According to the company, the 2023 edition includes new sections covering the latest developments in post processing and includes more of the key players in the industry. It also includes information about methods of support removal for both metal and polymer parts, surface finishing, coloring, coating, and heat treatment.
Wohlers says that it also focuses on how to minimize the need for post-processing, for example by designing a part in order to reduce the need for support material.
“Post-processing contributes significant cost and time to the AM workflow,” said Olaf Diegel, a consultant at Wohlers Associates and principal author of the report. “As organizations adopt the best practices presented in this report, the cost and time associated with processing AM parts will decline.”
“Little systematic documentation is available for post processing, despite the vast amount of knowledge and experience individual companies have on the subject,” said Terry Wohlers, head of advisory services and market intelligence at Wohlers. “Many consider it their intellectual property even though it is often similar to what other companies are doing.”
The report is available from the company website.
