Applications for Am Processes

Biomedical

Rapid prototyping of products and components FDM and LS

Manufacturing of aerospace and automotive components.

Molds and Tooling

Personalized Fabrication with FDM

Digital Manufacturing

FDM

Headphone Winders image

Wire deposition image

Powder bed

FDM

LS

Hearing Aids image :

Dental image

Prosthetics FDM image

Prosthetic body parts can be 3d printed simply using FDM, however it cant just all be printed in one go in most cases when using FDM. Different parts are printed to form specific parts of the prosthetic . Once that is done the parts printed are assembled together. FDM is used because in comparison to other processes the products manufacturing cost is not super high, meaning that the average person should be able to afford a prothetelic body part like this. In other cases though other 3d printing methods may be used for more high end prosthetics like SLS

FDM can also be used to manufacture dental products. Like the hearing aids a 3d scan of the mouth (or x-rey) can allow 3D printed false teeth to be made for an individual.

3D Printed hearing aids usually involves scanning the inner ear to produce a personalized fit, something that is important for daily use. FDM is used in this case as similarly to other biomedical products the product at hand needs to be affordable.

Powder Bed image

Wire deposition

Powder Bed fusion can be used to manufacture many different parts of a car however this process is best suiter for smaller components. An example of a powder bed fusion component in a car could potential be a fuel line to transfer fuel throughout the car. Powder bed fusion is good for this because of its high detail and sleek finish whereas a process such as Wire Deposition can leave less accurate untidy finishes (depending on the material used)

3D Printed Surgical tools image

3D Anatomical Models image

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Model rocket parts image

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Bike Parts image

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Coasters image

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Characters image

Phone case. image

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Headphone winders are a simple product the can be
personalized in a variety of ways through CAD and one its actually been printed. The small size of the type of product means that most people with a basic 3D printer are able to manufacture this kind of product for themselves and to there liking at home.

A 3D printed coaster for drinks can easily made and personalized like the headphone winders at home. As a result of the complexity of some coaster patterns actaully 3D printing the thing will almost definitely take longer, but this is still possible,

Phone cases are more complex that headphone winders and coasters. They are larger and may not be able to be printed on the smaller 3D printers around. Its important that someone checks there printer dimensions before beginning the design and printing process. If your printer is the correct size, a homemade 3d printer can be great for printing these kind of products and can sometimes be cheaper in comparison to purchasing a case from apple for example.

Before sending bike parts to be manufactured to check tolerances and functionality of a design the part can be 3d printed. For Prototyping FDM is preferred because of its lower cost, however some times LS processes may need to be used for component's that are more complex and need a higher accuracy during prototyping.

Some products can be personalized and purchased online. Hero forge allows users to make a character and then send that character to be 3d printed and delivered.

Some rocket enthusiasts enjoy to print and design there own model rocket components using CAD programs and 3D printers. These components like nose cones can be purchased online however using FDM the nose cone can be designed to meet a specific specification like for example a certain diameter.

People who build model rockets especially bigger ones going to higher altitudes may wish to use FDM as a cheaper alternative when prototyping to test the overall function of the part, for example a fin. Once the person is satisfied with the design they would then most likely wish to print with a more expensive material that better withstands the environment.

3D Anatomical models are used for a number of things. For examples they are used in classrooms detaching children about specific organs or used to prep before a surgery. For places of education especially these models can be 3d printed using FDM resulting in a lower resolution but cheaper result.

Surgical tools can be 3d printed. While not as high quality as original 3d printed tools they are still good enough to us in a educational setting. With new 3d printers coming out at a decent rate. the cost of 3d printing these tools in higher resolution with better materials will most likely decrease.

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