Simulation key to additive manufacturing analysis

Advanced simulation tools help to optimize 3D printing processes before physical build.

When 3D printing first hit the consumer market, it was considered a novelty and a gimmick. However, the professional market has leveraged the technology, incorporated other materials and systems, and created the burgeoning field of additive manufacturing (AM) that is revolutionizing the industry. Borja Lazaro Toralles and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in the UK have recognized additive manufacturing as a field that is going to play a vital role in the future across multiple industries.

MTC created the National Centre for Additive Manufacturing (NCAM) in 2015. The purpose of the center was to develop production-ready AM processes, overcoming the barriers to wide-scale adoption and working on legislative and standardization issues in the emerging field.