Design for Additive Manufacturing with New Book from SAE International

July 23, 2018

Courtney E. Howard

A complex sieving component produced by an additive manufacturing process. (Incodema3D)

Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, is among the hottest advanced manufacturing trends poised to transform myriad industries, including aerospace, with applications extending from the manufacturing floor to the International Space Station (ISS). SAE International casts a spotlight on AM in its new book, Design for Additive Manufacturing: Concepts and Considerations for the Aerospace Industry .

In the coming decades, growth in AM will likely be driven by production parts that leverage the design freedom afforded by AM to manufacture parts of higher performance and improved material utilization. Contrary to popular opinion, however, AM processes do have their constraints and limitations – not everything can be manufactured with AM, and even when it is feasible, not everything should.

Design for Additive Manufacturing: Concepts and Considerations for the Aerospace Industry, edited by Dr. Dhruv Bhate, is a collection of 10 seminal SAE International technical papers, which cover AM from the perspective of the appropriateness (should) and feasibility (can) of using AM for manufacturing of parts and tooling.

AM technologies have been around for three decades, yet it’s just the beginning of the revolution in the design-driven aspects of this technology. When it comes to design for AM, it is a safe bet that the best is yet to be.

Courtney E. Howard is editorial director and content strategist at SAE International, Aerospace Products Group. Contact her by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..