Additive manufacturing technology integration: an operational capability perspective

Chapter 1 - Overview of additive manufacturing technology and materials

This paper describes the use of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies in permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSM) for electric aircraft. Due to economic aspects and government restrictions, conventional manufacturing technologies like punching reach their limits when aiming for fulfilling future requirements. In the past years, AM has become a more and more relevant technology. In this paper, we present an investigation on how AM can be used in order to improve electric machines for electric flight propulsion. More precisely, the aim is to obtain an increasing torque and power density. Nevertheless, giving a brief overview of the feasibility of AM in electric aircraft is focused more than discussing technical issues in detail in this paper. The research starts with an extensive analysis on the current state of research of AM on electric machines and an evaluation of the degree of maturity. Moreover, geometric approaches for the rotor and the winding, which can only be built by AM, are pointed out and will be evaluated. Therefore, the winding and the rotor are modified. This results in lower ohmic loss density and lower eddy current loss for the winding as well as in higher torque density due to the decreased rotor leakage flux. So finally, the power density is increased which is crucial for flight propulsion. In summary, the huge potential of AM in all-electric aircraft is presented and performance improvements are quantified in this paper.

Fundamentals of Mechanical Design and Analysis for AM Fabricated Parts

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies provide the possible method to manufacture the new suspension for ultra-weight green vehicles. In spite of traditional suspension system with a large amount of small components, Additive Manufacturing technologies allow the manufacturers to manufacture complicated mechanical structure in single piece which could efficiently decrease the number of components, the mass of new suspensions and the time for assembling. With the support of the modelling software, such as Creo® and AutoCAD®, the design concepts can be easily presented departments and made modifications when it is necessary. Finite element analysis software, such as ANSYS®, will provide the platform to do structural analysis by simulation without physically making the prototypes. Integrating these tools and technologies, time for products development will be dramatically reduced and ready-to-make products can be achieved. In this research, various concepts of the wishbones for the new suspension system will be designed based on the design constraints and the new designs will then be analysed by finite element analysis (FEA) in terms of stress distribution and total deformation of the model under a defined load. Creo® will be used to create the models of wishbones and ANSYS Workbench® will be employed for the structural analysis. Prototypes will also be built by Selective laser melting (SLM).Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies provide the possible method to manufacture the new suspension for ultra-weight green vehicles. In spite of traditional suspension system with a large amount of small components, Additive Manufacturing technologies allow the manufacturers to manufacture complicated mechanical structure in single piece which could efficiently decrease the number of components, the mass of new suspensions and the time for assembling. With the support of the modelling software, such as Creo® and AutoCAD®, the design concepts can be easily presented departments and made modifications when it is necessary. Finite element analysis software, such as ANSYS®, will provide the platform to do structural analysis by simulation without physically making the prototypes. Integrating these tools and technologies, time for products development will be dramatically reduced and ready-to-make products can be achieved. In this research, various concepts of the wishbones for the new suspension system wil...

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies continuously evolve in materials and operational processes. However, challenges related to energy consumption, material reuse efficiency, and the integration of Circular Economy (CE) principles may impede the overall sustainability of AM processes. As many industrial sectors adopt AM technologies, there is a growing need for innovative tools, methods, and frameworks that guide companies toward more sustainable and circular production practices. This shift involves improving resource efficiency and fostering new Circular Business Models that emphasize material recovery, product lifecycle extension, and waste minimization. This study assesses current and future trends in the development of sustainable AM technologies for processing metal feedstock, based on a comprehensive patent analysis covering the period from 2004 to 2024. We specifically focus on the sustainability impacts of Electron and Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB, PBF-LB) and Direct Energy Deposition (DED), given their widespread industrial applications. Patents were categorized into three groups: materials, processes, and components. Furthermore, AM technologies were analyzed according to their role within the production cycle: materials preparation, pre-processing, manufacturing, and post-processing. This categorization allows for a detailed understanding of how innovations in AM contribute to more sustainable production and consumption practices by improving energy efficiency, material usage, circularity, and overall environmental impact.

Additive manufacturing of cementitious composites: Materials, methods, potentials, and challenges

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies can enable the direct fabrication of customized physical objects with complex shapes, based on computer-aided design models. This technology is changing the digital manufacturing industry and has become a subject of considerable interest in digital implant dentistry. Personalized dentistry implant treatments for individual patients can be achieved through Additive manufacturing. Herein, we review the applications of Additive manufacturing technologies in oral implantology, including implant surgery, and implant and restoration products, such as surgical guides for implantation, custom titanium meshes for bone augmentation, personalized or non-personalized dental implants, custom trays, implant casts, and implant-support frameworks, among others. In addition, this review also focuses on Additive manufacturing technologies commonly used in oral implantology. Stereolithography, digital light processing, and fused deposition modeling are often used to construct surgical guides and implant casts, whereas direct metal laser sintering, selective laser melting, and electron beam melting can be applied to fabricate dental implants, personalized titanium meshes, and denture frameworks. Moreover, it is sometimes required to combine Additive manufacturing technology with milling and other cutting and finishing techniques to ensure that the product is suitable for its final application.

