Dimensional Interchangeability in Additive Manufacturing
Open Access
- Author:
- Savla, Aditya
- Graduate Program:
- Industrial Engineering (MS)
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- June 24, 2022
- Committee Members:
- Jose Ventura, Professor in Charge/Director of Graduate Studies
El-Amine Lehtihet, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Robert Carl Voigt, Committee Member - Keywords:
- Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing
Additive Manufacturing
Dimensional Interchangeability
Assemblability
Fused Deposition Modeling - Abstract:
- Additive manufacturing (AM) is growing at a very fast pace. Its applications have expanded from rapid prototyping for wide range of design and engineering applications to now a more large-scale manufacturing application. AM processes can create complex, freeform shapes while also introducing features such as internal cavities and lattices. These complex geometries are usually not feasible and/or very costly with traditional manufacturing processes. The geometric freedoms associated with AM create new challenges in maintaining and communicating dimensional and geometric accuracy of parts produced. Some of the notable drawbacks in AM include the difficulty to predict how exactly components distort or shrink after the print process along with a need for post processing. These limitations have plateaued the scalability of AM processes. For many applications, dimensional accuracy is critical for functionality and/or acceptable assembly. There exists limited research with regards to the concept of interchangeability and assemblability in AM. Most research studies focus on optimizing process parameters to achieve the best possible quality and mechanical strength of printed parts. This study focuses on creating a link between interchangeability and additive manufacturing by developing an outline for conducting interchangeability and assembly tests, helping end users design components effectively and meet functional requirements for assembly of these components. This will help the end user make better decisions while designing components for additive manufacturing processes and produce cost effective components that are interchangeable at assembly. Findings presented here will can inform business decisions about purchasing components that are manufactured using additive manufacturing processes.