Unlocking the Design Potential of Rapid Manufacturing

One of the principal advantages of taking an additive (Rapid Manufacturing) approach to manufacturing over more conventional subtractive or formative methods comes not from manufacturing approach per se but from the dramatic advantages that are possible in the area of design. This potential for radically different design methodologies is one of the major drivers for the development of Rapid Manufacturing systems and materials and is a powerful reason why some organisations are able to put up with the sometimes severe limitations associated with current Rapid Prototyping (RP) systems to gain an advantage today. The main benefit to be gained by taking an additive manufacturing approach (including most, but not all, of the currently available RP techniques) is the ability to manufacture parts of virtually any complexity of geometry entirely without the need for tooling. In conventional manufacturing, there is a direct link between the complexity of a part and its cost. In Rapid Manufacturing (RM), not only is complexity independent of cost but also the RM techniques are able to produce virtually any geometry. If this principal were extended to true manufacturing processes then the opportunities for product design and manufacturing are immense.