MARCH 20198 MANUFACTURINGTECHNOLOGYINSIGHTSIN MY OPINIONThe hype for additive manufacturing (AM) continues to exceed our expectations. Market projections continue to skyrocket, corporate investments and venture capital continue to grow, patent applications are on the rise, and job growth is accelerating. Even the law suits and legal battles are starting to pick up--a sure sign that the industry is "real" and quickly maturing. Having the ability to 3D print complex structures and intricate shapes that were previously too expensive or impossible to manufacture would excite anyone. AM creates new possibilities for lightweight lattices, topology optimized design, enhanced heat transfer, and consolidation of multi-part assemblies, to name a few of its advantages over conventional manufacturing processes. With some AM processes, designers can now engineer multi-material structures that enable functional grading of mechanical and material properties. The design--and material--freedoms afforded by AM far exceed anything we have been able to achieve cost effectively with conventional manufacturing prcesses such as casting, forging, machining, etc. By Timothy W. Simpson, Director, Additive Manufacturing & Design Graduate Program , Penn State University Crawl, Walk, Run Your Way into Additive ManufacturingTimothy W. Simpson
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