Additive layered manufacturing: sectors of industrial application shown through case studies

In modern industry, mass production has migrated to third world countries. To be competitive, European companies are forced to rapidly switch towards manufacturing of short series of customised products with added value. In European industry, a great effort has been made in order to customise products and give them an added value by developing new fabrication technologies. Additive layered manufacturing (ALM), also known as rapid manufacturing (RM), is a powerful tool that offers the necessary competitiveness to European companies. ALM comprises the use of layer-by-layer manufacturing in order to build a part by addition of material. Fabrication is performed directly from the 3D CAD model, which is sliced into…