Metal multi-material additive manufacturing: Overcoming barriers to implementation
Adam T. Clare, Peer Woizeschke, Behzad Rankouhi, Frank E. Pfefferkorn, David M. Bartels, Michael Schmidt, Wessel W. Wits
Abstract
Additive manufacturing has advanced rapidly since its origins in the 1980s. While some processes are now commercially viable, others remain experimental. A key ambition has been to combine multiple materials in a single part, enabling novel properties and overcoming traditional limitations of fabrication and assembly. Multi-material additive manufacturing offers a potential step change across industries, though scaling from lab to industry remains a challenge. This work explores the enabling technologies and science behind metal multi-material additive manufacturing and proposes how the research community can advance these innovations for meaningful industrial impact.