A Guide for Industrial

Engineers Interested in Additive

Manufacturing

Prepared by:

Alexandra Leon Ung

English 202C, Section 026

Table of Contents

I. Preface
1. Contents of the Guide3
2. Audience of the Guide...3
3. Assumptions of the Guide.3
4. Organization of the Guide.4
5. Tips for using the Guide4
II. General Resources
1. Electronic Databases Indexes
1.1. IEEE Xplore..5
2. Government Resources
2.1. Catalog of U.S. Government Publications....6
2.2. Statistical Abstract of the United States....8
III. Additive Manufacturing Resources
1. Introduction to Additive Manufacturing & Technologies
1.1. Additive Manufacturing Amazing..9
1.2. 3D Hubs10
2. Additive Manufacturing Inspiration
2.1. Shapeways11
2.2. GrabCAD..12
3. Professional Journals
3.1. 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing.13

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I. Preface

Contents of the Guide

The Guide for Industrial Engineers Interested in Additive Manufacturing contains great
insights on all the resources you will need to be a successful Industrial Engineer at Penn State in
any class or project pertaining Additive Manufacturing. The guide contains general resources
that all Industrial Engineers will find useful regardless of their field of expertise, as well as a
more specific section on Additive Manufacturing that will greatly benefit all students at Penn
State choosing Additive Manufacturing as their field of interest. The guide provides an abstract
on each resource highlighted in it. Each resource was carefully picked, to provide you with the
most important, relevant, reliable, and detailed sources. By using this guide, you will not waste
time searching the Internet for the information you will need, since you will have all the
resources you need at the tip of your fingers.

Audience of the Guide

The audience of the guide is students at the Pennsylvania State University majoring in
Industrial Engineering who are taking classes or have projects in the Additive Manufacturing
field. Some classes that will give you exposure to Additive Manufacturing, such as IE 307, will
demand you to do a lot of research on the numerous technologies associated with Additive
Manufacturing. The writer of this guide was a student just like you and has some experience with
all the courses related to Additive Manufacturing at Penn State. Therefore, this guide is really
well thought of and will give you all the necessary resources to become acquainted with Additive
Manufacturing and eventually succeed in all of your assignments.

Assumptions of the Guide

Since this guide is targeted to Industrial Engineers students in the last two years of their
degree, it is assume they have a small understanding on manufacturing specifically in Additive
Manufacturing. Regardless of this, some of the sources on this guide give a great introduction to
Additive Manufacturing and the technologies related to it. The writer assumes you have some
interest in Additive Manufacturing since the classes focusing on this field are electives. Regular

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access to a computer and an Internet connection is another assumption of the guide, since you are
a student. It is also assume that you are literate with technology and that you know how to
operate a computer and easily navigate through the links provided on this guide. Therefore,
directions on how to navigate the webpage will not be provided, unless there is navigation tip the
writer feels will highly benefit you.

Organization of the Guide

The way the guide is organized helps you to easily find what you are looking for by just
looking at the titles for each section in the Table of Contents. The first section is a Preface where
you can easily see what is the content of the guide, who is the guide directed to, what are some of
the assumptions the writer had while writing the guide, as well as some helpful tips on using the
guide. The second section, General Resources, is dedicated to general resources that any
Industrial Engineer will need regardless of their chosen field. This section is really helpful since,
regardless of the field an Industrial Engineer may choose, he/she is still an Industrial Engineer
and will still need some of the same resources as any other Industrial Engineer. The third section,
Additive Manufacturing Resources, is dedicated strictly to resources regarding Additive
Manufacturing. Here you will find all the resources that will meet all the needs you may
encounter in your Additive Manufacturing related classes and projects. These two sections are a
set of abstracts on different sources that will be helpful throughout your college and professional
career.

Tips for using the Guide

The ultimate way to get the maximum use out of this guide is to determine what is the
best source to use. Therefore, the writer made sure to include a Reasons to use this resource
section at the top of each abstract to help the user quickly determine which resource is the most
adequate and fits its needs. By reading that first paragraph you will automatically notice if that
source fit your needs. Of course, there might be more than one source that will fit your needs but
that is the goal of this guide to provide you with the most helpful sources for your success. There
are also tips at the end of each abstract that will give you beneficial insights on how to use each
resource.

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II. General Resources

IEEE Xplore
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/search/searchresult.jsp?newsearch=true&queryText=additive%20manu
facturing

Reasons to use this database:

If an Industrial Engineer needs to do research on past research papers, the most legit
sources will be found here.

Description:
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is the worlds largest
technical professional organization for the advancement of technology. They have an online
database called IEEE Xplore that includes a variety of topics not only in Industrial Engineering
but also in any other engineering, including health systems. This database has more than 4
million documents, some of them from the worlds most cited publications. The database is
updated on an ongoing basis with more than 20000 documents added each month. Since all the
engineerings are interconnected in some way, having such a vast database with information
from different fields from such a reliable source makes this database a go to source when it
comes to researching and finding information of any kind. Because this database is very robust
and complete, it has a membership associated with it. Nonetheless, this shouldnt discourage you
from using this database, since there is no better database for me with such complete resources,
than this one.

