Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” wrote science fiction writer Arthur C Clarke. Nowhere is this more aptly applied than to Additive Manufacturing (AM).

AM is the process of using laser and electron beam process technology, along with CAD software, to fuse plastic or metal-bearing powder into usable shapes, like aerospace or automotive parts. This dazzling process builds a part in thin layers from the ground up, allowing for complex shapes often not possible with traditional CNC machining.

Despite its magical appearance, AM is rapidly becoming a transformative and practical technology in manufacturing, according to a new whitepaper from the Nadcap program. It is no longer used just to make prototypes.

As the whitepaper explains, additive manufacturing, now used to build things like individual jet engine fuel nozzles and brackets, is expanding its capability to include the manufacture of production-level quantities of parts. Quad laser machines are now available to increase part productivity, and a machine with 12 1kW lasers is on the market to enable high volume production.

Richard Freeman, a Principal Engineer at the Performance Review Institute (PRI), which administrates the Nadcap program, is the author of the new whitepaper. In it he also cites the development of Open Architecture AM (OAAM) as a significant driver of progress in the technology. It has led to advances such as larger AM chamber sizes allowing the production of significantly larger parts.

Nadcap provides an Audit Checklist for the Laser and Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion AM process. Audit Checklists are used prior to a process audit to help a company ensure its practices and processes comply with established standards. Independent process audits can help a company demonstrate proficiency in a particular process.

The aerospace industry was one of the first adopters of additive manufacturing, recognizing its promise for producing both prototype and production quality parts. Nadcap works closely with the aerospace community to develop audit checklists and accreditation programs covering numerous manufacturing processes.

To read the full Nadcap whitepaper on AM, or to download a pdf of it, go to the Resources section of the PRI website at: https://lnkd.in/e5-auH_J and search under ‘Nadcap’ and/or ‘Whitepapers’. If you’d like additional information about Nadcap, email Nadcapinfo@p-r-i.org.