Patricia Graf

Bio: Patricia Graf is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topic(s): Engineering design process & Advanced manufacturing. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publication(s) receiving 819 citation(s).

Design for additive manufacturing: trends, opportunities, considerations, and constraints

Abstract: The past few decades have seen substantial growth in Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies. However, this growth has mainly been process-driven. The evolution of engineering design to take advantage of the possibilities afforded by AM and to manage the constraints associated with the technology has lagged behind. This paper presents the major opportunities, constraints, and economic considerations for Design for Additive Manufacturing. It explores issues related to design and redesign for direct and indirect AM production. It also highlights key industrial applications, outlines future challenges, and identifies promising directions for research and the exploitation of AM's full potential in industry.

Design for Additive Manufacturing

Abstract: Design for manufacture and assembly (DFM) has typically meant that designers should tailor their designs to eliminate manufacturing difficulties and minimize manufacturing, assembly, and logistics costs. However, the capabilities of additive manufacturing technologies provide an opportunity to rethink DFM to take advantage of the unique capabilities of these technologies. As mentioned in Chap. 16, several companies are now using AM technologies for production manufacturing. For example, Siemens, Phonak, Widex, and the other hearing aid manufacturers use selective laser sintering and stereolithography machines to produce hearing aid shells; Align Technology uses stereolithography to fabricate molds for producing clear dental braces (“aligners”); and Boeing and its suppliers use polymer powder bed fusion (PBF) to produce ducts and similar parts for F-17 fighter jets. For hearing aids and dental aligners, AM machines enable manufacturing of tens to hundreds of thousands of parts, where each part is uniquely customized based upon person-specific geometric data. In the case of aircraft components, AM technology enables low-volume manufacturing, easy integration of design changes and, at least as importantly, piece part reductions to greatly simplify product assembly.

FDM process parameters influence over the mechanical properties of polymer specimens: A review

Abstract: Designing and manufacturing functional parts for fields such as engineering and medicine is a major goal of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). These activities should be supported by knowledge on how different settings of process parameters impact the mechanical behavior of the products. However, obtaining this information is a quite complex task given the large variety of possible combinations of materials-3D printers-slicing software-process parameters. Thus, the importance of reviewing the current research on this topic for identifying practical and useful aspects, key process parameters and limitations, but also for understanding to what extent the results of these researches are relevant and can be applied in further studies and real applications. A systematic literature search was performed based on classification according to the type of 3D printing polymer. The most significant process parameters considered as influencing FDM specimens' tensile, compression, flexural or impact strengths are discussed considering the results presented in the literature. A necessary distinction between the mechanical properties of material and testing specimens (as given by producers and by experiments) and the mechanical behavior of a FDM end-part is also made.

Laser based additive manufacturing in industry and academia

Abstract: Additive manufacturing (AM) is pushing towards industrial applications. But despite good sales of AM machines, there are still several challenges hindering a broad economic use of AM. This keynote paper starts with an overview over laser based additive manufacturing with comments on the main steps necessary to build parts to introduce the complexity of the whole process chain. Then from a manufacturing process oriented viewpoint it identifies these barriers for Laser Beam Melting (LBM) using results of a round robin test inside CIRP and the work of other research groups. It shows how those barriers may be overcome and points out research topics necessary to be addressed in the near future.

Additive manufacturing of multi-material structures

Abstract: Additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing has revolutionized the manufacturing world through its rapid and geometrically-intricate capabilities as well as economic benefits. Countless businesses in automotive, aerospace, medical, and even food industries have adopted this approach over the past decade. Though this revolution has sparked widespread innovation with single material usage, the manufacturing world is constantly evolving. 3D printers now have the capability to create multi-material systems with performance improvements in user-definable locations. This means throughout a single component, properties like hardness, corrosion resistance, and environmental adaptation can be defined in areas that require it the most. These new processes allow for exciting multifunctional parts to be built that were never possible through traditional, single material AM processes. AM of metals, ceramics, and polymers is currently being evaluated to combine multiple materials in one operation and has already produced never-before-produced parts. While multi-material AM is still in its infancy, researchers are shifting their mindset toward this unique approach showing that the technology is beginning to advance past a research and development stage into real-world applications. This review is intended to highlight the range of 3D printed polymer-based, metal-metal, and metal-ceramic applications while discussing advantages and challenges with additively manufactured multi-material structures.

The Role of Additive Manufacturing in the Era of Industry 4.0

Abstract: The latest industrial revolution, Industry 4.0, is encouraging the integration of intelligent production systems and advanced information technologies. Additive manufacturing (AM) is considered to be an essential ingredient in this new movement. In this paper, a comprehensive review on AM technologies is presented together with both its contributions to Industry 4.0. The review focusses on three important aspects of AM: recent advances on material science, process development, and enhancements on design consideration. The main objective of the paper is to classify the current knowledge (and technological trends) on AM and to highlight its potential uses.