Additive Manufacturing Methods & Processes

Question 1

Binder Jetting

Answer 1

Like all additive manufacturing processes, binder jetting begins with the processing of a digital geometric model into layers of finite height. The binder jetting machine will selectively bind (glue) one layer of powder at a time, each succeeding layer being swept over the previous one (sweep, bind, sweep, bind, etc.)

Question 2

Directed Energy Deposition

Answer 2

Directed Energy Deposition (DED) is the ASTM term used to describe a family of additive technologies, which essentially adapt welding techniques to build up material into three-dimensional near net shapes.

Question 3

Material Extrusion

Answer 3

Fused deposition modeling uses a plastic filament or metal wire that is wound on a coil and unreeled to supply material to an extrusion nozzle, which turns the flow on and off. The nozzle then heats to melt the material

Question 4

Material Jetting

Answer 4

Material jetting uses a number of print heads (similar to a document inkjet printer) to selectively jet build material and support material into place on an xy layer before raising in the z direction to build up the object layer by layer.

Question 5

Powder Bed Fusion

Answer 5

Powder bed fusion is the selective fusing of materials in a granular bed. The technique fuses parts of the layer, and then moves the working area downwards, adding another layer of granules and repeating the process until the piece has built up.

Question 6

Sheet Lamination

Answer 6

In some printers, paper can be used as the build material, resulting in a lower cost to print. Printers cut cross sections out of special adhesive coated paper using a carbon dioxide laser, and then laminated them together.

Question 7

Vat Photopolymerization

Answer 7

Liquid photopolymer in a vat is selectively
cured by light-activated polymerization, primarily used in stereolithography (SLA) to produce a solid part from a liquid.