Additive Manufacturing of Functionally Graded Objects: A Review

Functionally graded materials (FGM) have recently attracted a lot of research attention in the wake of the recent prominence of additive manufacturing (AM) technology. The continuously varying spatial composition profile of two or more materials affords FGM object to simultaneously possess ideal properties of multiple different materials. Additionally, emerging technologies in AM domain enables one to make complex shapes with customized multifunctional material properties in an additive fashion, where laying down successive layers of material creates an object. In this paper, we focus on providing an overview of research at the intersection of AM techniques and FGM objects. We specifically discuss the FGM modeling representation schemes and outline a classification system to classify existing FGM representation methods. We also highlight the key aspects such as the part orientation, slicing, and path planning processes that are essential for fabricating a quality FGM object through the use of multi-material AM techniques.Copyright © 2016 by ASME