Tips:
You can become an IEEE member by purchasing the student membership for only $32.00
per year. This will give you unlimited access to the IEEE Xplore database, as well as
access to some of the organization conferences and events.

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Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
https://catalog.gpo.gov/F/?func=find-d-0&local_base=GPO01PUB&clear_level=2

Reasons to use this catalog:

If an Industrial Engineer is looking for publications strictly by the government, this is the
place to go.

Description:
The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) is an online tool where you can find
publications from the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the U.S. government. They
have more than half a million records for historical and current publications, with direct links to
those that are available online. This catalog is updated on a daily basis, therefore you will find up
to date information as well as publications dating back to the late 1800s.
This resource is excellent to get acquainted with what the government is discussing in
your field of interested. For example, I used the Basic search engine to look for publications
related to Additive Manufacturing. I came up with a report from the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) regarding the technical interchange meeting on development of
baseline material properties and design guidelines for in-space manufacturing activities (1),
prepared on March 2016. The report focuses on the implementation of advanced manufacturing
and materials development to establish the baseline materials properties, standards development,
and certification activities related to in-space manufacturing. I dont think I would have ever
stumble upon this report if it werent for the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Tips:
There are three different types of search engines, Basic, Advanced, and Expert, which
can be found on the top of the webpage.
o The Basic search allows you to browse the catalog by typing on the search box
any word or phrase related to what you are looking for. This search engine also
lets you narrow down your results by letting you choose from a dropdown menu,
which catalog you want the search to be done.

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o The Advanced search have the same features as the Basic search, but it allows
you to narrow down your search even more by allowing you to specify the
language, format, and year of the publication you are interested in.
o The Expert search is intended for experts on using this catalog since it involves
command language phrase, which you can see how it works by clicking the How
To Search > Expert link located bellow the search box. I will only recommend
using this search engine if you know exactly what you are looking for.

(1): https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20160006047.pdf

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Statistical Abstract of the United States
http://statabs.proquest.com/sa/index.html

Reasons to use this database:

Excellent resource to find statistics on anything within the United States.
Statistics are fundamental when trying to support a position on research projects or
presentations.

Description:
The ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States is a comprehensive summary of
statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States. The federal
government publishes the Statistical Abstract on an annual basis since 1878. According to
ProQuests webpage, this publication is the most used statistical reference tool in U.S. libraries.
This resource is excellent when trying to get legit data to corroborate and support any of
your assumptions on projects or research. It is also a great tool to use when trying to figure out
what industry of Manufacturing you want to get involved in. For example, I used the search tool
to look for any statistics on Manufacturing and I came across with a table describing the statistics
on Manufacturing Industries - Employees by Industry (2). This chart allows you to look at what
industries are the one with most employees as well as how this numbers have changed
throughout the years by looking at the Percent Change. This will allow you to determine what
industries are blooming and possibly use this as one of the drivers in your career path decision
process.

Tips:
You get free access to this resource through the Penn State Library webpage.
There are two easy ways to search for statistics on the webpage, using the Search Box or
clicking the different categories in the main page. I prefer to use the search box at the top
of the page since it allows you to enter your topic of interest and it will give you all the
related statistics.
(2) http://statabs.proquest.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/sa/docview.html?table-no=1037&acc-no=C7095-
1.21&year=2017&z=67A573EA61B6E4A0682D3276A57584C57B906331&seq=8&y=current

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III. Additive Manufacturing Resources

Additive Manufacturing AMazing

http://additivemanufacturing.com/basics/

Reasons to use this webpage:

If an Industrial Engineer has no knowledge on the concepts of Additive Manufacturing, this
site is excellent since it has a brief but effective introduction of what is Additive Manufacturing
under their AM Basics tab.
This website is great to keep up to date with news regarding Additive Manufacturing since
it has a tab dedicated towards current news in the field.

Description:
This webpage provides an Industrial Engineer who is new to the Additive Manufacturing
field, with a quick and easy way of getting acquainted with Additive Manufacturing as well as
gaining great insights on its applications, technology, and current events. Something that will
help Industrial Engineers tremendously is their AM Directory Tab, where they have listed all the
resources available for education, expertise, products, and services related with Additive
Manufacturing with a brief description of why they are related to this type of manufacturing.
This resource alone will be of great use for Industrial Engineers who are looking to get into this
industry. This web page is very user friendly because of the way its organized. By dividing all
their sections with tabs, you will be able to know what each section is about just by looking at
the title. Because of its organization, and the type of information they have available, this
website is one of my favorites to visit if I need any current information on Additive
Manufacturing.

Tips:
If you are interested in the applications of Additive Manufacturing in the medical field,
visit the Medical Tab.
If you are interested in how Additive Manufacturing is evolving in the education field,
visit the Education Tab.

