Additive Manufacturing 2020: Smarter 3D Printing — First Time Right by Design
An eBook from MSC Software and Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence compiling articles and case studies on how simulation enables 'First Time Right' additive manufacturing across aerospace, automotive and industrial applications. It introduces MSC Apex Generative Design and showcases case studies from Bosch India (70% mass reduction), MBFZ toolcraft, Samara University, Safran and others.
Key Insights
Critical data points from Additive Manufacturing 2020: Smarter 3D Printing — First Time Right by Design.
MSC Apex enables design-space exploration previously considered impractical, red
Digital AM process modeling delivered 70% mass reduction on a fixture tool befor
Automated cost assessment incorporates material requirements, support structures
Additive manufacturing has transitioned from prototyping (30+ years) to serial p
Hendrik Schafstall, Roger Assaker, Volker Mensing — MSC Software / Hexagon MI
Key Findings
Major discoveries and conclusions from Additive Manufacturing 2020: Smarter 3D Printing — First Time Right by Design.
Generative Design Cuts Simulation Time Up to 10x
MSC Apex enables design-space exploration previously considered impractical, reducing simulation time and cost dramatically.
Bosch India: 70% Mass Saving
Digital AM process modeling delivered 70% mass reduction on a fixture tool before physical manufacturing commitment.
Manufacturing Cost in the Optimisation Loop
Automated cost assessment incorporates material requirements, support structures, surface finishing, and build-plate efficiency directly into design workflows.
AM Increasingly Used for Serial Production
Additive manufacturing has transitioned from prototyping (30+ years) to serial production across aeronautics, space, and medical sectors.
Executive Summary
A concise overview of the report's scope, methodology and conclusions.
MSC Apex Generative Design connects design solutions with virtual manufacturing simulation (Simufact Additive / Digimat AM), enabling designs to account for engineering and production challenges earlier in product development; as a digital twin it identifies the best printing process and optimises part orientation.
Robert Bosch India used Simufact Additive to model the AM metal build process and post-processing for a fixture tool, achieving a 70% reduction in mass before committing to physical manufacturing — a direct demonstration of the business value of virtual AM simulation.
Additive Manufacturing affords the advantage of small production runs with less material waste, significant energy cost savings and the ability to produce high-performance parts that cannot be subtractively manufactured, cast or formed; this eBook frames simulation as the key enabler for scaling AM from prototyping to serial production.
What's Inside
Explore the chapters and sections covered in this report.
Report Preview
A glance at the sections inside this 44-page ebook.
Bridging the gap between design and additive manufacturing using smart generative design
Fast and accurate AM manufacturability analysis (Coriolis Composites)
Flexibility through AM: how simulation supports 3D prototyping (MBFZ toolcraft)
MaterialCenter for metals AM data management (US Army)
Get the Full Report
Download the complete report in PDF format.
What You'll Learn
- How generative design enables 10x faster simulation and design exploration
- Bosch India case study: 70% mass reduction through digital lightweighting
- Integrating manufacturing cost into the design optimisation loop
- The transition from prototyping to serial production with AM
- First-time-right outcomes through virtual manufacturing verification
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