9MARCH 2024production parts. It is also important to note that the lead time for printing the part may be shorter than machining or vacuum brazing, but projects with long, complex post-process operations will most likely see lesser benefits than those with minimal post-processing operations. Additive manufacturing has also opened the door to designing geometry that would otherwise be impossible to create at minimal to no added cost for the increasing complexity. For example, in LPBF, a 1" cube costs roughly the same as a 1" block of lattice structure or triply periodic minimal surface. This is a major advantage for AM, drawing interest in a wide array of industries, including the manufacturing of heat exchangers. It is also possible to hold tight tolerances and produce very small features with additive manufacturing, making it great for printing net shape or near net shape parts that require minimal machining. Another great upside to additive manufacturing, especially laser powder bed fusion and DED, is the ability to recycle and reuse non-sintered powder from previous jobs. There are ways to properly maintain lot control of your powders and reclaim most of the unused powder after each print.Additive manufacturing is a great addition for many companies to add to their manufacturing repertoire; however, it's important to know and understand its limitations. Metal AM is still relatively new, so there is a limited selection of materials and data available for purchase. It is also challenging to track and maintain good material lot control, especially when there are a lot of printers and different materials in one location. The powdered metal material used in laser powder bed fusion, binder jet, and some types of DED also tends to have health and safety risks that are not present with wrought or cast metal feedstock. If not handled properly, aluminum powder can be dangerous and is considered a chemical of interest for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The buying and storing of aluminum powders on-site requires regular audits by DHS. It is important to remember that, like any other manufacturing technique, additive manufacturing needs to make sense for your application. As the industry grows and specifications and guidelines are established, it is important to educate customers on the benefits of additive manufacturing and work with those customers early in the design process to determine if it fits the product and choose the best metal additive technology to fit the tolerances, part size, and budget. Additive manufacturing has also opened the door to designing geometry that would otherwise be impossible to create at minimal to no added cost for the increasing complexity
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