A Manager's Guide to Large Scale Additive Manufacturing
This 315 page book, currently available as either an eBook or paperback hardcopy, is intended to help non-technical managers understand the basics behind a new technology that is revolutionizing production of large composite molds, tools and other industrial and commercial products.
Where to Purchase
This book is currently available from Amazon either as an electronic file or as a printed hardcopy.
Who This Book is For
If you are a manager in an industrial company who might benefit from large scale additive technology, or, if your company is actively exploring this technology, this book will give you the background you need to participate and make better decisions. It will also help you cut through the confusion and crosstalk that often accompanies a new technology like this.
More InfoIndustrial additive manufacturing is currently being used successfully every day to produce some of the largest composite parts ever made. These include large aerospace molds and tools, foundry patterns for various industries, chassis for electric busses and what is likely the tallest 3D printed structure ever made. Although the process results in substantial savings and dramatically reduces lead time, much of industry today still doesn’t understand or trust it.
In this book, the author, who was instrumental in developing the technology actually being used in industry today, explains in everyday, no nonsense language what it is, how it works, what actually works, what doesn’t and why. He provides a guide for non-technical managers to help them understand the basics so they can evaluate how this new technology might impact their company.
He explores all aspects of this process in clear, easy to understand language including the print process, polymers, software, trimming, cost savings, time savings, computer simulation and the practical, real world, aspects of getting into large scale additive. He includes sometimes humorous vignettes about surprises, missteps and stumbles during initial technology development and how they were handled.
About the Author
The author, Ken Susnjara, is the founder, Chairman and CEO of Thermwood Corporation, the leading supplier of large scale additive systems for the production of thermoplastic composites. With almost 100 patents to his name, he was instrumental in the development of the underlying technology behind the most successful large scale additive systems today.
