Kuldeep Agarwal

Need to know how to choose a 3D printer? An additive manufacturing expert tells shops that perform machining what to know about choosing a 3D printer.

Prototyping usually comes to mind when industry people think of additive manufacturing (AM). They seldom think of using AM to build jigs, fixtures, and gauges, which typically are machined from metal. However, job shops can save dollars and time by 3D-printing these common shop tools. All it takes...

Job shops involved in casting, sheet metal work, and machining typically aren’t contracted to perform long production runs. They are hired for small volumes of parts—those ranging from one to 1,000 pieces. With low volumes like these, though, it’s often too time-consuming and costly to make...