Additive Manufacturing for Industrial Applications and Potential Quality Challenges

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Additive manufacturing (AM), also sometimes referred to as 3D printing, is a rapidly growing manufacturing technology that has been in use for decades already. With the economic and efficiency advantages such as minimization of material waste, precision manufacturing of complex structures and reduced weight, AM has spanned into various industrial applications, including but not limited to aerospace, automotive, healthcare and many other industries that can leverage on the rapid prototyping capability associated with AM. The goal of this chapter is to elaborate on the industrial applications of AM, both current and potential, and to provide a deeper understanding of AM from a quality perspective. The market for AM is expected to grow up to $26.5 billion by the end of 2021. The cost of poor quality in relation to the potential market of AM is expected to be $5.3 billion (or 20% of AM market) in 2021, if the quality challenges are not taken care of. The chapter aims to uncover the advantages of AM over conventional manufacturing techniques and how this change works to the advantage of improved quality of the parts produced. An overview of current quality standards for AM, as defined by ISO and ASTM, is also provided in the chapter.