Sensor-Based Additive Manufacturing Technologies

Abstract

Additive manufacturing is the term that uses the CAD data to build components layer by layer; it is also termed layered manufacturing or 3D printing. The major advantage of additive manufacturing is the capability of building components without the use of molds or tools. Five major categories of AM processes include Powder Bed Fusion (PBF), Direct Energy Deposition (DED), Material Jetting (MJ), Binder Jetting (BJ), and Sheet Lamination (SL). The sensor may be defined as a device that responds to a physical stimulus and transmits a resulting impulse. Sensor technology has been widely adopted in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, biomedical and robotic applications. Commonly used sensors are temperature sensors, strain sensors, biosensors, environmental sensors, and wearable sensors, etc. Additive manufacturing technologies can fabricate sensors and microfluidic devices with less labor. This paper focuses on various sensors developed by additive manufacturing processes, and their practical application for the particular purpose is reviewed.