Methods of Additive Manufacturing

In a remarkably short period of time, additive manufacturing (AM) has embedded itself into the main-stream consciousness. Often referred to as 3D printing, AM encompasses a range of methods, 3D printing being just one. There is also stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), fused deposition modeling (FDM), digital light processing (DLP), polyjet matrix modeling, and laminated object manufacturing (LOM), with variations.

All forms of AM follow the same basic premise: a digital model is physically reproduced by the incremental build-up of material (polymer, metal, ceramic, foodstuff, biological mass, etc. - this list is ever increasing) through computer-numerically controlled (CNC) means, using a laser, nozzle, blade, projected UV image, etc. No material is removed, and thus none is wasted. The cost of producing many different objects is no greater than the cost of producing many identical objects - enabling our current historic shift from mass production to mass customization.

AM has been in development since the 1980s. The first patent for SLA was awarded in 1986; SLS was developed here at The University of Texas at Austin in 1986 by student Carl Deckard and his advisor Joseph Beaman. At once, the AM industry is both mature yet still in a nascent stage, and continues to develop rapidly. From 2011 to 2012, the global market for AM products and services increased 28.6%, from $1.7 to 2.2 billion.

This show features a collection of objects generated for a variety of purposes, created by a range of disciplines. They represent some, though not all, of the many AM methods.

University of Texas at Austin, Department of Art + Art History
R. Eric McMaster, faculty

Facemash; Art Soldiers; Digital Sculptor



University of Texas at Austin, School of Architecture

Nick Belkowski
Physalia physalis
Kory Bieg, faculty
Yang Chen, student
     Skeleton
Sasha Doo, student
     Squid Worm
Lincoln Davidson, student
     Interference
Jacob George, alumni
     Soft Light, Spiral Light
Yung-Ju Kim, student
     Cuttlefish Deconstructed
Ben Morris, student
     blastazooid
Mitchell Peterson, student
     PARAHEDRA05
Luke Stevenson, student
     Evolutionary Form: Nudibranch

University of Texas at Austin, Cockrell School of Engineering

Dr. David Bourrell, faculty advisor
     Research from the Laboratory for Freeform Fabrication
Dr. Ashish Deshpande, faculty advisor
Priyanshu Agarwal, Youngmok Yun, Dongyang Chen, Jonas Fox, Kaci Madden, and Dan Nguyen, students     
     Research from the ReNeu Robotics Lab
Dr. Carolyn Seepersad, faculty advisor
Dixon Correa, student
     Research from the Product, Process, & Materials Design Laboratory
     Negative Stiffness Honeycombs

Beyond

Nimer Aleck, Solid Concepts, Austin
    16 oz. Claw Hammer, Tiny Hammers 1 - 5
Daan de Hann, Jannie Schmitz, Ontwerpstudio, Netherlands
     Elevated Graphic Collection | 2.5D Printing
Matt Fajkus, Will Meredith, John Ross, Clay Shortall
      EIGHT
James Warton, Southern Methodist University, Dallas
     Alighted Structures

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