Although Additive Manufacturing Research Articles

The ease at which products can be manufactured directly from digital data in one step removing the need for tool design or manufacturing set up leads to a scenario where highly individualised and complex products can be created that avoid cost and time penalties enabling products that are competitive with mass produced equivalents. The reality of this scenario is that, although additive manufacturing (AM) offers a real solution to the problem of producing complex or customised products that are competitive with mass produced equivalents, information regarding available AM material and process capability is fragmented and difficult to generate. This stands as a suitable barrier to adopting AM strategies. This paper presents a knowledge system contained within an existing CAD environment, in this case SolidWorks CAD software, which can be accessed within the existing graphical user interface, enabling the selection of appropriate AM materials and process technology from user generated model data.