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Applications of AM Processes - Coggle Diagram
Applications of AM Processes
Biomedical
FDM
Hearing aids can be moulded to specifically fit someone's ear. A mould of the persons ear will be made and the component itself is then made via AM processes like 3d printing
A prosthetic limb can be made for a person who has potentially had a limb amputated. A prosthetic is generally tailor made for a person so a mould would be made and would be manufactured with AM processes.
Retainers are made by creating a mould of the persons teeth and then made through casting or injection moulding
Moulds and Tooling
FDM
metal tools are often made with the use of ceramic moulds. This is because the ceramic is able to withstand the the heat of the molten metal as it is poured into the mould.
The same can be said for certain car parts that are mass produced and can be moulded
Silicon moulds are often found in general stores. These can be used for freezing water and producing ice that is shaped. (or any other liquids)
Moulds are made for a lot of products that are mass produced and are sold in large quantities. This moulds are made from a variety of different materials (depending on the product being produced). One thing they can be used to make are tool parts.
Personalised Fabrication
FDM
FDM printers are a lot cheaper than that of a industrial printer and are a lot more accessible. These allow most people to create or find 3D models of items and print them out (generally made with a polymer like epoxy resin, abs plastic etc.) With these novelty items like chess pieces or figures can be made.
Digital Manufacturing
Wire Deposition / Powder Bed
These parts can be made with wire deposition and are created with the uses of digital software like fusion 360
Moulds for these products can be made and then are then manufactured with the use of powder bed fusion
These processes are generally all automated meaning the require very little human input. This helps them to be more efficient than some other more manual processes.
Product / Component prototyping
FDM / LS
components like gears can be made with different materials to make sure that the dimensions and proportions come out correctly
Simulations ran by computers can record precise and accurate data, this can be used to work off of and can be used a s a basis to improve a component before physically manufacturing it.
AM processes can be used for this with the aid of 3D modelling software as well as simulation software. These go hand in hand as with one, you can create the desired product with accurate measurements, specific materials and properties. The given products can be put under simulations that test them which can significantly spped up the prototype process.
Aerospace and Automotive component development
Powder Bed / Wire deposition
These are parts, general made from metals that would be used for things such as motor vehicles or planes etc. These components would be made with the use of wire deposition if they needed to be accurate and precisely made as this method allows for a lot more detail to be put in. Other general parts can be made with powder bed fusion . This process would require more human supervisions and manual work done to manufacture it. These methods allow for strong and durable components to be made
