.
dition processes apart, now we have only just
and ideas into real components rapidly. And How do we change this mindset? Tradition-
materials to be used in AM. Most manufac-
possibilities. Instead of having to stick to the
al casting and foundry processes have been
turing materials were developed for melting
traditional design theories, where we were
around for thousands of years. AM just for 20
or milling. For AM, we need materials with
usually advised to stay sym-
completely different charac-
metrical, we can create bionic
teristics. For instance, we’re
structures or elements with sponge-like interiors and solid exteriors. This is where AM will take us. When we reach this stage, we can talk about revolutionizing manufacturing and not just about manufacturing evolving. And limitations? The main limitations are not in the technology, but in design. How do we get people to
44
made the first steps toward creating suitable
to open up completely new manufacturing
The true beauty of AM lies in being able to transfer creative design and ideas into real components rapidly.”
Professor Johannes Henrich Schleifenbaum
now looking into optimizing steel materials or metallic glasses for this technique. Rapid prototyping is at its best when the same materials are used in designing as in the serial production. With AM, we star t f rom scratch and think in layering techniques; this is a whole new way to approach materials. But this layering, rather than casting, creates another