Designing for Big Area Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM), more commonly referred to as 3D printing, is revolutionizing the manufacturing industry. With any new technology comes new rules and guidelines for the optimal use of said technology. Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM), developed by Cincinnati Incorporated and Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, requires a host of new design parameters compared to small-scale 3D printing to create large-scale parts. However, BAAM also creates new possibilities in material testing and various applications in the manufacturing industry. Most of the design constraints of small-scale polymer 3D printers still apply to BAAM. Beyond those constraints, new rules and limitations exist because BAAM’s large-scale system significantly changes the thermal properties associated with small-scale AM. This work details both physical and software-related design considerations for additive manufacturing. After reading this guide, one will have a better understanding of slicing software’s capabilities and limitations, different physical characteristics of design and how to apply them appropriately for AM, and how to take the inherent nature of AM into consideration during the design process.