Designing for additive manufacturing

International audienceAdditive manufacturing technologies can now be used to manufacture metallic parts. This breakthrough in manufacturing technology makes possible the fabrication of new shapes and geometrical features. Although the manufacturing feasibility of sample parts with these processes has been the subject of several studies, the breakthrough in manufacturing is yet to be followed by a breakthrough in designing process. In this paper, after reviewing the principle of additive manufacturing of metallic parts, the manufacturing capabilities and constraints of these processes will be examined. A designing methodology will then be suggested and illustrated with the redesign of an example part