2 FROM CAD (OR REALITY) TO REALITY: THE DESIGN AND BUILD PROCESS

The process whereby an idea, or a scan of an object, is transformed first to a 3D software model, then to a printable file (which slices the planned physical object into printable layers), and finally to a finished object is complex: a blend of many skills and experience is necessary for success. In addition, additive fabrication, particularly in metal, requires integration with digital, shop floor, supply chain, and customer-facing processes (particularly in the case of mass customization). What follows is a cursory overview of the processes that can be involved. At the high level, initial choices include 1. What to build. 2. What it needs to do. 3. What it could look like. 4. What to build it from. 4. How to model it digitally. 5. How to build it. 6. How to treat it after printing.