Additive manufacturing (AM) for metals is reshaping several industries, showing great potential especially in handling complex geometries, lightweighting and material efficiency. However, despite its significant advantages, additive manufacturing alone is not an optimal solution.
Hybrid manufacturing is an innovative strategy that combines additive manufacturing with traditional processes such as CNC machining, casting and forging, utilizing the strengths of both to improve performance, reduce costs and expand design possibilities.
What is Hybrid Manufacturing?
Hybrid manufacturing optimizes part production by combining additive manufacturing with traditional material reduction or molding techniques. Its main forms include:
Additive Manufacturing + CNC Machining: Near-net-shape parts are first generated through additive manufacturing, and then precision machining is used to complete the final molding.
Casting + Additive Manufacturing: The use of additive manufacturing to realize the complex internal structure, while casting to obtain the main material.
Forging + Additive Manufacturing: Use additive manufacturing on forged preforms to enhance mechanical properties while reducing material waste.
Core benefits of hybrid manufacturing:
1. Cost and Material Efficiency
Traditional manufacturing processes (e.g. CNC machining) typically require significant material removal, leading to waste.
Additive manufacturing reduces waste by building parts layer by layer, while hybrid manufacturing further optimizes resource utilization by machining only when necessary.
For example, in the aerospace sector, hybrid manufacturing can be used to 3D print complex heat exchanger internals before finishing the sealing surfaces, significantly reducing material waste and machining time.
2. Enhanced mechanical properties
While additive manufacturing can achieve complex geometries, the microstructure may not be as strong as forged or cast parts.
Hybrid manufacturing combines the design freedom of additive manufacturing with the mechanical performance advantages of traditional processes.
For example, aerospace structural components such as wing girders or fuselage supports can be forged for high strength, and then complex connecting features can be added using Directed Energy Deposition (DED) to improve structural integrity and reduce material usage.
3. Accuracy and surface quality
The surface roughness of metal additive manufacturing may not be sufficient for some applications.
Through CNC machining or other finishing processes, surface quality can be significantly improved to ensure critical interfaces meet tight tolerances.
For example, the sealing surface of an Inconel 625 fuel injection nozzle can be CNC machined to the required tolerances to ensure efficient fuel flow.
4. Repair and remanufacturing
Hybrid manufacturing provides an efficient solution for the repair of high-value components.
Repairing damaged parts through additive manufacturing and re-machining them to precise specifications can significantly extend the life of a part.
For example, aero-engine turbine blades can be repaired through DED technology and machined to aerodynamic tolerances, significantly extending service life.
5. Expanding design possibilities
Hybrid manufacturing enables engineers to design complex components that would not be possible with traditional methods.
Additive manufacturing can be used to create conformal cooling channels, while traditional processes ensure surface quality and precision.
For example, high-performance injection molds can be optimized for high-volume production by integrating complex cooling channels through additive manufacturing and then precision machining to ensure surface finish and tolerances.
Challenges and considerations
Despite the significant benefits of hybrid manufacturing, there are some challenges:
Process Integration: Ensuring seamless integration of additive manufacturing and machining processes.
Material compatibility: Matching the mechanical and thermal properties of additive manufacturing with those of traditionally manufactured parts.
– Equipment investment: Hybrid manufacturing may require specialized equipment or additional post-processing steps.
The Future of Hybrid Manufacturing
Hybrid manufacturing will continue to evolve as the demand for efficient, high-performance manufacturing solutions grows across industries.
The integration of automated machining and additive manufacturing, multi-material printing technologies, and advances in real-time monitoring will further drive the technology’s popularity.
From aerospace and energy to automotive and medical, hybrid fabrication is opening up new possibilities, combining the strengths of additive fabrication with those of traditional processes to enable smarter and more cost-effective production.
Rather than choosing between additive manufacturing and traditional methods, hybrid manufacturing maximizes efficiency, performance and sustainability by combining the two.
This innovative approach allows manufacturers to produce high-performance parts that were previously difficult or costly to achieve.
As technology continues to advance, hybrid manufacturing will play a key role in the future of industrial production.
