Presented by Monarch Metal

An overview of Additive, Subtractive, and Formative Manufacturing

How Common Manufacturing Methods Compare

As more and more innovative technologies make their way to the general public, manufacturers are seeing the face of their industry change by the day.

Things like affordable 3D printing, job automation, and predictive maintenance technology are striking up a New Industrial Revolution that has industry veterans and novices alike taking notice.

But despite all these recent advances, traditional manufacturing processes are still very effective. And choosing between the old and the new is merely a matter of considering the pros, cons, and purposes of each process.

Let’s take a look at how some of the most commonly used manufacturing processes compare:

Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing is a process that involves assembling a product layer by layer.

Though many think of additive manufacturing as merely 3D printing, there are actually seven different processes that can be used to bring a complex design to life.

These processes are: Vat Polymerisation, material jetting, binder jetting, material extrusion, powder bed fusion, sheet lamination, direct energy disposition.

With the help of these processes, manufacturers are able to design and produce highly detailed and cost-effective products in a short amount of time.

The reason for this is that additive manufacturing allows for the pre-fabrication of complex objects which helps reduce labor time and costs.

However, because the additive process is so detailed, it can only produce single prototypes or small batches at a time.

Subtractive Manufacturing

As you may have gathered from its name, Subtractive Manufacturing is the opposite from Additive Manufacturing. In this process, prototypes are created by removing material from larger pieces of material.

Subtractive is a more traditional manufacturing method that often involves milling, turning, lathing, drilling, and CNC.

While most products can be made this way, subtractive processes are considered wasteful in comparison to other methods.

Subtractive processes are also limited to the amount of detail they can produce in a cost-effective way.

Oftentimes, detailed products require the use of a CNC router or skilled machinist, which can drive up costs significantly.

On the plus side, subtractive manufacturing makes the most sense when producing large volume products that have simple part designs.

Formative Manufacturing

Formative manufacturing uses processes like injection molding, die casting, pressing, and stamping to form materials into the desired shape.

This process can be completed using a variety of materials including metal and plastic. It also enables manufacturers to make a single product out of different materials at the same time.

Formative manufacturing, especially injection molding, also lends itself to creative and financial flexibility. In fact, many manufacturers can produce high quality parts of any color at very low per-part costs.

But tooling can come at a hefty price, both in cost and in functionality. Tooling is not only expensive but also requires longer lead times, which is not ideal.

There are also some constraints that need to be taken into consideration. For instance:

And for die casting, the casting weight must be between 30 grams and 10kg, AND the final casting must have some porosity.

For injection molding, uneven wall thicknesses and sharp edges should be avoided in the design stage.

Each one of these manufacturing methods offers manufacturers something different, whether it’s quick turnaround time or the ability to mass produce.

All in all, it’s safe to say that all three of these methods still have a solid place in the manufacturing world.

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