AM could very well become the most diverse, flexible, and accessible manufacturing technology ever.
By Terry Wohlers, President, Wohlers Associates
The "Wohlers" column is authored by Terry Wohlers for Time
Compression.
This column was published in the May/June 2011 issue.
Additive
manufacturing (AM) was once viewed as a technology used almost
exclusively for making models, prototypes, and patterns. Most people
did not anticipate that it would one day be used for making end-use
products or parts. Yet given what I am seeing, I believe that AM will
eventually have a greater breadth of impact on the production of
products than any manufacturing technology in recent history. Think
this is an exaggeration? Consider the following:
Aircraft parts.
For years, Boeing has used AM, specifically laser sintering (LS), to
produce highly complex environmental control ducting for its military
jets. Today, it is also producing them for the 787 commercial aircraft.
The plastic ducting has substantially reduced inventory, labor,
assembly lines, weight, maintenance, and mountains of certification
paperwork. “More than 20,000 of them are currently flying without a
single failure,” said Chris Glock of On Demand Manufacturing, a former
Boeing company.
Parts for UAVs.
The development of parts for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has become
a test bed for additive manufacturing. Companies are using the
technology to create new wing designs with elaborate lattice
structures, as well as other types of parts, because they are smaller
and the regulatory requirements are not quite as difficult as they are
with large-scale military and commercial aircraft.
Specialty automobiles.
Fifty AM parts were used in the Abruzzi car from Panoz Auto Development
Co., initially for a photo shoot. The company found that many of the
interior and exterior parts were good enough for the final product, so
they used them in the entire production run of 81 cars. Nine of the AM
parts were used in the instrument panel, while others were used in the
center console and armrests. Most of the interior parts were covered in
leather or another material. 928 Motorsports LLC, an after-market
parts company, is using AM to manufacture intake runners for the
Porsche 928, which went out of production in 1995. The company is
manufacturing the part on demand in carbon-filled nylon 12 for the
900-hp engine. The nylon part weighs 1.4 kg (3.1 lb) versus 3.6 kg (7.9
lb) for the aluminum version.
Manufacturing tools.
A number of manufacturing companies are using AM to make jigs,
fixtures, alignment and drill guides, gauges, and other manufacturing
and assembly tools. Thogus Products, a custom injection molder located
outside of Cleveland, OH, uses FDM from Stratasys extensively for these
types of parts in its 76,000-ft2 manufacturing facility. According to
Matt Hlavin, the company’s CEO, Thogus saves $150,000 a year in factory
automation using FDM to build manufacturing tools.
Orthopedic implants.
An estimated 30,000 orthopedic implants have been produced by electron
beam melting (EBM) worldwide, mostly in Europe. About half have been
implanted into patients. A few of the titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V)
implants are custom, but most are standard products, such as acetabular
cups for hip joints. Orthopedic device manufacturers in Europe received
CE certification in 2007 and have been manufacturing artificial hips by
EBM since then. The FDA gave the green light to manufacture certain
orthopedic implant products by EBM in the U.S. in February 2011.
Dental restorations.
European dental labs are using processes, such as direct metal laser
sintering (DMLS) from EOS, to produce copings for crowns and bridges. A
coping is the main structure of a crown or bridge that is custom-made
to fit the patient. Dental technicians typically coat the copings in
porcelain to match the color of the patient’s teeth. These technicians
can produce about eight to 10 crowns per day using traditional
techniques. With a machine, such as an EOSINT M 280 from EOS, a dental
lab can produce about 400 copings in 20 hours. Data for the copings
must be prepared using special software by a skilled technician and the
copings must be removed from the build plate and finished.
Fashion products.
Additive manufacturing is having an impact on the fashion industry.
High-heeled shoes have been designed, manufactured, and worn by models.
For example, the eye-catching Melonia Shoe, designed by Naim Josefi and
Souzan Youssouf, were featured at the Stockholm Fashion Show in
February 2010. Meanwhile, special clothing garments, even jackets and
dresses, have been produced by laser sintering and worn in fashion
shows, such as a recent event in Paris.
The examples discussed
thus far are targeted at professionals. A consumer market for products
by additive manufacturing is also developing. Some are high-end
products that come with high-end prices, such as thousands of dollars.
Other products can be purchased for under $100—even less than $10.
Furniture.
An example of a high-end consumer product is the beautiful HolyGhost
chair by designer Lionel Dean of FutureFactories. The chair is
impressive and it can be yours for a mere $10,300 for the nylon version
and $13,200 for the metal-plated version. Less expensive products are
available, such as the lighting designs from i.materialise and .MGX by
Materialise. Some of the designs are stunning and are available for a
few hundred dollars.
Jewelry. Countless jewelry pieces have been designed and produced by additive manufacturing. An
example is the Icon-branded titanium pendant from Lionel Design, which
benefits from the ease at which AM produces highly-convoluted shapes
and features. The intricate Icon product, which measures about 62 mm
(2.4 in.) in length, is polished to an almost mirror-like finish using
a special technique. The Icon pendants are priced at around $515.
Protective covers for phones.
A number of covers for smart phones have been designed and produced by
AM. An example is the Double Mesh product designed by Janne Kyttanen of
Freedom of Creation for Freshfiber. Apple purchased the exclusive
rights of this particular design and offers it at its on-line store for
about $54.
Video game characters: In December 2007, FigurePrints
brought World of Warcraft (WoW) characters to life through its additive
manufacturing service. At figureprints.com, players can order a statue
for $130 or bust for $70 of their WoW character. The product is printed
in full color using a 3D printer from Z Corp. and infiltrated with
resin to strengthen the delicate features. The product is then mounted,
covered in a glass dome, and shipped. The company recently introduced
the manufacture of Xbox LIVE avatars for $50.
Custom dolls.
A company named That’s My Face can put your face on a doll or action
figure or frame it for display. Customers upload one or two .jpg images
of a face and the company does the rest. That’s My Face uses a color 3D
printer from Z Corp. to produce the likeness of you or someone else.
Prices are from $29 for a small product to $129 for a 12-in. action
figure.
The market potential for products made by additive manufacturing is immeasurable. The preverbal tip of the iceberg is emerging. What we do not know is the enormity of the iceberg below the surface. Based on what I’m seeing, hearing, and expecting, it could be very large. In effect, AM could very well become the most diverse, flexible, and accessible manufacturing technology ever. TC