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Independent Online Learning Programs for Additive Manufacturing

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Get access to Additive Manufacturing Online Learning Course Content

AMPOWER offers a wide range of self-paced Additive Manufacturing online learning programs. These trainings are targeted at engineers, managers and other professionals that are working with the technology on a daily basis. The online learning programs can be combined with live trainings for a hands-on implementation of Additive Manufacturing.

AM Fundamentals Content
The AM Hype Cycle
Application Example Tooling
The AM Process Chain
The AM Mindset
The AM Process Landscape
Benefits of Additive Manufacturing

AM Fundamentals - Additive Manufacturing Online Learning

Get an overview of the AM market

The course AM FUNDAMENTALS helps you understand the most important topics to get started, such as different process categories, current trends, the AM mindset and application examples. This course is the ideal starting point for everyone that wants to get an overview of Additive Manufacturing and apply the technology on the job.

Go to the AM FUNDAMENTALS course

Metal Technologies - ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING ONLINE LEARNING

Dive deeper into metal technologies

The course METAL TECHNOLOGIES allows you to dive deeper into the different metal technologies. Besides maturity of all common metal technologies, it covers the working principle, technical characteristics, application examples and supplier landscape of the following processes:

  • Laser Powder Bed Fusion
  • Electron Powder Bed Fusion
  • Metal Binder Jetting
  • Powder Laser Deposition
  • Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing
  • Metal Material Extrusion

This course will enable you to select the right metal process for your applications.

Go to the METAL TECHNOLOGIES course
Additive Manufacturing Online Learning Cost Calculation Metal
Metal Technology Landscape
Binder Jetting properties
Machine Principle Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Advantages vs. Disadvantages
Metal Binder Jetting Application Example
Technology Overview
Maturity of Metal Technologies
Materials
Melting vs. Sintering Processes
Design Guidelines
Additive Manufacturing Online Learning Polymer Technologies
Polymer Technology Focus
Polymer Maturity
Polymer AM Technology Landscape
Polymer Application Example
Polymer Technology Comparison
Advantages vs. Disadvantages Polymer Process

Polymer Technologies - ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING ONLINE LEARNING

Better understand polymer technologies

The course POLYMER TECHNOLOGIES enables you to confidently navigate in the polymer technology landscape. Besides maturity of all common polymer technologies, it covers the working principle, technical characteristics, application examples and supplier landscape of the following processes:

  • Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF)
  • Material Extrusion
  • Vat Polymerization

This course will enable you to select the right polymer process for your applications.

Go to the POLYMER TECHNOLOGIES course

Part Identification - ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING ONLINE LEARNING

Select the most suitable applications

The Additive Manufacturing online learning course PART IDENTIFICATION teaches a structured methodology that allows you identify suitable components for AM. The course covers topics such as how to evaluate the technical feasibility of an application, how to identify the value that AM can bring to a part and gives an overview of different software tools for part identification. This course is for everyone that wants to apply Additive Manufacturing to their parts.

Go to the PART IDENTIFICATION course
Additive Manufacturing Online Learning Part Identification
Part Identification Process
Design Value Add
Part Identification Matrix
Bottom-up vs. Top-Down Approach
Additive Manufacturing Online Learning Cost Calculation Metal
AM Supplier Landscape
Productivity of L-PBF
Typical hourly rate of metal AM machines
Material Extrusion cost per cm3
Cost per volume comparison
Cost drivers along the value chain
Typical feedsto

Cost Calculation Metal- ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING ONLINE LEARNING

Quickly estimate costs for metal applications

The Additive Manufacturing online learning course COST CALCULATION METAL enables you to deeply understand the cost drivers for the most common AM technologies. It covers the fundamentals of AM cost calculation and at the same time provides general values for inhouse and external manufacturing costs for the following metal technologies:

  • Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF)
  • Electron Powder Bed Fusion (EPBF)
  • Metal Binder Jetting
  • Metal FDM
  • Laser Metal Deposition (LMD)
  • Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM)

This course is specifically targeted towards designers and professionals that need to calculate costs for metal AM. 

Go to the COST CALCULATION METAL course

Metal Laser Powder Bed Fusion Deep-dive

Get the most out of L-PBF

The Additive Manufacturing online learning course METAL L-PBF DEEP-DIVE enables you to fully understand the most mature metal technology. It covers key topics such as technology and process chain, material availability and properties as well as design guidelines and applications. This course is specifically targeted towards designers and other professionals that are working with L-PBF.

Go to the Metal L-PBF Deep-Dive course
Additive Manfacturing Online Learning L-PBF Course Page
Machine Technology
Data Preparation Workflow
Machine Set-up Workflow
Process videos
Process Deep Dive
Part Characteristics
Mechanical Properties
Design Guidelines
The AM Design process
Application Examples

Basic Additive Manufacturing Online Learning Courses

Additive Manufacturing Training AM Fundamentals

AM Fundamentals

Learn how to navigate in the Additive Manufacturing market

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Additive Manufacturing Training Metal

Metal Technologies

Understand the most important aspects related to metal AM technologies

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Additive Manufacturing Training Polymer Course

Polymer Technologies

Understand the most important aspects related to Polymer AM technologies

Go to Course
Additive Manufacturing Training Part Identification

Part Identification

Identify applications that generate real value

Go to Course

Advanced Additive Manufacturing Online Learning Courses

Cost Calculation Metal

Calculate costs for metal applications

Go to Course

Metal L-PBF Deep-Dive

Learn key aspects of the most mature metal technology

Go to Course
Sinter-based Additive Manufacturing Coming soon

Sinter-based AM Technologies

Dive deeper into sinter-based AM technologies

Coming soon
Additive Manufacturing Online Learning Group

Additive Manufacturing Online Learning Teaching styles

Combination of online learning with live courses

Each online learning course consists of a mixture of videos, interactive content and further reading material. The videos last few minutes each and summarize the most important content. Besides, you can click through the content with more details and external links. A quiz at the end of each course tests your knowledge. Every course comes with a pdf summarizing the content as well as further reading materials to dive deeper into the topics. 

