FALLING PRICES on printer hardware and a plethora of new materials and design tools have catapulted additive manufacturing (AM) from a part-time prototyping resource into a full-scale production method. Yet as companies engage in more widespread use of the technology, they are actively trying to formulate new design for AM (DfAM) practices to address longstanding challenges and to capitalize on the design freedom AM affords. The overall 3D printing segment is enjoying explosive growth, hut metal AM in particular is a rising star: Research firm Wohlers Associates estimates that 1,768 metal AM systems were sold in 2017, a leap from 983 units in 2016. Laser sintering is the most common metal AM process, and research shows the automotive, aerospace, and biomedical industries are leveraging the technology to successfully produce prototypes, tooling and end-use parts.
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