This study is a precursor to gaining a deeper understanding of how each parameter of
the Additive Manufacturing (AM) process influences the aesthetic properties of 3D printed
products. Little research has been conducted on this specific aspect of AM. Using insights
from the work presented in this paper, we intend to develop design support tools to give the
designer more control over the printed products in terms of aesthetics.
In this initial work, we fabricated samples using Selective Laser Melting (SLM)
technology, and investigated the parameters geometry, building strategy, and post-processing.
We asked participants to evaluate the visual and physical interaction with the manufactured
samples. Results show that, in addition to geometry and post-processing, the aesthetic
evaluation can also be strongly influenced by the SLM process’ building strategy. This
understanding will enable us to develop tools to give designers more control over the part’s
aesthetic appearance. In addition, we present a systematic procedure and setup to evaluate the
aesthetic appearance of products manufactured using AM