Metal Powder Production for Additive Manufacturing

Cranial reconstruction: 3D biomodel and custom-built implant created using additive manufacturing

The Adoption of Additive Manufacturing Technology in Sweden

This study investigated the influence of process-induced surface features, porosity, and microstructure on the corrosion behavior of Ti-6Al-4V alloy produced by different additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, including emerging sinter-based material extrusion (MEX), well-established electron beam melting (EBM) and laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), and wrought reference material. The investigated manufacturing routes produced sensibly different surfaces, porosity, and microstructures. Potentiodynamic and potentiostatic polarization tests in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) revealed stable passivity and excellent corrosion performance for all AM alloys, both in the as-built and polished conditions. After polishing, modest variations were detected among manufacturing technologies, suggesting a possible deleterious effect of the intrinsic porosity once exposed to the environment. Immersion tests performed in neutral and acidified isotonic solutions highlighted the onset of selective corrosion phenomena between the α and β phases under deoxygenated acidic conditions, consistent with Volta potential measurements. Long-term immersion in acidified isotonic solution confirmed the detrimental influence of porosity on the corrosion behavior of Ti-6Al-4V, especially for the MEX-produced alloy, where the presence of a macro-defect network promoted localized corrosion propagation.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to enhance the accuracy as well as efficiency of high-speed machining, avoid the speed fluctuation caused by acceleration/deceleration (ACC/DEC) and increase the smoothness of feedrate in continuous corners or curves machining. The Hbot kinematic system was analyzed and combined with fused deposition modeling-based (FDM) additive manufacturing (AM) technology. Then a real-time adaptive look-ahead speed control algorithm was proposed.Design/methodology/approachTo validate the performance of Hbot kinematic system and the proposed speed control algorithm, the positioning accuracy of Hbot and cross structure was compared. Also, the experimental verification was conducted among FDM based 3-D printer with cross structure as well as open source speed control algorithm (FDM with cross-OS), cross structure and the proposed speed control algorithm (FDM with cross-PS) and Hbot structure, as well as the proposed speed control algorithm (FDM with Hbot-PS), respectively.FindingsThe results indicate that the Hbot kinematic system leads to the high stability of positioning accuracy due to the small motion inertia. Furthermore, the experimental verification shows that the efficiency, printing precision and surface finish of models for FDM with Hbot-PS are obviously higher than that for FDM with cross-PS as well as FDM with cross-OS, while FDM with cross-OS shows the worst performance. The contribution of Hbot kinematic system and the proposed speed control algorithm to FDM based AM technology was validated by this work.Practical implicationsThe Hbot kinematic system and proposed speed control algorithm have the important implication of improving the accuracy of FDM machines, especially in the low-price range segment. Also, this work can help future system developers show a possible way of tackling the motion inertia problem.Originality/valueThe study of Hbot kinematic system and proposed algorithm are expected to advise the current research for improving the accuracy as well as the efficiency of FDM-based AM technology.

Background: Mandibular defects caused by trauma or tumor resection pose significant challenges in both functional and aesthetic reconstruction. Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies offer promising solutions for surgical planning and personalized treatment. Objectives: This review aims to evaluate current trends in the application of AM technologies for mandibular resection and reconstruction, with a particular focus on material selection, clinical integration, and technology-specific advantages. Methods: A structured literature review was performed using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Studies published between January 2020 and May 2025 were screened using the following inclusion criteria: original peer-reviewed English-language research involving AM in mandibular surgery. The exclusion criteria included review articles, non-English sources, and non-mandibular studies. A total of 77 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed in this review. Results: Based on the literature review conducted from 2020 to 2025, the most common restorative methods for the mandible using additively manufactured models include reconstruction with a titanium surgical plate bent to the curvature of the edges and angle of the mandible or a personalized titanium or PEEK surgical plate made directly based on the patient’s diagnosis. Implants made of Ti-6AL-4V ELI and bioceramic scaffolds are also used in the reconstruction process. They are developed based on patient diagnostic data and effectively replace the loss of mandibular bone structure. In addition, based on models and surgical guides created using additive manufacturing techniques, the performance of autogenous grafts from the fibula or iliac crest has improved significantly when used with a titanium implant plate. Conclusions: Additive manufacturing supports highly personalized and accurate mandibular reconstruction. The advantages of these methods include a reduced overall duration of procedures, a lower health risk for patients due to less reliance on general anesthesia, a near perfect match between the implant and the remaining hard tissues, and satisfactory aesthetic outcomes. However, success depends on the appropriate selection AM technology and material, particularly in load-bearing applications.

Additive manufacturing of WC reinforced maraging steel 300 composites by cold spraying and selective laser melting

Rapid vacuum casting has been proven to be a successful method in producing high-quality parts in small series. However, a challenge lies in the selection of proper Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies for the development of a master pattern for the vacuum casting process. Each AM technologies differ from one another in terms of dimensional accuracy, surface finish, cost and lead times. The aim of this study is to investigate the performance of casting mating parts based on different additive manufacturing patterns for small batch. Three types of AM-based patterns: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Stereolithography (SLA) and Multi-Jet Fusion (MJF) were compared. The Taguchi method, Signal to Noise ratio (S/N), Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and T-test were conducted in determining the optimized parameters. From the findings, curing time is shown to be a significant parameter for dimensional accuracy and surface finish. Dimensional deviation varies in different directions of parts. For surface finish, there was only a slight change from the master pattern whereas the surface roughness of casting parts decreased within the range 0.23% to 2.85%. Tolerance grades for the selected dimensions of the parts were in the permissible range, based on ISO286-1:2010. When using distinct kinds of AM patterns to create replacement components, design tolerance is needed. It was suggested to select AM technology similar to that had been used for the original components. Battery cover was selected as a case study to represent the mating application parts.