Too much freedom is not always a good thing. Designers are used to working within a given set of constraints, including what can and can’t be fabricated by conventional means. Additive manufacturing (AM) removes many of the manufacturing limitations that designers have spent years learning, and they are told they can now design anything they want. While this newfound freedom excites many people, it often paralyzes others as they uncover the opportunity to think differently about what — and how — they design. Design principles, guidelines, and rules provide a starting point to change their mindset, but a layered approach that fosters both the restrictive and opportunistic aspects of AM is needed for mastery. Research conducted with engineering students and experiences teaching industry practitioners will be discussed to highlight the opportunities and challenges of teaching people to be creative with AM.
IMTS SparkAM In-Depth - DFAM Beyond the Basics: How Engineering Teams Learn to Think Differently About Design to Realize the Full Benefits of AM
September 23, 2020