3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing

3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing (AM) has revolutionised how prototypes are made and small batch manufacturing carried out. With additive manufacturing, the strategies used to produce a part change a number of important considerations and limitations previously faced by tool designers and engineers.

This textbook is the fourth edition of Rapid Prototyping: Principles and Applications. It covers the key AM processes, the available models and specifications, and their principles, materials, advantages and disadvantages. Examples of application areas in design, planning, manufacturing, biomedical engineering, entertainment, weaponry, art and architecture are also given. The book includes several related problems for the reader to test his or her understanding of the topics. This edition comes with a companion media pack that presents animated illustrations of the working principles of today's key AM processes.