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.
Printer Technologies
AM's 36 printer technology types.
Within each of the seven category types of Additive Manufacturing, lie a range of different AM printer technologies. These apply the categories' principles in different ways, using different materials, in different forms and at different scales.
AME
Additively Manufactured Electronics
AME parts are formed on a build plate surface.
BPE
Bound Powder Extrusion
BPE parts are built on a build plate surface.
CBAM
Composite Based Additive Manufacturing
CBAM parts are built by stacking sheets which are infiltrated and spread with material.
CFF
Continuous Fibre Fabrication
CFF parts are built on a build plate surface.
DLP
Digital Light Processing
DLP parts are built off a lifting build platform.
DLS (Clip)
Digital Light Synthesis
DLS (Clip) parts are built off a lifting build platform.
DMLS
Direct Metal Laser Sintering
Fuses metal powder with a high-power laser into fully dense parts with wrought-equivalent properties.
EBM
Electron Beam Melting
Melts metal powder with an electron beam in a vacuum, leaving parts largely free of residual stress.
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.
Showing 12 of 36 technologies
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.