The AMPOWER online learning programs can be complemented by live courses that are held by AMPOWER employees or experts from our network. The online learning programs generally form a basis for a more hands-on and in-depth discussion during a live course. Live courses can take place online or at customer facilities.

Additive Manufacturing Online Learning Certificate and Tests

Ensure progress through tests and certificates

At the end of each course, a quiz assessing the most important content ensures that all relevant points have been understood. Each quiz consists of different question types such as True or False, Multiple Choice or visual sorting questions. Members receive a certificate for the successful completion of each course awarded by AMPOWER. Certificates are a great way to keep track of which employee has earned what type of skills.

Additive Manufacturing Training Online Learning Certificate
Additive Manufacturing Training Online Learning Group Functionality

Additive Manufacturing Online Learning Team Functionalities

Create a group for your company, add team members and monitor their progress

Purchasing a team license allows you to create a group where you can add colleagues and monitor their progress as well as view their test results. Simply create a group code and share it with your colleagues so they will automatically join your group. 

Additionally, company-wide access can be set up in order to train an unlimited number of employees across different sites. 

Additive Manufacturing Online Learning Trial Course

Subscribe to start free trial

You can access the first course Additive Manufacturing Fundamentals for free after subscribing to the AMPOWER Academy newsletter.

Additive Manufacturing Training AM Fundamentals

AM Fundamentals Trial

Understand the most important topics to get started with Additive Manufacturing

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Sinter-based AM technologies and process chain

Sinter-based AM - a technology overview

Many different printing technologies - one sintering process

The sinter-based AM (SBAM) technologies have, as the name suggests, the sintering process in common. In this process, the printed green part is consolidated into a dense part and receives its final properties. The green part can be printed in advance using different technologies.They all have in common that metal powder is bound to the desired shape by a binder. The best-known printing technologies include Binder Jetting and Filament Material Extrusion.

In this section, you learn everything about the sinter-based AM  process chain and get an overview of the different printing technologies.

Goal and structure of this course

This course is aimed at engineers, designers and other professionals that are working closely with sinter-based AM technologies. The goal is to cover the most important aspects that will enable engineers and designers to fully grasp the capabilities and technical limitations of the printing technologies and the sintering process to succeed in technology selection and part design. Besides going through the course from the beginning until the end, this course can also act as a constant source of knowledge while working on AM projects. 

The course is structured into the following sections.

This section will start with an overview of the sinter-based AM process chain and its printing technologies, followed by a technology deep dive into the most important aspects of the BJT technology, followed by a closer look at the debinding and sintering step also including sintering simulation .

The second section will provide an overview of the different materials that are available as well as part characteristics that can be achieved with the BJT process and typical methods for quality assurance. Finally, several common defects in the BJT process are presented. 

The last section will act as a guideline for designers. Besides generally describing the process when designing for Additive Manufacturing, actionable restrictions and guidelines for the BJT process are provided. The final section will present several design examples from different industries. 

What you will find in this section

Sinter-based AM process chain

From digital model to finished part

Data preparation

Simulation to compensate the deformation during the sintering step, nesting of parts and definition of printing parameters

Printing

Through various printing processes, different feedstocks such as metal powders, filaments, pellets or dispersions are processed into green parts

Unpacking

Unpacking of fragile green parts needs to be done carefully and is typically a manual process.

Debinding

Debinding describes the process of removing the binder which results in a brown part

Sintering

To reach the structural integrity of a metal part, a sinter process is required. The powder particles fuse together to a coherent, solid structure via a mass transport that occurs at the atomic scale driven via diffusional forces.

The brown part shrinks ~13-21 % in each direction.

The process chain of sinter-based technologies differs from other AM Technologies. Especially the post-printing processes (debinding and sintering) are crucial to achieve the intended mechanical properties.

Technology principle

How does Binder Jetting work?

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Afterwards the build platform moves downward by the amount of one layer thickness and a new layer of powder is applied. Again, the liquid binder is deposited and hardened in the required regions of the next layer to form the green body. This process is repeated until the complete part is printed. After the complete printing process is finished the parts have to be removed from the “powder cake” meaning the surrounding loose but densified powder. To improve the removal of the excess powder from the green body often brushes or a blasting gun with air pressure are used.

To create a dense metal part the 3D printed green body has to be post-processed in a debinding and sintering process. Similar to the metal injection molding process BJT parts are placed in a high temperature furnace, where the binder is burnt out and the remaining metal particles are sintered together. The sintering results in densification of the 3D printed green body to a metal part with high densities of 97 % to 99,5%, dependent of the material.

Printing Technologies

Metal Binder Jetting

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Material Extrusion

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Mold Slurry Deposition

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting

Metal Selective Laser Sintering

Binder Jetting is a powder based Additive Manufacturing technology in which a liquid polymer binder is selectively deposited onto the powder bed binding the metal particles and forming a green body.

The metal powder is applied to a build platform in a typical layer thickness of 40 µm to 100 µm. Subsequently a modified 2D print head apply a binder selectively onto the powder bed. Depending on machine technology a hardening or curing process of the binder is performed in parallel for each layer and/or at the end of the whole build. During the in-situ curing process a heat source is used to solidify the binder and form a solid polymer – metal powder composite.

Working Principle of Binder Jetting