The need for effective design guides in additive manufacturing
Year: 2017
Editor: Anja Maier, Stanko Škec, Harrison Kim, Michael Kokkolaras, Josef Oehmen, Georges Fadel, Filippo Salustri, Mike Van der Loos
Author: Seepersad, Carolyn Conner; Allison, Jared; Sharpe, Conner
Series: ICED
Institution: University of Texas at Austin, United States of America
Section: Design for X, Design to X
Page(s): 309-316
ISBN: 978-1-904670-93-3
ISSN: 2220-4342
Abstract
As interest in additive manufacturing (AM) grows, design guides are needed for helping designers conceptualize and embody products that are suitable for AM. As these guides begin to emerge, they are focused primarily on the limitations of AM, including the types of features that can and cannot be built with a particular process and the dimensional limitations on those features. To design for AM effectively, however, designers need guides that help them understand not only the limitations of a particular AM process but also the design opportunities and freedoms afforded by the process. Furthermore, developing a basic understanding of the AM process and its relationship to those limitations and capabilities helps designers translate their knowledge to new applications. An expanded type of design guide is needed that fulfills all of these functions for the designer.
Keywords: Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), Design for X (DfX), Design education