Advancements in Manufacturing Technology With Additive Manufacturing and Its Context With Industry 4.0

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) is also known as 3D printing and classifies various advanced manufacturing processes that are used to manufacture three dimensional parts or components with a digital file in a sequential layer-by-layer. This chapter gives a clear insight into the various AM processes that are popular and under development. AM processes are broadly classified into seven categories based on the type of the technology used such as source of heat (ultraviolet light, laser) and type materials (resigns, polymers, metal and metal alloys) used to fabricate the parts. These AM processes have their own merits and demerits depending upon the end part application. Some of these AM processes require extensive post-processing in order to get the finished part. For this process, a separate machine is required to overcome this hurdle in AM; hybrid manufacturing comes into the picture with building and post-processing the part in the same machine. This chapter also discusses the fourth industrial revolution (I 4.0) from the perspective of additive manufacturing.