Design at Elevation
You are invited to attend a special three-day course on design for additive manufacturing (DfAM). Experience DfAM in a special environment in Frisco, Colorado at 9,097 feet (2773 m) – perfect conditions to elevate your design skills! The course introduces DfAM practices, integrating traditional engineering guidelines with simulation, and optimization tools increasingly used in advanced AM workflows. Participants will learn both foundational design rules and how modern software tools use generative design, machine learning, and automated build preparation to accelerate the development of high-quality, functional AM parts.
The course covers practical design guidelines developed over the past two decades. Also, it covers how AI-enabled tools can augment engineering judgment during part design, optimization, and process planning. Participants will explore design principles for a wide range of AM processes and materials, with emphasis on producing reliable, manufacturable parts.
Topics include minimum wall thicknesses, smallest diameters for pins and holes, design and printing of screw threads, clearances for moving assemblies, support minimization, and the management of overhanging features. Advanced software tools will be used to analyze shapes and geometric features, perform lightweight design optimization, including lattice structures, suggest design improvements, and optimize parts for performance, weight reduction, and manufacturability.
Hands-on exercises focus on the design of real parts and products, while preparing them for production on industrial AM equipment. Parts will be produced during the course and participants will gain first-hand experience in post-processing the parts (i.e., removing support structures). The course also introduces build preparation workflows, including automated orientation, support material generation, and process parameter recommendations.
Who Should Attend?
This DfAM course is targeted at designers, engineers, and managers wanting to learn how to design parts that benefit from AM. It is ideal for those involved in aerospace, defense, healthcare, automotive, motor sports, power/energy, industrial machinery, consumer products, and other sectors.
Participants will gain valuable hands-on experience with the best-in-class software tools, for which licenses will be provided for this course. CAD skills are not required.
