Lecture 1 Part 3 Flashcards
What are some of the benefits of AM for direct manufacture regarding the supply chain?
Manufacture is localised, reducing carbon footprint through less transportation and reducing turnaround time for replacement parts
Just in time production, e.g. produce all parts for one unit in a single build
Spare parts, no need to keep warehouses of spares, easy to keep old parts for outdated products on file, there is only one tool required for a vast number of parts
AM for direct manufacture
Issues to overcome regarding materials
- Cost (small market, not many sales, captive market)
- Range (e.g. Injection molding has far more)
- Knowlede of long term material properties
AM for direct manufacture
Issues to overcome regarding Integrity of parts
- Mechanical properties
- Accuracy
- Geometric tolerances
- Repeatability (we can work with given properties, but we need to obtain them each time)
- Surface finish (including stair-stepping)
AM for direct manufacture
Issues to overcome regarding systems?
- Machine cost
- Build speed (independent of area)
- Build volume (large and small-scale)
- Automation (set-up and post-processing) –less mess!
Issues to overcome regarding software and training?
- System selection
- Build parameters/orientation
- Design for AM
- Efficient use
Issues of Intellectual property?
- Who owns the data if I design something and upload it to a service bureau?
- Piracy –lessons to learn from the Music Industry?
What are some liability issues with self printed parts?
- Possible dilution of responsibility
- Who is responsible for failures (system manufacturer, material supplier, software producer, manufacturer, me?)
Future directions of AM
What will we see in the future?
- Wider range of materials as large manufacturers become more involved
- More diverse system sizes, and faster speeds
- Full-colour parts (not very good at the moment)
- Fully automated systems
- Integrated electronics / multi-functional parts
- Increased crossover between ‘hobbyist’ and ‘workplace’ systems
- More suitable CAD systems for range of users
AM in medicine
Personalisation in AM implants
Personalisation of implants
Personalised surgary, a model could be made to guide a surgeon in your surgary
How could AM be used for bone implants?
- Computerised Tomography (CT) data converted to CAD format
- Produce implants for reconstruction/replacement
- Use of bioactive materials limits the possibility of rejection by the human body
Tissue engineering scaffolds are being printed what are some of the things to be considered in this area?
- Porous scaffolds allow cells to form into correct shape, pore size is critical
- Different cells require different pore size:
E.g. bone engineering needs different size for bone cells and blood vessels
There has been substantial research in this area, but uptake has been slow, regulations regarding testing and specification of human implants slow things down
What would some challenges be when looking at printing a knee joint?
bone and cartilage require different pore sizes and should be grown simultaneously to provide optimum bonding
Functional grading of the two materials can be made possible using the geometric freedom of AM
Why would you bother to print electronics on a 3d printer when the performance is so much worse than standard systems
to show that it is possible and to encourage others to develop the electronics to a more practical state
Are there restrictions on AM?
YES, there are always restrictions on manufacturing processes
- Minimum feature sizes tolerances
- Structural integrity
- Support/powder removal
- Part strength
we can produce complex geometries more easily, but we still have to work with process/ system/ material boundaries
Can we make things that are impossible by any other method?
NO, but we can make things that are impossible to manufacture economically using traditional techniques
