This module provides the introduction and overview to 3D additive manufacturing, as well as unequivocal advantages of 3D AM to manufacture complex and customised functional parts. It offers participants the opportunity to appreciate the uniqueness of 3D AM technology, the importance of digital manufacturing and the understanding of necessary design requirements for additive manufacturing. Participants will also integrate AM, while implementing procedures and operations according to standards and WSH requirements.

This course is designed to meet the objectives of providing skills training for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) working on testing, design, processes, production, reliability and quality improvement in manufacturing industries, such as aerospace, biomedical, medical technology, electronics, precision engineering, automotive and general manufacturing, etc.

Learning Objectives:

This module allows participants to learn about the wide range of additive manufacturing technologies to fabricate metallic, polymeric and ceramic components. Participants gain an understanding of the entire process flow (pre- and post-processing) that is critical for additive manufactured components. With the guidance of industrial experts in additive manufacturing, participants receive hands-on experience in quality assessment of AM parts, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), and learn to conduct computational analysis and topology optimisation for additive manufacturing.

Contents covered in this module include:

• Background: history, evolution, distinction between AM and Subtractive Manufacturing (SM); value-add of AM with traditional precision manufacturing processes for component manufacturing 
• Fundamentals and characteristics of key AM processes 
• Materials and equipment systems for AM 
• Post-processes and quality assessment of AM parts 
• Print file preparation and optimised support structure placement 
• Design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) 
• Principles of computational analysis and fundamentals of topology optimisation for AM 
• Implementing AR/VR into powder-bed fusion AM 
• AM international standards, qualification, workplace safety and health (WSH) regulations 
• Costing and lead-time estimation for complex high performance component design, process planning, and production 
• Principles for evaluating and implementing AM integration plans that satisfy business, manufacturing, and legislative requirements
• Project work on virtual design and simulation of components for AM