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3D Hubs
https://www.3dhubs.com/what-is-3d-printing#technologies

Reasons to use this webpage:

Quoting the webpages welcoming phrase, The definitive guide to additive
manufacturing. If an Industrial Engineer needs any information on Additive Manufacturing, this
is the place to go to.
This web page is useful when Industrial Engineers need to compare the different
technologies available.

Description:
This webpage covers everything an Industrial Engineer might need when selecting the right
technology and materials to use for their projects. This site also serves as a library where you can
find all the different types of technologies for Additive Manufacturing, a description on them,
how they work, what to be used for, their advantages, and disadvantages. You will also find a
complete list of materials used for these technologies with a description of each of them, their
strengths, and limitations. For newcomers on this field, this webpage also provides great
introduction on how Additive Manufacturing works, its history, the pros and cons, and the
different applications of Additive Manufacturing in diverse industries.
The organization of this webpage is simplistic, which helps the user navigate easily through
it. With a list of the sections on the left corner, you can quickly find what you are looking for.
This webpage certainly has all the resources I needed when I was doing my research
homeworks for my IE 307 class.

Tips:
When looking at the different types of materials, click on the image to obtain a complete
list of the strengths and limitations of each material.
If you need to visualize how each technology works, you can find images of each system
under the technology section.

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Shapeways
https://www.shapeways.com/additive-manufacturing

Reasons to use this webpage:

This webpage gives excellent inspiration for project ideas, since it has a gallery of 3D
printed objects by other users.
Shapeways also serves as a 3D printing shop, so you can use this webpage to get your
designs printed by professionals.

Description:
Shapeways is a community for designers and Additive Manufacturing enthusiasts. It
contains a Marketplace where users from all around the world can upload their designs and 3D
printed products to sell them. Another great service they offer is their 3D printing shop were you
can upload your design, select the material you desire from their vast selection, and Shapeways
will print your design for you and ship it to your home. This is a great resource to get inspiration
on designs for your projects since you can browse the Marketplace and see what others have
designed or produced, as well as be mind blown by the so many options out there in terms of
materials and structures than can be produced by Additive Manufacturing. I find myself
browsing this webpage whenever I need inspiration on designing something, since the things you
will find here will break the boarders of your imagination.

Tips:
Shapeways allows you to get a quote on how much your design production will cost. This
is an excellent resource to add monetary value to your design in your report for projects.
Whenever you are feeling with no inspiration to design, browse the Marketplace; you will
not be disappointed.

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GrabCAD
https://www.shapeways.com/additive-manufacturing

Reasons to use this webpage:

Quoting the webpages welcoming phrase GrabCAD is the hub for digital
manufacturing. If an Industrial Engineer needs design files for their projects, this is the
place to go.
GrabCAD offers an extensive library of designs for anyone to download.

Description:
GrabCAD is the largest community of engineers, product designers, students, and
manufacturing professionals who upload their design files for anyone to download and use. This
webpage also offers a printing service called GrabCAD Print, which allows you to get
professional 3D printing services by uploading your design to their website. The only downside
of their 3D printing services is that they do not offer a lot of material options compared to their
competitor Shapeways.
The most useful feature from this website is the GrabCAD community Library. This
library is composed of over a million files, which any user can download and use. The library is
organized by category and software type, which allows you to narrow down your results. The
search box located at the top of the library webpage allows you to search for your topic of
interest.

Tips:
GrabCAD allows you to download designs and use them as a pivot point for you to
customize it; this will prevent you from starting from scratch on a design.
GrabCAD offers million of tutorials on CAD designs with either videos or a step-by-step
guide. To access this, click on the Community tab at the top of the webpage and select
tutorials.

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3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing
http://online.liebertpub.com/loi/3DP

Reasons to use this journal:

This journal is a great resource when looking for inspiration on a project or research
topic, since it covers all the new developments on processes and materials.

Description:
The 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing journal contains articles on research papers
from all around the world in the field of Additive Manufacturing and related technologies.
Topics included on this journal are emerging challenges and opportunities from new
developments of processes and materials, new simulation and design tools, and case studies.
Skylar Tibbits, Director of MITs Self Assembly lab and faculty at MITs Department of
Architecture, is the Editor-in-Chief of this journal. This journal is published on a quarterly basis
with its first publication dating back to March 2014. This journal, compared to the other websites
I referenced at the beginning of the guide, has very technical content since is oriented to
professionals in the Additive Manufacturing field. Therefore, I will only recommend using this
resource if you have a very thorough understanding of Additive Manufacturing or are working in
a very technical project and need a more comprehensive source.

Tips:
You can get free access to this journal through the Penn State Library website.
If you go on the Publications tab at the top of the webpage, you will be directed to a list
of all the articles published by this journal.
By using the search box located at the top right corner of the webpage you can narrow
down your choices by browsing exactly what you want.

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