The Top Additive Manufacturing Articles of 2020

2020 was the year of “pivot.” Individuals, teams and manufacturers have had to adjust to the new normal and change how they approach every aspect of their work. Additive manufacturers rose up to the challenges of this year and it showed in each and every story our team wrote and published. This resilient community has proven to the world in big and small ways this year that additive manufacturing is the answer.

 

Top Ten Additive Manufacturing articles of 2020:

 

1. The Hidden Complexities of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing

Lincoln Electric Additive Solutions’ robotic metal 3D printing process is a choreographed dance between welding, robots, automation, heat management and machining. The new venture may have a distinct advantage in the field: its parent company’s 125 year-old legacy.

2. 3D Printed Prefab Homes, Made from Composite and UL-Certified

Mighty Buildings wants to change the construction industry with prefabricated houses 3D printed on demand from thermoset polymer composite. Two such buildings have already been installed.

3. What A Former Moldmaker Has Learned About AM: Leverage Simplicity and Let It Scale

The once-again independent Linear AMS is now more focused on additive manufacturing than ever before.

4. Look Again: This 3D Printed Part Isn't Plastic

This radiator cover is comparable in strength to an injection molded part, and was made at lower cost than 3D printed polymer.

5. CNC Machining as a Business Strategy for Additive Manufacturing

As 3rd Dimension Industrial 3D Printing ramps up for production — including a fleet of new 3D printers in a custom-designed building — it's the company's traditional machining capabilities that provide a unique competitive advantage.

6. Gantri’s 3D Printed Luxury Lighting Brings Designers Closer to Consumers

The San Francisco startup is changing designer lighting with a designer-forward online marketplace and just-in-time delivery enabled by 3D printing.

7. How a 3D-Printed Metal Ankle Implant Replaces an Entire Bone

Through a novel surgery involving a 3D-printed talus bone, surgeons at the University of Miami found success — and unexpected challenges — with a patient suffering from sickle cell disease.

8. A $1.5 Million Dive into the Melt Pool

A new, customized digital radiology vault and specialized additive manufacturing system at Auburn University aims to understand and control the complex heat and mass transport phenomena taking place during the laser sintering process.

9. 3 Design Techniques for High Speed Extrusion 3D Printing

Simple design changes can reduce build time and improve part quality in this production-speed polymer AM process.

10. A Technical Economic Perspective on Multi-Laser Powder Bed Fusion 3D Printers

When it comes to laser-based powder bed fusion, more lasers do not always lead to greater productivity. Considerations for multi-laser 3D printing.

 

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Honorable mentions:

Where Blockchain and 3D Printing Converge, Distributed Manufacturing Can Thrive

Decentralizing production through additive manufacturing can bring numerous benefits, but these can only be realized through trust. VeriTX is building a platform to secure a trusted digital supply chain for aerospace and beyond.  

A Three-Piece Toolset to Minimize Metal Additive Build Failures (Includes Video)

Three separate software tools from Siemens attempt to control some of the most challenging variables within metal AM: build orientation, distortion and deposition paths. Part of software video series.

Finding Value with Design for Additive Manufacturing

Six questions can help you find value as you apply DFAM.