| Abstract Scope |
Additive Manufacturing (AM) has long been defined by its ability to create what conventional processes cannot—usually framed only around geometric freedom. Yet AM’s true disruptive potential lies beyond geometry, and instead evolving into a platform that can directly fabricate multi-functional components and can process and architect materials and material combinations that were previously inaccessible.
This talk presents Virginia Tech DREAMS Lab’s efforts to broaden AM’s value proposition through research that tailors geometry, toolpath, material, and process across AM modalities. Examples include advances in (1) designing materials for AM processing, (2) understanding AM process–structure–property relationships, (3) AM electronic materials and processes, and (4) the extraction of AM out of its stand-alone box and its integration as a tool in an advanced manufacturing process chain. Emphasis is placed on AM’s transformation into a semi-autonomous, multi-modal, multi-material, multi-axis capability—one that shifts AM from making parts to manufacturing integrated systems. |