Additive Manufacturing workshop

Attendees of a two-day Additive Manufacturing for Space Applications workshop at its ESTEC technical centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, which took place on 28-29 October 2014. More than 350 experts from across Europe came together to discuss the potential of 3D printing – also known as Additive Manufacturing or ‘AM’ – for space. They discussed a development roadmap for the technology as well as common verification methods for its future use. the advantages of AM include a 40 to 90% decrease in materials compared to standard ‘subtractive’ manufacturing, far-reduced lead times, less complex assemblies and interfaces and greater environmental friendliness.