The early history of additive manufacturing or 3D printing (the term that seems easier for the uninitiated to get their heads round) can be traced back to the beginning of the 1980s. However, it has taken some time for the process to get established in an industrial environment.

In fact, when I first started writing about engineering it still seemed a technology very much suited to the R&D and rapid prototyping arena. The idea that ‘proper’ components, made layer-by-layer, could be suitable for perpetual use on planes, trains and automobiles still seemed a long way off.

In fact, relatively low volume sectors such as aerospace seem to be grabbing the technology with both hands. Not only is the industry heavily investing in the process itself, but there also seem to be numerous government backed projects to literally get 3D printed parts off the ground.

Non-critical additive parts are already a feature for numerous airborne applications and it’s only a matter of time (and certification) before they are an everyday element of the high-end aerospace manufacturing supply chain.

The importance of additive technology in this modern manufacturing environment was also brought home to me when visiting the Engineering Technology Group’s open house earlier this month, where the company, through its newly acquired subsidiary HK Technologies, had some of the latest 3D technology on display.

The process is so disruptive it has taken a while for the industry to even begin to imagine all the possibilities it offers, but perhaps surprisingly additive manufacturing doesn’t represent a threat to traditional machining (subtractive) methods, but its redeemer.

Combining both additive and subtractive manufacturing will undoubtedly lead to more efficient manufacturing whether a component is made from metal, plastic, composites or even building materials.

When it comes to machining, additive processes can rapidly make tailored tooling parts such as workholding, jigs, fixtures, soft jaws and grippers for robots and automation systems.

There is also the method of making things near net shape additively and then finish machining them to the right tolerances or surface finish. And there are even machines that subtract metal for the main body of a part and then add it back again for features such as studs, threads, lugs, or gears.

In truth the additive revolution is really here and that in turn poses a difficult medium-term dilemma for precision engineering firms (at a time when any investment decision has to be considered carefully). How far should they go down this route, and if they don’t, how quickly will they be left behind?

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