This free course, Additive manufacturing, introduces you to its key concepts. It covers the fundamentals of the additive manufacturing process, steps involved in creating a model and building an artefact, materials and techniques used, and the factors which affect the functionality of the finished parts.

Learning outcomes:

• Describe additive manufacturing and explain its advantages and disadvantages.
• Explain the processes used in additive manufacturing for a range of materials and applications.
• Understand the role of additive manufacturing in the design process and the implications for design.
• Describe the effects of surface finish and microstructural properties on behaviour for components produced using additive manufacturing.
• Display an awareness of residual stresses that may occur during additive manufacturing and their effects.