Additive Manufacturing

The manufacturing processes we use today is the general term used to denote the technical process of ‘Subtractive Manufacturing’. Sculpturing is the best example to understand the process of ‘Subtractive Manufacturing’. A huge boulder will sacrifice its layers of stone in order to shape up the sculpture as per the design. Henceforth, it is named as Subtractive Manufacturing. Even though this process is quite simple, it is associated with several disadvantages. Wastage of the raw material is the most notable disadvantage associated with Subtractive Manufacturing.

In order to overcome such cons, scientists and engineers in Britain have coined a new technical process – Additive Manufacturing, also known as 3D printing.

A print well (so it is called) is used for ‘printing’ the designed products with the raw materials as the ‘ink’. A sample diagram of such a print well is shown below.

 

Plastic, resins and metals have passed the input ink test for this print well.  3D printer is also termed as a ‘Fabber’ or ‘Fabricator’.

Researchers of Filton in Britain have disclosed the technology behind their manufacturing of Concorde super-sonic planes. Can you believe that more than 40% of the aircraft parts are made using 3D printing?  Another research student at MIT, USA has succeeded in printing clocks! Additive engineering has been used for almost a decade now. But, it is used for building prototypes alone. Now, it is time for us to print the entire product using the raw materials.

Pros of Additive Manufacturing:

1.          Software-driven. (design becomes easy with all those enhanced preview shots)

2.         Requires less raw material.

3.         Consumers can alter the design as per their own wish.

4.         Can be used to build artificial bones, which are extensively used in bone-replacement surgeries.

5.         All the plastic items can be printed using the technology – ‘Plastic Injection-Molding’.

6.         Can be helpful in meeting the rapid design changes.

7.         Feasibility of Mass-production and Mass-customization of products.

Cons of Additive Manufacturing:

1.          It will reduce the industrialization in rural and urban areas. (Even a common man can manufacture anything if he gets raw material, fabricator and design software)

2.         Due to the fact that it needs less labor, job-generating capacity will be reduced.

3.         Since it is easy to blue-print the entire product, piracy issues will raise.

4.         Piracy issues will lead to the legal implications of Intellectual Property rights (IP).

Whatever may be the pros and cons, there is no doubt that we are on the verge of another industrial revolution, this time led by 3D printing!

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