Types of additive manufacturing technologies

  Types of additive manufacturing technologies/ techniques or classification of additive manufacturing process:

As per ISO/ ASTM standards additive manufacturing divides the technologies used to create the layers into the following seven categories:

1. Material extrusion: in material extrusion process material is drawn through a nozzle, where it is heated and is then deposited layer by layer.

2.  binder jetting: the binder jetting process uses two materials; a powder based material and a binder. The binder acts as an adhesive between powder layers.

3.  Material jetting creates objects in a fashion similar to a two-dimensional inkjet printer where material is jetted onto a build platform utilizing a continuous/drop on demand approach.

4.  sheet lamination sheet lamination process builds 3D objects by stacking and laminating thin sheets of material through bonding, ultrasonic welding or brazing.

5.  VAT photopolymerization vat photopolymerization uses a liquid photopolymer resin VAT from which the model is fabricated in a layered fashion.

6.  powder bed fusion powder bed fusion method uses either a laser or electron beam to melt and fuse material powder together.

7.  Direct energy deposition creates 3D objects by melting and depositing either powder based or wire based materials from a focused thermal energy source, including laser, electron beam or plasma arc.