Today, over 50 percent of engineers use 3D printing to produce end-use functional parts. This interest in AM has been sparked not least by the rising cost of traditional manufacturing processes. The costs of raw materials are continuing to rise – for example, British Steel began 2023 with a £75 per tonne price hike. The cost of energy is on the up, making it more expensive to power CNC machines and other equipment, while labour shortages remain an issue.
The growing availability of sophisticated AM systems, combined with the lack of waste they produce and the improved part reliability they provide, has improved the ROI of AM. Meanwhile, the 3D printing capabilities that manufacturers can bring in-house continue to grow. For example, stereolithography (SLA) AM systems create parts layer by layer using a UV laser and a vat of liquid UV-curable photopolymer resin. This enables users to expand their design capabilities and improve the part finish and quality in shorter build times.
Read the full article in DPA's August issue