Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) or 3D printing of metals has seen steady growth in technology development and a growing list of applications over the past 25 years. ALM technologies offer users the opportunity to produce complex parts quickly, in any metal, and at lower costs compared to traditional routes such as machining. The current commercial ALM system technology does however suffer from low production rates, lower resolutions, and quality limitations when compared to conventional production routes. The growth rate of the ALM sector has been affected by these limitations. With the growing interest in ALM from a range of sectors such as aerospace, automotive, biomedical, and general fabrication, there is a pressing need to solve the current limitations of ALM. This industrial research project sets out to advance the levels of ALM implementation by delivering new generation of ALM system technology that can deliver a part building process to match that of high resolution machining operations. Thereby expanding the capabilities and application scope of metal-based ALM systems across all industrial sectors.

Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) or 3D printing of metals has seen steady growth in technology development and a growing list of applications over the past 25 years. ALM technologies offer users the opportunity to produce complex parts quickly, in any metal, and at lower costs compared to traditional routes such as machining. The current commercial ALM systems technology does however suffer from low production rates, lower resolutions, and quality limitations when compared to conventional production routes. The growth rate of the ALM sector has been affected by these limitations. With the growing interest in ALM from a range of sectors such as aerospace, automotive, biomedical, and general fabrication, there is a pressing need to solve the current limitations of ALM. This industrial research project sets out to advance the levels of ALM implementation by delivering new generation of ALM system technology that can break the barriers of productivity, quality and cost, thereby expanding the capabilities and application scope of metal-based ALM systems across all industrial sectors.