Direct Digital Manufacturing
Direct digital manufacturing (DDM) is the usage of additive manufacturing technologies for production or manufacturing of end-use components. DDM is also known as “Rapid Manufacturing;” and for the purposes of this discussion, the term rapid manufacturing
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Direct Digital Manufacturing
Direct digital manufacturing (DDM) is the usage of additive manufacturing technologies for production or manufacturing of end-use components. DDM is also known as “Rapid Manufacturing;” and for the purposes of this discussion, the term rapid manufacturing, as commonly used in this field, is synonymous with DDM. Although it may seem that DDM is a natural extension of rapid prototyping, in practice this is not usually the case. Many additional considerations and requirements come into play for production manufacturing that are not important for prototyping. In this chapter, we explore these considerations through an examination of several DDM examples, distinctions between prototyping and production, and advantages of additive manufacturing for custom and low-volume production. Many times, DDM applications have taken advantage of the geometric complexity capabilities of AM technologies to produce parts with customized geometries. In these instances, DDM is not a replacement for mass production applications, as customized geometry cannot be mass-produced using traditional manufacturing technologies. In addition, since the economics of AM technologies do not enable economically competitive high volume production for most geometries and applications, DDM is often most economical for low-volume production applications. Two major individual-specific medical applications of DDM will be discussed, from Align Technology and Siemens/Phonak, as well as several other applications that make use of the unique design freedom afforded by AM techniques. This will be followed by a discussion of the unique characteristics of AM technologies that lead to DDM.
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Align Technology
Align Technology, in Santa Clara, California, is in the business of providing orthodontic treatment devices (www.aligntech.com). Their Invisalign treatments are essentially clear braces, called aligners, that are worn on the teeth (see Fig. 14.1). Every 1–2 weeks, the orthodontic patient receives a new set of aligners I. Gibson, D.W. Rosen, and B. Stucker, Additive Manufacturing Technologies, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-1120-9_14, # Springer ScienceþBusiness Media, LLC 2010
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Fig. 14.1 Aligner from Align Technology (Courtesy Align Technology)
that are intended to continue moving their teeth. That is, every 1–2 weeks, new aligners that have slightly different shapes are fabricated and shipped to the patient’s orthodontist for fitting. Over the total treatment time (several months to a year typically), the aligners cause the patient’s teeth to move from their initial position to the position desired by the orthodontist. If both the upper and lower teeth must be adjusted for 6 months, then 26 different aligners are needed for one patient, assuming that aligners are shipped every 2 weeks. The need for many different geometries in a short period of time requires a mass customization approach to aligner production. Align’s manufacturing process has been extensively engineered. First, the orthod
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