Introduction to Additive Manufacturing: technologies, materials, benefits, challenges and applications

If in the past additive manufacturing was used by companies especially in the field of rapid prototyping, today it is exploited in various fields, from the production of customized medical prostheses, tools in production contexts, aeronautical components but also buildings and even organic fabrics.

The benefits of additive manufacturing are in fact evident: the creation of complex geometries that are often otherwise not feasible, speed, flexibility and production versatility are just some of them.

Despite the benefits, additive manufacturing is still not as widespread as it should be. Although it is not a completely new technology, too many companies are still struggling to adopt this solution, often out of distrust due to lack of knowledge.

The primary objective of this book is to introduce the fundamental principles of this technology to newbies, whether they are hobbyists, managers or engineers, in order to be able to exploit it to their advantage. The availability of materials on the market is such that the possibilities offered are substantially unlimited. However, to be able to grasp them, it is necessary to know it in its fundamentals.