An application- and market-oriented review on large format additive manufacturing, focusing on polymer pellet-based 3D printing

Abstract

Since this advent, additive manufacturing (AM) has grown steadily and found applications across all types of sectors. While the great development of such technologies has improved the quality of prints and expanded the availability of materials, AM still has some limitations regarding its physical scaling. This paper will briefly present the state-of-the-art of large-scale additive manufacturing and subsequently greater attention will be given to extrusion-based 3D printing. Specifically, we will discuss about large format additive manufacturing (LFAM) or big area additive manufacturing (BAAM), a technology based on material extrusion born a few years ago. These systems are characterized by higher deposition rate and lower costs of the material compared to fused filament fabrication (FFF) printers; moreover, they allow to obtain parts with better properties (e.g., adding carbon or glass fibers). The world of research has shown great interest in large-scale material extrusion technologies, which appear to be quite competitive with conventional manufacturing processes and which will find increasing application in the industrial field. With the aim of developing a tool for orienting researchers and technicians in this complex field, the present paper presents a systematic review of the actual market of machines, the research in extrudable materials and related applications concerning large-scale 3D printing, and in particular the LFAM.