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Additive Manufacturing

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Definition: Additive manufacturing (AM) is an industrial production process in which components are built up layer by layer from digital 3D data. The geometry is created through targeted material deposition or selective melting, not through material removal. Terminology and process classification are defined in DIN EN ISO/ASTM 52900.

Practical relevance: Industrially relevant processes include Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF/SLM), Electron Beam Melting (EBM), Binder Jetting and Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). Quality criteria include component density (>99 % for metal AM), porosity, surface roughness (Ra), dimensional accuracy and mechanical properties to DIN EN ISO 6892 (tensile test). Process parameters, powder quality and heat treatment influence the microstructure, residual stresses and fatigue behaviour.

Decision-making perspectives:

  • Technical decision-makers: process stability, anisotropy, residual stresses, qualification of build processes and components.
  • Purchasing/project management: specification of material, build parameters, test certificates (e.g. EN 10204 3.1) and acceptance criteria.
  • Science: microstructure-process correlation, validation to the ISO/ASTM 529xx series.
  • Insurance/law: traceability of process data, documentation obligations, product liability.

Typical testing or verification methods: computed tomography (CT), tensile test, hardness testing, metallography, non-destructive testing (NDT).

FAQ:

  • Which standard defines additive manufacturing?
  • DIN EN ISO/ASTM 52900 defines the terminology and fundamental process categories of additive manufacturing.
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