Additive Manufacturing

1. Introduction The 3D printing software industry revolves around developing advanced solutions for additive manufacturing. These companies are pushing boundaries with their innovative software, empowering businesses to model, simulate, and print 3D objects with unprecedented speed, accuracy and detail. Their offerings range from design and prototyping to custom part manufacturing and beyond, enriching industries such as healthcare, automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods. These software solutions often go hand-in-hand with 3D printers and a variety of materials, proving integral to the production process. Looking towards the future, the industry is charged with potential, with advancements in AI and machine learning promising to unlock further capabilities within 3D printing. ...

1. Research Question What are the challenges in the industrialization of additive manufacturing? Can IT products be developed to overcome those challenges? 2. What is Additive Manufacturing Additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing is the manufacturing of a three-dimensional object. The object is first designed and simulated as a digital 3D model in CAD software and then printed in a printer. This printing is done in a variety of processes in which material is either deposited, joined or solidified, typically layer by layer, under computer control. Also, there are a variety of materials used to build objects such as plastics, liquids or metal powder grains. 3D printing is the most common term in the consumer markets, while AM is mostly used in the industrial markets. Though, the advent of 3D printing has revolutionized the manufacturing industry in many ways and the technology has infiltrated almost every workshop across the world, it is still the case that casting, fabrication, stamping, and machining are more prevalent than additive manufacturing. Since the AM technology is still in its nascent stage as compared to conventional manufacturing methods, it is marred with challenges which bars the adoption of the technology for full volume applications and is limited to prototype building. ...