A new global approach to design for additive manufacturing A method to obtain a design that meets specifications while optimizing a given additive manufacturing process is presented in this paper

• Published in: Virtual and physical prototyping Vol. 7; no. 2; pp. 93 - 105
• Main Authors: Ponche, R., Hascoet, J.Y., Kerbrat, O., Mognol, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01-06-2012
• Subjects: additive manufacturing; design; DFAM; methodology
• ISSN: 1745-2759; 1745-2767
• DOI: 10.1080/17452759.2012.679499

Nowadays, due to rapid prototyping processes improvements, a functional part can be built directly through additive manufacturing. It is now accepted that these new processes can increase productivity while enabling a mass and cost reduction and an increase of the parts functionality. However, in order to achieve this, new design methods have to be developed to take into account the specificities of these processes, with the Design For Additive Manufacturing (DFAM) concept. In this context, a methodology to obtain a suitable design of parts built through additive manufacturing is proposed; both design requirements and manufacturing constraints are taken into account.