Engineers need to get more creative in their approach to design and additive manufacturing (AM) systems, by taking inspiration from the way humans grow and develop, say researchers at the University of Birmingham.

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In a new paper, published in The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology , teams from the University’s School of Engineering and Centre for Human Reproductive Science have proposed a design approach for AM, otherwise known as 3D printing, which opens a world of potential for the development of new materials and products.

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Dr Lauren Thomas-Seale, lecturer in Engineering Design and Principle Investigator of the project, explains: “Although we refer to it as additive manufacturing, traditionally engineers learn to design parts based on a long history of subtractive manufacturing. This leads to well-acknowledged constraints in design creativity. Additive manufacturing has to break out of this inertia if it is to reach its full potential in both design and as a fundamental technique.”

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