Horizontal forming in additive manufacturing: Design and architecture perspective

Extrusion based three-dimensional additive manufacturing technology forms objects by driving the material through a nozzle depositing a linear structure through vector-building blocks called roads. In a common 3-axis system, the roads are stacked layer upon layer for forming the final object. However, forming overhanging geometry in this way requires additional support structures increasing material usage and effective printing time. The paper presents a novel Horizontal forming (HF) approach and method for forming overhanging geometry, HF is a new extrusion-based AM approach that allows rapid and stable forming of horizontal structures without additional support in 3-axis systems. This approach can provide new design and manufacturing possibilities for extrusion AM, with emphasis on medium and large-scale AM. HF can affect the outcome's aesthetic and mechanical properties. Moreover, it can significantly accelerate the production process and reduce material waste. The present paper maps the influence of various parameters employed in the HF method, providing a deeper understanding of the printing process. Additionally, it explores and demonstrates the potential functional and aesthetic characteristics that can be achieved with HF for industrial design and architectural products.