The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Additive Manufacturing (AM) team implements a variety of AM techniques. Feel free to contact us with questions or opportunities to collaborate with us.
See the sections below to learn about AM technologies available at NIST:
Powder Bed Fusion| Directed Energy Deposition | Material Extrusion | Vat Photopolymerization | Binder Jetting | Material Jetting
Powder bed fusion can produce functional parts by melting and fusing layers of powdered material (e.g. metal) with either a high-power laser or an electron beam. Learn more.
Directed energy deposition deposits and melts material onto a target with a directed beam of energy, such as a laser or an electron beam. The metal cools and forms a solid part. Learn more.
Material extrusion can produce three-dimensional structures by building up material layer-by-layer. This technique is commonly used by personal and commercial 3D printers. Learn more.
Vat photopolymerization forms structures by curing photopolymer resin with ultraviolet light. The structure is submerged, raised, and cured over several stages to form complex structures. Learn more.
Binder jetting prints three-dimensional structures by fusing powdered material together with a binder. The technique can produce colorful builds using metals, polymers, or ceramics. Learn more.
Similar to traditional inkjet printing, material jetting builds objects by depositing droplets onto a surface via back and forth, horizontal motion. The material is then cured with ultraviolet light to form a solid structure. Learn more.