A research team at Johns Hopkins University has presented a new process called “Hybrid Formative-Additive Manufacturing” (HyFAM), which combines additive and formative manufacturing techniques. The aim is to utilize the structural strengths of both approaches to overcome limitations in speed, precision and material usage in 3D printing. The results were published in the journal Advanced Materials.
“Instead of viewing additive and formative manufacturing as competing methods, we had the idea to marry the two,” said Jochen Mueller, CaSE assistant professor and principal study author. “By combining the benefits of each, we created a new production method that also overcomes some of their major drawbacks.”
HyFAM combines the geometric flexibility of the additive manufacturing process with the high volume productivity of casting-like processes. Large-volume areas of a component are quickly filled using a shaping process, while complex outer contours or functional details continue to be printed using conventional layer build-up. This division enables significant time savings to be achieved, particularly for components with varying structural sizes.
“Additive manufacturing offers significant detail, but when you use a small nozzle to achieve it, the entire process slows down,” said team member Nathan Brown, a doctoral candidate and first author of the paper. “This becomes a real hinderance in parts with large internal features and widely-varying feature sizes.”
“HyFAM is less advantageous for highly intricate, uniform objects, but its strengths in combining speed, material flexibility, and design complexity make it a promising solution for a wide variety of industries, from construction to soft robotics,” said Mueller.
The implementation of the process requires precise control of the material viscosity and flow properties so that shaping and pressure-based elements bond without structural weaknesses. Initial tests with different materials – including silicone, clay, epoxy resin, metal and even chocolate – show the broad applicability of the process.
According to the researchers, HyFAM offers particularly interesting potential for applications with changing requirements in terms of detail accuracy and filling structure, for example in robotics or the construction industry. Future work should enable the integration of different materials with varying mechanical properties in order to further expand the range of applications.
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