Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM): One third weight reduction using 3D Printing

Every manufacturing technology has its strengths and their limitations. All professional designers and engineers understand this and optimise their designs accordingly. It also means that, in some cases, you can make a significant impact on the end part or product simply by shifting process and optimising your design accordingly.

In our world this process is called “Design for Additive Manufacturing” (DfAM). In this case study we explain how that process was able to shave one third of the weight out of a part simply by optimising it for MJF printing.

The part in question was part of a system of electronics designed to be carried in a backpack. Four were needed in each system, each holding one of the required batteries. Overall weight in the system was a key factor and so opportunities for weight reduction were being sought across the entire design.

The part we were asked to review using DfAM techniques had originally been designed for CNC machining, we believe – a subtractive process that imposes inherent design limitations in the way that a part can be machined from a solid block of material. The result was a design that had numerous areas where material was left in the design purely to enable its production.

The shift to additive manufacturing using Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) liberated the design process from these traditional constraints. MJF process opens up virtually limitless possibilities in geometry, allowing us to focus solely on the requirements of the part without the bounds of previous manufacturing processes.

• Negligible Manufacturing Constraints: Freedom to produce any geometry.
• Enhanced Functional Design: Ability to focus on essential features without compromise, and to add additional features into the design that might otherwise have had to be added during assembly
• Ease of Iteration: Modify your design on every print – or send different versions to be printed together, all with no additional manufacturing cost.
• Production and customisation at scale: The MJF process is suitable for end use parts whether you need one, or hundreds at a time – all on short lead times with minimal set up. Need each to be slightly different? Also easily done.