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Additive manufacturing is a hot topic. Racecar looks at the pros and cons of the various current methods and their relevance to motorsport

- LAWRENCE BUTCHER

Additive manufacturing (AM) technology has, over the past decade, established itself as almost indispensable in the motorsport industry. As the mechanical properties of components produced using AM have advanced, so have the potential uses, and their adoption in applications where previously only machined or cast parts would be considered suitable.

The scope of the technology can at times be bewildering, ranging from what one could term ‘hobbyist’ 3D printers through to industrial scale, multi-process machines capable of producing high-strength metal parts, fully heat-treated and almost ready to fit. As with any manufacturing technology, there are limits to what can and can’t be achieved, but these are constantly being eroded as machinery manufacturers’ process engineers advance their knowledge.

There is also an element of engineering design theory having to play catch up with new techniques. The entire concept of Design for AM (DfAM) needs to be adopted to fully realise the benefits it can bring. The ability to produce previously unmachinable forms means engineers are having to rethink their design approaches, which have been cemented over years of producing parts within the constraints of traditional subtractive machining or casting processes.