Traditional processing Vs additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) technology is a class of technology based on a new manufacturing concept, using a gradual increase in materials to make physical parts.Other terms include rapid prototyping (RPM), stereoscopic printing (3d-printing), and solid free-form fabrication.

The additive manufacturing method is the manufacturing method of adding materials as opposed to the traditional manufacturing method (the manufacturing method of removing materials).It includes a class of parts manufacturing methods with different process principles.Increase material manufacturing technology process principle have in common is based on discrete - accumulation principle, three-dimensional entity model in computer parts (virtual) hierarchical processing (into many superposition of plane "chip" model), for each layer of information technology, and through the computer control specific molding equipment, with a variety of molding technology method can make parts step by step, finally to create a three-dimensional parts.

The characteristics of additive manufacturing technology are as follows:

(1) additive processing method rapid prototype manufacturing technology is additive processing method, which is very different from other processing methods.Other processing methods are mostly based on the material processing method.

(2) there is no need for model or mold rapid prototyping technology to manufacture parts based on the method of material superposition, and parts with complicated shape and structure and mold cavities can be manufactured without molds, such as impeller, shell, medical bones and teeth, etc.

(3) high degree of technical complexity, rapid prototype manufacturing technology is a major breakthrough in the field of machining technology. Rapid prototype manufacturing technology is a comprehensive embodiment of computer graphics technology, data acquisition and processing technology, material technology, and electromechanical processing and control technology.Therefore, rapid prototyping is a very high technology of manufacturing technology.

(4) compared with the traditional processing technology, rapid prototype manufacturing technology can greatly reduce the sample manufacturing time, and rapid prototype manufacturing technology can play a great role in the development of new products.Generally, it takes only a few hours or dozens of hours from the three-dimensional modeling of a computer to the production of physical parts, which is difficult to do with traditional manufacturing methods.

(5) remote manufacturing can be realized through computer network, rapid prototype manufacturing technology can produce parts in different places.

(6) with high material utilization rate, various processing methods of rapid prototype manufacturing technology produce less waste such as scrap.

Because of the above characteristics, rapid prototype manufacturing technology has been developed rapidly in new product design and development and other industrial applications.

In the past two decades, AM technology has made rapid progress.At present, the relatively mature additive manufacturing technologies mainly include photosensitive resin rapid prototyping, melt deposition rapid prototyping, lamination and superposition molding of thin sections, selective laser sintering and other common types.