What will I learn?
This course will introduce the principles and industrial context of metallic additive manufacturing, including the main process families such as powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition and wire-based additive manufacturing. You will gain an understanding of feedstock materials, process physics, microstructural evolution, flaws, and the relationship between manufacturing parameters, properties and performance.
The programme also covers design for additive manufacturing, including topology optimisation, lattice structures, build orientation, distortion control and practical design considerations. Mechanical performance, testing approaches, microstructural characterisation, and common failure mechanisms in additively manufactured components will also be discussed using real industrial examples.
You will additionally learn about qualification, standards, inspection approaches and industrial implementation challenges, together with sustainability considerations, repair and remanufacturing opportunities, and emerging trends such as multi-material additive manufacturing, AI-assisted process optimisation and future alloy development.
Throughout the course, interactive discussions, case studies and practical exercises will support understanding and help translate technical knowledge into engineering decision-making relevant to real industrial applications.