Technologies
Understand additive manufacturing's categories, technologies, materials, post-processes and terminology.
Printer Categories
AM's 7 printer category types.
The American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM) have defined the seven categories of Additive Manufacturing into which all of the different types fit. These are the recognised industry standard printer category classifications.
Material Extrusion
Material Extrusion is where material is fed through a print head that deposits the material on to the build base and builds the part upwards following each successive cross-sectional layer to form the final object.
With Material Extrusion technologies, in relation to the object's selected build orientation, any overhanging geometry will require the building and subsequent removal of support structures.
6 technologies
BPE
Bound Powder Extrusion
BPE parts are built on a build plate surface.
CFF
Continuous Fibre Fabrication
CFF parts are built on a build plate surface.
FFF (Desktop)
Fused Filament Fabrication
FFF (Desktop) parts are built on a build plate surface.
FFF (High Grade)
Fused Filament Fabrication
FFF (High Grade) parts are built on a build plate surface.
FFF (Large Format)
Fused Filament Fabrication
FFF (Large Format) parts are built on a build plate surface.
Paste Deposition
Paste Deposition parts are built on a build plate (or the ground slab) surface.
Advantages
- Within Material Extrusion, FFF (Desktop) offers affordable, entry-level hardware which is also compact and user-friendly.
- It is a low-temperature process.
- It provides fast printing times for single or groups of small parts.
- It offers a wide selection of relatively inexpensive print materials which are easy to handle.
Disadvantages
- Any geometry overhangs beyond 45º require solid supports.
- The heating process uses relatively low temperatures, limiting the process to plastic polymers (except FFF (High Grade) and Paste Deposition).
- There are no economies of scale, so high-volume production runs are slow or require printer farms.
- It often provides relatively low resolution that leaves visible stratification.
- Part strength is weak across the build plane.
- Parts are susceptible to warping and shrinkage.
- Parts are anisotropic.
- Some materials can be toxic.
- Support removal can be time consuming and may require surface repair.
AM Environments
Like any machinery, it is important that it and any ancillary equipment are installed, operated and maintained in the appropriate environment.
These printer technologies are generally intended for the production of high quality, repeatable objects that require a controlled environment. They commonly include additional processing hardware.
They may also need a clean environment, climate control, industrial infrastructure, logistics and strict health and safety protocols:
DLS (Clip)
Digital Light Synthesis
DLS (Clip) parts are built off a lifting build platform.
FFF (High Grade)
Fused Filament Fabrication
FFF (High Grade) parts are built on a build plate surface.
LMD
Laser Metal Deposition
LMD parts are built on a build plate surface.
Paste Deposition
Paste Deposition parts are built on a build plate (or the ground slab) surface.
SLM
Selective Laser Melting
SLM parts are built within a build chamber.
SLS (Fine Detail Resolution)
Selective Laser Sintering
SLS (Fine Detail Resolution) parts are built within a build chamber.
SLS (Industrial)
Selective Laser Sintering
Uses a CO2 laser to sinter polymer powder into solid 3D structures. No support structures required.
SLA (High Grade)
Stereolithography
Cures liquid photopolymer with a UV laser, one layer at a time, for fine detail and smooth surfaces.
WAAM
Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing
WAAM parts are built on a build plate surface.