Optimizing design for additive manufacturing

Avoiding the pitfalls of 3D printing requires knowing the process limitations - and how to work around them. An expert at a leading AM specialist shares insights on getting it right.

As additive manufacturing (AM) technology and its applications expand, engineers are recognizing that different industrial 3D printing processes have different constraints that can affect designed parts in production. Some constraints are universal across the different processes, and some are more specific to the type of process used. It is thus essential to understand the technology you are working with to maximize its potential as a production method. With this understanding it is possible to design around the general limitations of AM as well as the specific process constraints that could impact a product or part.

While design for manufacture (DfM) is not a new concept, the rules for designing for additive manufacture (DfAM) require design engineers to take a different approach. This article is dedicated to sharing some of the most common pitfalls encountered when designing parts for the selective laser sintering (SLS) and multi-jet fusion (MJF) 3D printing processes and how to avoid them.