From Concept to Reality: Additive Manufacturing in Particle Accelerator and Storage Ring R&D at GSI and for FAIR

State-of-the-art additive manufacturing technologies are not only finding ever-wider applications in everyday life, but also assuming an increasingly important role in scientific research. This kind of advanced manufacturing method eliminates many of the constraints of conventional processes in fabricating components with complex external shapes or intricate internal structures, thereby providing enhanced flexibility for the design and realization of a new generation of more efficient particle accelerators and storage rings. The RACERS team initiated by the Stochastic Cooling Group at GSI, Germany, is worldwide one of the first teams working on this topic. Based on the metal 3D-printing technology, two novel accelerating structures and one efficient cooling plate for a future stochastic cooling system are under development at GSI and for the FAIR project, respectively. Some successful experience as well as learnt lessons will be presented.