Comparative study for the metrological characterization of additive manufacturing artefacts

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, has been introduced since mid 90' but it begins to have a broader use along last ten years. The first uses of AM process were for rapid prototyping or for 3D sample illustration due to the weak performances of mechanical characteristics of the materials available. However, even if this technology can provide answers for mechanical requirements, it will be largely used only if geometrical and dimensional characteristics of generated parts are also at the required level. In this context, it is necessary to investigate and identify any common dimensional and/or geometrical specifications of the parts generated by AM process. Highlighting singularity of AM systems should be based on the fabrication and measurement of standardized artefacts. Even if those test parts allow assessing some important characteristics of AM systems, there are still some challenges to characterize the capacity of generating freeform surfaces and features. In the literature, none of existing test parts are proposing those kind of features even if the generation of free-form surfaces is a significant benefit of AM systems. In this context, the aim of this paper is to provide a metrological comparative study on the capacity of an AM system to generate freeform parts based on an artefact.