More vendors are developing metal additive manufacturing systems and hope to compete with more traditional manufacturing processes like machining and injection molding.

There are already a number of metal additive processes including–laser sintering, electron beam melting, processes that use specific metals combined with binders, laser fusion, and so on. What indicators should engineers look for to determine if a part is suited to being made with a metal additive manufacturing technology?

Here are three to consider:

1. Part size

If a part is less than 8 in.2, it’s a good candidate for additive manufacturing. Larger parts take days to build, and then they must be sintered and cooled before handling. Along with part size, consider density needs. The more density a part needs, the more material is needed, the longer the build time, and so on. In general, as part size increases, the total production cost tends to increase on an exponential curve.

2. Assembly

One of the better capabilities of additive manufacturing is its ability to consolidate multiple parts into one, thereby reducing assembly time and costs. This is a good indicator that a part would be suitable for AM.

3. Complexity

Parts that have complex geometries or conformal cooling channels fit AM well. Parts with high-value are also suitable.

While these factors suggest the suitability of additive manufacturing, some factors are drawbacks. For example, how much post processing will the final part need? In some cases, this is an area of added expense for additive manufacturing.