Abstract
Additive Manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, is
seemingly offering a wealth of possibilities in the manufacturing industry. This
technology is frequently used in aerospace and biomedical engineering but its
impact on construction industry is still at a perceived stage. 3D printing
technologies bring along the exciting opportunity of producing innovative and
efficient structural shapes to suit specific design requirements without requiring
complex and time consuming traditional forming and assembly processes. Metallic
3D printing technologies have advanced significantly during the last decade but
large-scale structural applications of 3D printed metallic elements are still nonexistent; this is largely due to the smaller size of existing printers. This paper
focusses on recent advancements and case studies on metallic 3D printed
structures with special emphasis on an ongoing project on metallic microlattice
structures printed from stainless steel and titanium. Microlattice structures have
been manufactured using Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) techniques i.e. Selective Laser
Melting (SLM) and Electron Beam Melting (EBM), showing widely varying surface
imperfections for struts in different orientations. Presence of micro-pores is also an
alarming issue that could affect the overall integrity of a structure. Appropriate
inclusion of all significant factors in numerical modelling brings along unique and
exciting challenges to be addressed. A critical evaluation on the prospect of using
3D printing in structural engineering is presented herein with some specific
challenges identified that would require extensive research to appropriately exploit
the beneficial effects of this exciting new technology in construction.
seemingly offering a wealth of possibilities in the manufacturing industry. This
technology is frequently used in aerospace and biomedical engineering but its
impact on construction industry is still at a perceived stage. 3D printing
technologies bring along the exciting opportunity of producing innovative and
efficient structural shapes to suit specific design requirements without requiring
complex and time consuming traditional forming and assembly processes. Metallic
3D printing technologies have advanced significantly during the last decade but
large-scale structural applications of 3D printed metallic elements are still nonexistent; this is largely due to the smaller size of existing printers. This paper
focusses on recent advancements and case studies on metallic 3D printed
structures with special emphasis on an ongoing project on metallic microlattice
structures printed from stainless steel and titanium. Microlattice structures have
been manufactured using Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) techniques i.e. Selective Laser
Melting (SLM) and Electron Beam Melting (EBM), showing widely varying surface
imperfections for struts in different orientations. Presence of micro-pores is also an
alarming issue that could affect the overall integrity of a structure. Appropriate
inclusion of all significant factors in numerical modelling brings along unique and
exciting challenges to be addressed. A critical evaluation on the prospect of using
3D printing in structural engineering is presented herein with some specific
challenges identified that would require extensive research to appropriately exploit
the beneficial effects of this exciting new technology in construction.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | 13th International Conference on Steel, Space and Composite Structures |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Publication status | Published - 2 Feb 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | 13th International Conference on Steel, Space and Composite Structures 2018 - Perth, Australia Duration: 31 Jan 2018 → 2 Feb 2018 Conference number: 13 |
Conference
| Conference | 13th International Conference on Steel, Space and Composite Structures 2018 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Australia |
| City | Perth |
| Period | 31/01/18 → 2/02/18 |