Personnel certification additive manufacturing application engineer

Who is and what is the additive manufacturing engineer?

This professional figure is located at the advanced manufacturer or service provider where all activities orbiting the 3D printing process are performed. The Engineer is the linchpin on which engineering department, quality control, supplier management, manufacturing, and purchasing rest their needs.

He is the one who collects, processes and optimizes all the information necessary for the realization of components according to criteria established between the parties. Specifically, his competencies are:

• Managing raw materials safely
• Basic theory of laser additive technology
• Basic theory of other additive technologies
• Print management (job loading, part extraction)
• Print file management (orientation and part placement)
• Management of the entire additive manufacturing process (base plate removal, media removal, heat treatment)
• Effects of essential variables on the process
• Routine machine maintenance and cleaning
• Main quality characteristics of the technology
• Main methods of nondestructive testing (volumetric, surface, residual stresses) of parts.
• Main methods of destructive testing (tensile, resilience, hardness, metallographic, residual stress) of parts.
• Drafting operating instructions for the operator.
• Definition of the raw material to be used (alloy design)
• Knowledge of advanced mechanical properties
• Analysis and interpretation of laboratory data
• Creation of evaluation procedures on component acceptability criteria
• Definition of component design criteria
• Evaluation of subsequent surface/thermal treatments
• Quality flow management of the entire additive manufacturing process

Certification exam admission requirements

• Qualification: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in science, preferably in engineering field
• Training: 80h training course (see “Training Program”) or possession of 10 CFPs (*)
• Work experience in the field: 12 months(*) 1 CFP = 8h of training or participation in a technical event or teaching activity, or publication of technical articles/memoir or research activity (each activity is worth 1 CFP).

All activities should be properly documented.

Certification Examination

The certification examination consists of a written test and a practical test. Examination topics are indicated in the training program.