SAE Update - January 2022 - 25

Additive manufacturing advancing
on multiple fronts, says expert
TECH FOCUS:
MATERIALS
form energy used to achieve density?
What has been the most important recent
technical development outside of
materials and equipment?
Software has really come into relevance in
recent years. Software to manage the AM
factory, simulate the process, and manage
the AM process. We even see great
advancements in tools to dig through
thousands of part numbers to find parts
that would be candidates for AM. The use of
artificial intelligence (AI) via machine
learning (ML) is also finding a role in about
every processing step of the digital
workflow in AM. Software is creating value,
but helping us use more of the printers
without the need for more printer, if you will.
What technologies are in competition with
AM, and what are the pros and cons of AM
versus those technologies?
Initially, we see that legacy processes that
have fixed tooling are in competition. AM
can contribute to those processes by
making faster tools with less design
constraints, but AM can avoid tooling
altogether because the printer, in effect, is
the tool. It allows for greater design
flexibility and changes to designs.
How much has AM been growing?
I would say that the relevant information
here is that every year we see AM transition
to more production parts as opposed to just
prototyping. Also, every year, more parts
UPDATE
transition to AM but it is not as
" newsworthy " so it is harder to hear about
it, which again equates to boring and boring
is good.
Within mobility, which sector (auto,
aerospace, etc.,) relies most heavily on
AM?
Space is the most heavily dependent on
AM today, but all mobility use AM, whether
it be for prototypes or production. Every
company is using 3D printers today.
Which parts or systems of a car are most
amenable to AM?
If I can answer this question a different way,
I would see that the higher end, lower
production vehicles are the first to adopt
because the quantities they need are
starting to match the productivity of the
processes. Beyond this however, when we
look at lightweighting, we are also hitting a
point where substituting materials has
reached a limit. All the steel that can be
aluminum and all the aluminum than can be
plastic has been converted. Now, we need to
think about designs and new designs will
bring in lighter concepts and this is where
AM will assist as it can make more complex
designs affordably and that will mean
lighter vehicles.
Which parts or systems of planes are most
amenable to AM?
Within airframes, parts that are not safety of
flight critical first, and then second have
January 2022
25
SAE Update - January 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SAE Update - January 2022
