What designers know: investigating designers’ knowledge of design for additive manufacturing

Abstract The dynamics in the adoption of Additive Manufacturing (AM) entail a continuous investigation into the knowledge required to design for Additive Manufacturing especially as design has been identified as a major enabler for the adoption of AM. As the concepts of Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) continue to diffuse through research and are adopted by industry practitioners, it becomes critical to understand the knowledge possessed by designers in designing for AM. In this paper, we explore the application of DfAM knowledge by designers in their design practices through a survey questionnaire. 117 designers reported having the knowledge to design for AM. They shared insights on how factors such as years of experience, type of product designed, and designers’ categories impact the knowledge they use in their design practice. The survey results not only served as a validation study for previously developed DfAM knowledge classification but also revealed that designers have mainly used DfAM potentials in their designs. However, further knowledge development is necessary in areas such as sustainability, materials (as AM limitations), and design frameworks.