Design for Additive Manufacturing

Design for Additive Manufacturing

The key to the industrialisation of additive manufacturing (3D Printing)

Additive manufacturing (AM) is not a drop-in replacement for conventional manufacturing technologies. It has unique possibilities and different challenges. We are lucky to have Olaf Diegal, Professor of Additive Manufacturing at Auckland University and owner of an AM business, present to us.  Olaf is one of NZ’s foremost authorities on AM and has developed over 100 new products including; innovative new theatre lighting, security and marine products and several home health monitoring products. He has received numerous product development awards.

For over thirty years, AM has been extensively used as a rapid prototyping technology. When using the technologies for manufacturing, however, it should be noted that AM does not remove all manufacturing restrictions. It, instead, replaces them with a different set of design considerations that designers must take into account if they wish to successfully use the technologies to add value to their products.

It is also of great importance to understand that, despite much of the marketing hype, AM is not an “easy” technology that can make absolutely anything. It requires a good understanding of the different technologies and how to design for them. Printing parts in metal, can be downright hard, and the use of AM to manufacture metal parts should only be considered if the process truly adds value to the product.

This talk will impart some practical guidance on the thought process required to design parts that gain the maximum benefit from AM.

There will be an opportunity for networking with refreshments provided from 6pm, the presentation will start at 6.30pm.

All are welcome and registration is free but essential, register here.