What is additive layer manufacturing?

Additive Layer Manufacturing Explained:

Additive layer manufacturing is simply another name for 3D printing, or rapid prototyping. As 3D printing has evolved as a technology, it has moved beyond prototyping and into the manufacturing space, with small runs of finished components now being produced by 3D printing machines around the world.

Additive layer manufacturing (ALM) is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing, in which material is removed to reach the desired shape. In ALM, 3D parts are built up in successive layers of material under computer control. In its early days, 3D printing was used mainly for rapid prototyping, but it is now frequently used to make finished parts the automotive and aerospace sectors, amongst many others.

What materials does ALM use?

Additive layer manufacturing sees products created layer-by-layer from a digital model. This is different from traditional manufacturing processes, which involve subtracting material, such as the machining of metal parts. The main plastic materials used in additive manufacturing include ABS, PLA, PVA and polycarbonate. Metals that can be used in ALM now include stainless steel, aluminium, nickel, cobalt-chrome and titanium alloys. Types of additive manufacturing techniques include stereolithography for polymers, and selective laser sintering, which can use polymers such as nylon, or additive layer manufacturing metals including steel, titanium and other alloys.

Why use ALM?

Building products up layer-by-layer has a number of advantages. It can minimise or even eradicate wasted material, as the product isn’t machined down from a larger part. Layering products also allows for more complex shapes and geometries to be constructed as single pieces of material, thus negating the need to include additional joining processes. For the engineer, this can save time and cost. For the design engineer, ALM can also offer unrivalled design flexibility.