Book of the Week: Additive Manufacturing Design, Methods, and Processes

This week’s selection is “Additive Manufacturing: Design, Methods, and Processes” by Steinar Western Killi. 

Additive Manufacturing is still quite new to many in business, education and even hobbyists, and there’s no shortage of books to explain every aspect of the technology. This book seems to take a different angle on the topic, as it examines the phenomenon of 3D printing from alternate perspectives. 

The author, Steinar Killi, is an associate professor at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO), and specializes in Direct Digital Manufacturing, and in particular, 3D printing technologies. His work covers many aspects of the use of additive manufacturing technologies and processes. 

Perhaps the most interesting work for readers might be his development of the “AICE” model, which is a formalized “approach to designing for additive manufacturing”. This book contains an entire chapter dedicated to describing AICE. 

The book contains a number of other unusual takes on 3D printing, including a chapter entitled, “A Design Sociotechnical Making of 3D Printing”, which examines the interactions between technology and people in a workplace, as well as the relevance of 3D printing to society at large. 

There is a long section discussing aspects of prototyping, including several different ways one could make use of them in practical ways. 

Another chapter investigates the aesthetics of clay forms and how this relates to 3D modeled equivalents in today’s digital world. 

The unusual topic of how 3D printed items could be used to leverage branding is discussed at length, a topic I’ve not seen written about previously. There are several case studies mentioned to show how user experience can be enhanced through 3D printing. 

Finally, the book discusses the influence 3D printing technology will have over design in the near and distant future. 

I have to say the material in this book is quite different from other books on 3D printing and additive manufacturing, as it delves into topics that are important, yet rarely discussed. 

Via Amazon