Designing end use components for additive manufacturing: navigating an emerging field

Abstract

Despite much excitement, research and development, Additive Manufacturing (AM) as a series production process for end-use components and products is not yet widespread or considered mainstream. However, there is a clear potential for AM to form a viable alternative to many conventional manufacturing processes, especially in low to medium production volumes. A key enabler for this transformation is the capacity to design components and products that are both able to exploit AM capabilities and avoid its limitations. In recent years, many studies have explored the topic of Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM). This report presents an overview of the state of the art of this research area. A systematic review has been carried out to identify the most significant academic studies on the topic. The review resulted in 66 key resources being identified and critically reviewed. These resources have been reviewed and categorised using a generic model of the design process. This categorisation provides and easy and immediate way to map and navigate this emerging field. Consequently, five major research areas are presented: 1. Process planning 2. Detail design 3. Embodiment design 4. Conceptual design 5. Design processes In the discussion, these research areas are examined with the aim of highlighting shortcomings and providing future research directions