Go Digital: How to Succeed in the Fourth Industrial Revolution With Additive Manufacturing

There is no denying that change is afoot in manufacturing. Whether it is additive manufacturing (AM), advanced manufacturing or smart manufacturing, we have entered what many are calling the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0 for short. 

While the jury is still out on what specific technologies make up Industry 4.0, it is clear that the digitalization of manufacturing is set to transform production and global supply chains as we know them. Additive manufacturing has been leading the way in many industries. 

As companies embrace additive manufacturing, they quickly realize that “the data is the tooling” as Patrick Dunne from 3D Systems succinctly puts it. Consequently, if you want to use AM, then you have to think about the data necessary to make the part, and thinking about all of that data requires a digital mindset. In fact, the entire workflow, from powder (or filament, wire, sheet and so on) to part, is digital for AM. 

With AM, parts take shape as a 3D solid model, or point cloud if an existing part is being reverse engineered, in digital format on the computer. Analysis and simulation models are often used to refine the digital part and ensure that it meets the necessary requirements just like any other end-use part. 

Once the part shape is designed, the digital geometry is often tessellated and converted into an STL file that can then be read into build preparation software. During this step, the digital part is oriented in 3D space on a build plate (or platform, substrate, tray and so on) in preparation for building the part layer by layer. Tradeoffs between build time, material usage, postprocessing needs and production quantities are assessed in the build preparation software or with sophisticated AM process simulation tools that digitally build and analyze the part to help reduce build failures and avoid defects before any physical parts are produced. 

Once the build orientation and other design collateral such as support structures, witness coupons and test specimens have been determined, then the part and everything else on the build plate is “sliced” into digital layers, and the digital tool path for the laser, deposition head and nozzle is generated along with the necessary process parameters to ensure a quality build. This is fully automated for most slicing software and AM systems; however, expert users often figure out how to unlock critical process parameters to maximize productivity to make AM a viable production method. 

Information describing the digital tool path is sent to the physical 3D printer system, which is then loaded with the appropriate material feedstock, calibrated and readied for build. Once everything is set, the AM process starts, and specific data describing the tool path and associated process parameters generate the physical movements and machine operations necessary to build the part layer by layer. In-situ process sensing monitors the build, saving all of the data for later analysis should anything go wrong. 

Once all of the layers are built and the part has cooled as needed, postprocessing begins to ensure that the material properties, mechanical performance and geometric dimensions of the part meet all of the requirements. While many of these postprocessing steps, such as removing support structures, are done manually, more and more of them are now digitally controlled, such as CNC machining mating interfaces to meet tolerances and mechanical testing of part strength.   

Data gathered from each step of postprocessing are combined into a digital thread that ties all of the data about the part together. Postprocessing data could be as simple as time-temperature readouts during stress relief or heat treatment to thousands of digital X-rays taken during a computed tomography (CT) scan of the AM part, which are combined into a 3D digital image that is used to inspect for internal defects or porosity.

So what does all this mean for you? Well, if you are still manufacturing parts from blueprints or 2D drawings, you are going to get left behind — very soon.  The pace is only accelerating. If you are thinking of adding a 3D printer to your machine shop, then you better get comfortable with 3D modeling and working in CAD. Without that, the only thing you can make with your 3D printer is whatever you can find in online repositories like Thingiverse and GrabCAD. 

If you are already adept in CAD and/or good with CNC programming, then you have a leg up, but you can’t take your foot off the gas. Anyone using your services to postprocess their metal AM parts, for instance, is going to want all of the data from your machining and finishing steps to add to the digital thread that is becoming critical to quality assurance and quality control practices, especially in highly regulated industries like aerospace and medical. 

If you have upgraded or purchased new CNC machines within the past five or so years, then you are in luck as you can easily capture this data. If, however, you rely on older mills and lathes to provide your services, then you better start looking into Internet of Things (IoT) devices to capture the data that your customers are going to start to demand, if they aren’t asking for it already. (By the way, IoT is an Industry 4.0 technology that you also need to take seriously.) 

In short, even if you aren’t using AM now or don’t plan to, others are, and that makes them digital. So, if you want to remain relevant to them, then you better start thinking digitally as well, or the Fourth Industrial Revolution will leave you behind.