The idea of building a part from scratch on a single machine or rebuilding components and assemblies in situ is a radical departure from conventional thinking based on subtractive manufacturing. This article discusses the benefits foreseen with additive or direct digital manufacturing and describes ongoing efforts to accelerate the development and realization of the technology.

The integration of artificial intelligence for predictive modeling and adaptive learning allows manufacturers to achieve unprecedented levels of efficiency and precision in ceramic additive manufacturing products.

The benefits and flexibility of using additive manufacturing (AM) open up new possibilities for lithium-ion battery design and performance beyond the limitations of traditional manufacturing methods. In particular, AM offers the ability to build on-demand complex geometries and shape-conformable battery components with tailored properties. While 3D printing offers significant potential, challenges include considerations related to feedstock consistency, printing parameters, and electrochemical performance of the printed components.

This article summarizes the outcomes from a NIST-sponsored workshop that examined the additive manufacturing (AM) data management pain points experienced by small- and medium-sized enterprises in interacting with larger organizations and government procurement agencies. Three prominent themes emerged: cost of compliance, technology gaps associated with uncertainty and AM process qualification, and a desire for government leadership to address these issues. The article includes lists of specific action items proposed at the workshop to address these challenges.

Laser sintering and numerical modeling play a major role in the development of a PEEK polymer surgical implant optimized for patient-specific cranial reconstruction.

This case study describes how electron-beam melting, a powder bed additive manufacturing technology, helped reduce the cost and material scrap associated with the production of Ti-6Al-4V brackets used in the hot side of the engine on Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter.

Neutron-based imaging and measurement techniques are an ideal complement to x-ray methods for characterizing additively manufactured materials and components. This article presents examples showing how neutron radiography and residual strain measurements reveal the internal structure and stress distributions in highly engineered turbine blades produced by additive processes. It also discusses the development of neutron characterization tools at ORNL and a recent effort in which they were used to evaluate stress-relief treatments for large-scale metal AM structures.

Lockheed Martin and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are working on an additive manufacturing (AM) system (Big Area Additive Manufacturing, or BAAM) capable of producing components measured not in terms of inches or feet, but multiple yards in all dimensions. The highly automated system has the potential to manufacture parts completely unbounded in size.

A new process called nanofunctionalization was successfully used to control the solidifying microstructure during additive manufacturing and produce crack-free 7000 and 6000 series aluminum alloys for the first time.

Led by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), the Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing (CSAM) industrial R&D group brings together the technology supply chain, end users, and OEMs in an effort to develop and adapt cold spray for additive manufacturing and demonstrate feasibility for targeted applications.

As powder-based additive manufacturing (AM) processes continue to mature, reliable powder characterization techniques will be key to optimizing both AM processes and final part performance. This article describes advanced metals for assessing powder properties and their influence on AM processing and part performance.

Metal 3D printing is expanding manufacturing possibilities by enabling new designs and improved outcomes. This article discusses some recent advances in processes and in metals suitable for additive manufacturing.

Groundbreaking additive manufacturing technology is gaining traction in technical ceramics. This article describes advances in additive manufacturing of technical ceramics, to enable broader use of AM and to enable new applications.

In Germany, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) is addressing challenges in the implementation of additive manufacturing on the industrial landscape for safety-critical applications. This article provides an overview of BAM’s activities in additive manufacturing with a focus on safety (both for applications and the environment) and AM technology innovation for a wide range of materials and manufacturing locations.

A novel framework including experimental and model-based techniques saves time and enables the introduction of new alloys for additive manufacturing. This article describes the first phase of the probabilistic machine learning framework that was successfully demonstrated to rapidly define optimum parameter sets for commercial high-temperature nickel superalloys, as well as to guide alloy design and selection for compatibility with laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing.

A joint Canadian venture launches a new facility with an innovative hybrid approach to cold spray additive manufacturing. The technology platform combines multiple manufacturing steps in a single cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) unit, incorporating surface preparation, cold spray forming and buildup, local laser-based thermal treatment, and in-situ sequential robotic machining and semi-finishing.

This article is an informal discussion among three industry leaders about how additive manufacturing is impacted by new data-driven technologies. The panelists are Elizabeth A. Holm, James C. Williams, and Edward D. Herderick; the discussion is moderated by Hanchen Huang. The discussion is a preview for an IMAT 2020 panel session on the same topic organized by the ASM Emerging Technologies Awareness Committee.

Case studies from a range of industries illustrate how advanced additive manufacturing capabilities optimize both material performance and value. The materials discussed are Inconel 718, Ti-6Al-4V, aluminum F357, and Hastelloy X.

This article reports on outcomes from an additive manufacturing workshop that developed guidelines for AM data management to realize the promise of Materials 4.0 and achieve process qualification for AM parts.

The July and September issues of the Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance (JMEP) were special issues focused on additive manufacturing. The issues were guest edited by William E. Frazier, FASM, Pilgrim Consulting LLC and editor of JMEP; Rick Russell, NASA; Yan Lu, NIST; Brandon D. Ribic, America Makes; and Caroline Vail, NSWC Carderock. The highlighted articles described in this article were selected by Dr. Frazier to showcase the varied topics covered in the special issues.