Additive Manufacturing and Inspection Difficulties
Traditional nondestructive inspections are performed much the same for additive parts, but there are some new limitations introduced by the AM methods.
Additive manufacturing (AM) is one of the hottest and most revolutionary processes to come along in many years. The thought of popping a design into a machine and having a functional part come out the other side was science fiction a generation ago. We are nowhere near the Star Trek replicators, but we are closing that gap.
Plastics, infused plastics, ceramics, inks, precious metals, and exotic alloys are manufactured daily across a variety of industries and for a plethora of applications and uses. The range of applications is amazing. Everything from toys to human organs are being printed. Here I will focus on the aviation and power generation side of AM where many are hard at work designing and creating innovative solutions.