Sheet Lamination

Sheet lamination is one of the oldest additive manufacturing techniques that create net shape parts from bonded stacked layers of thin sheets using multiple methods. Some of these methods include ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM), very high power ultrasonic additive manufacturing (VHP UAM), laminated object manufacturing (LOM), and friction stir additive manufacturing (FSAM). The advantages of using sheet lamination processes are: more geometrically complex parts can be formed with internal channels, and electronics, wires, and sensors can be embedded between the layers. Another advantage is that dissimilar materials can be joined without compromising mechanical properties of the base materials. Moreover, solidification defects like porosities, shrinkage cavities, and oxidation, which are detected in processes like laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and direct energy deposition (DED) where there is a rapid transition from liquid to solid state, can be avoided. The main disadvantage is that it often requires post-processing to achieve the desired finish. The chapter will give an overview on these different processes and will also provide areas of improvement and where future research is headed.