Computer aided material selection for additive manufacturing materials

Abstract

The ease at which products can be manufactured directly from digital data in one step removing the need for tool design or manufacturing set up leads to a scenario where highly individualised and complex products can be created that avoid cost and time penalties enabling products that are competitive with mass produced equivalents. The reality of this scenario is that, although additive manufacturing (AM) offers a real solution to the problem of producing complex or customised products that are competitive with mass produced equivalents, information regarding available AM material and process capability is fragmented and difficult to generate. This stands as a suitable barrier to adopting AM strategies. This paper presents a knowledge system contained within an existing CAD environment, in this case SolidWorks CAD software, which can be accessed within the existing graphical user interface, enabling the selection of appropriate AM materials and process technology from user generated model data.

Study of mandible reconstruction using a fibula flap with application of additive manufacturing technology

“…The mandible fixtures were made of very strong and elastic nylon material. In terms of practical application, there are more and more material options as the AM system is maturing [21,22]. In recent years, AM technology has been used to output materials that the human body is able to absorb (such as PLA) or materials of human body affinity (such as titanium alloy).…”

Additive Manufacturing—Past, Present, and the Future

“…Just to point out, more than 20 000 different steel alloys are available [19]. The range of materials available for AM is only a fraction of the total range [20] despite the high speed of material development. The development of a new material is feasible, if an application or the potential for a new material has been recognized and evaluated such that it covers the material development cost.…”

Theoretical evaluation of valeraldehyde

“…In this way, complex products can be created easily and directly from simulating the base result, with minimal requirements for the design or manufacturing tool. 7,8 Computational spectroscopic study is an analytical tool for identifying organic compounds. It is hoped that experimental methods in combination with computational methods will be a powerful tool for determining the absolute configuration of molecules.…”