ABSTRACT
The process of fabricating net shape components with commercially available single materials (polymers, metals, and ceramics) using AM techniques has been mostly optimized by respective equipment manufacturers. Therefore, the users simply use process parameters that are prescribed by the manufacturer while fabricating the components. Further, use of custom materials in some of these AM machines appears to be difcult, and as a result, developing structures with novel materials such as composites and FGMs becomes difcult. For example, for high performance and properties, composites should be fabricated with high volume fraction of reinforcements having controlled alignment/ orientation (with respect to the load) and appropriate connectivity, and exhibit microstructural hierarchy if desired. Further, these composites should be manufactured to near net shape to eliminate problems associated with conventional machining. Such new composite materials are difcult to fabricate using conventional manufacturing routes.
