ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING FOR

INNOVATIVE DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

 A D D I T I V E M A N U FAC T U R I N G
F O R I N N OVAT I V E D E S I G N A N D P R O D U C T I O N

INTRODUCTION

The implications of additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D

printing, span the entire product lifecycle and compel us to reimagine how
products are designed, produced, and delivered to customers around the
globe. Emerging industrial AM processes can be used with polymers,
metals, composites, and other advanced materials. More than half of all
parts made by 3D printing are already for end-use applications. Combined
with advanced digital design tools, AM is poised for industrial deployment.

It is imperative that engineers, designers, and executives take the steps

now to understand how and when to leverage AM in their roles and
organizations. In this online course, you will study the technical
fundamentals, industrial applications, and business implications of AM, and
acquire the knowledge and confidence to create innovative solutions
using AM across a vast opportunity space.

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IN THIS COURSE

In the MIT xPRO course, Additive Manufacturing for Innovative Design

and Production, learners will join leading MIT and industry experts in a
12-week exploration of the fundamentals, applications, and implications
AM, and will walk away with the confidence to deploy AM to create value
in their roles and organizations.

The course incorporates advanced digital design, modeling, and

visualization tools, and concludes with an in-depth case study, where
learners solve a real-world design or strategy problem using their
knowledge of AM.

What You’ll Acquire

• The vocabulary necessary to navigate the complex, multivariate land-

scape of additive manufacturing processes, materials, and applications.

• For each mainstream AM process, an understanding of its materials

compatibility, fundamental mechanism of operation, performance
metrics, and design limitations.

• The ability to identify how, when, and where additive manufacturing

can create value across the entire product lifecycle, from design
conception to end-of-life.

• The skills necessary to design parts for AM that combine engineering

intuition with computationally-driven design and process-specific
constraints.

• The ability to quantitatively assess the value of an additively

manufactured part based on its production cost and performance.

• A cutting-edge perspective on digital transformation and the factory of

the future.

View the week-by-week schedule here.

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Who You’ll Meet

• MIT faculty from mechanical engineering, materials science, computer

science, & management.
• Experts in the nuts-and-bolts of designing parts for AM, & implementing
AM in aerospace, automotive, medical, consumer products, & other
industries.
• Leaders who are driving industrialization.

What You’ll See

• An in-depth series of video lectures, with high-quality graphics & detailed
descriptions.
• 24+ recorded interviews with academic & industry experts, capturing
cutting-edge perspectives.
• High-detail examinations of industrial parts produced using each
mainstream AM process.
• A portfolio of AM applications including prototyping, rapid product
development, tooling, mass production, customization, repair &
maintenance.
• The use of generative design, process planning, & build simulation
software for AM.
• A comprehensive assessment of the performance of AM processes, &
the resultant properties of AM materials & components.

What You’ll Use

• The interactive, browser-based edX platform that includes multimedia

content presentations, three-dimensional part data, & interactive
quantitative tools.
• Cloud-based CAD & generative design software.
• A curated online discussion platform for communicating with course
peers & exchanging insights.
• An interactive online Knowledge Base that offers extensive supplemental
content on AM processes, materials, & properties to enhance your in-
depth understanding of AM.
• Spreadsheet-based cost models that enable you to evaluate the
economics of AM-based production.

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UNIQUE COURSE FEATURES

Advanced Digital Tools

Experience interactive 3D visualizations of the processes
and parts discussed in the course, including advanced
topology optimization and build preparation software.
Utilize quantitative tools for cost modeling of AM parts, and
cloud-driven digital design tools for CAD and generative
design.

High-Quality Video
Exceptional production value on all lectures and
demonstrations including special attention to detail on all
machinery and parts.

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COURSE INSTRUCTORS

John Hart
John Hart is Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Laboratory for Manufacturing and
Productivity, and Director of the Center for Additive and Digital Production Technologies (http://apt.mit.edu) at MIT.
John's research group (http://mechanosynthesis.mit.edu) focuses on additive manufacturing, nanostructured
materials, and the integration of computation and automation in process discovery. He is co-inventor on >50 patents,
many of which are licensed commercially, and is co-founder of three advanced manufacturing startup companies
including Desktop Metal. John also authored the world’s first massive open online course on manufacturing
processes, MIT 2.008x on edX. He received the MIT Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2017.

Cem Tasan
Cem Tasan is the Thomas B. King Career Development Professor of Metallurgy in the Department of Materials
Science and Engineering at MIT. His research group (http://tasan.mit.edu) seeks to understand the deformation,
transformation, and damage mechanisms in metals, and to enable the design of game-changing new alloys for
industrial use including via additive manufacturing. Prior to joining MIT in 2016 he was Group leader in Adaptive
Structural Materials at the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung.

Ely Sachs
Emanuel “Ely” Sachs is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. He began working on 3D printing in the late
1980’s and co-invented the binder jetting process which has widespread commercial uses. Ely’s career spans
academia and industry; he has cofounded or otherwise been involved in seven start-up companies based on his
inventions, including three that went public, one that was acquired by a public company, and three that are still private.
In 2016 he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his contributions to 3D printing and photovoltaics.

Stefanie Mueller
Stefanie Mueller is an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, where she leads
the HCI Engineering Group (http://hcie.csail.mit.edu/). Her research focuses on novel hardware and software
systems that enable rapid, interactive design and fabrication, including fast 3D printing, real-time material shaping,
and modularization using standard and custom components. She is also the co-founder of the ACM Symposium
on Computational Fabrication.

Steve Graves
Stephen Graves is the Abraham J. Siegel Professor of Management and a Professor of Operations Management at
MIT. He teaches courses in supply chain planning and design, and in mathematical modeling and analysis, as
applied to manufacturing, supply chains, and distribution systems. Steve’s research addresses operational issues
arising in supply chain optimization, online retailing, and strategic inventory positioning, as well as production and
capacity planning for various contexts. He holds a joint appointment in Mechanical Engineering and previously
served as the Chair of the MIT Faculty and co-director of the MIT Leaders for Manufacturing Program.

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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING FOR INNOVATIVE DESIGN
AND PRODUCTION
Schedule

WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING (4 hrs)

The course ENTRANCE SURVEY 5 min

officially kicks PRE-ASSESSMENT 10 min
off!
GET STARTED 35 min
In the first week, you’ll • Welcome 1 min
take a Pre-Assessment to • Course Schedule 3 min
get a baseline of your • Discussion Forum 5 min
understanding of the • Who’s Taking the Course 2 min
course material. During • Who’s Teaching the Course 5 min
this period, you’ll become • Grading and Completion Criteria 1 min
familiar with the platform
• Certificate Information and CEUs 1 min
and course design.
• Learning Objectives and Pedagogy 2 min
Finally, you’ll be
introduced to the history • Academic Integrity and Rules of Conduct 1 min
of additive manufacturing, • Disclaimer 1 min
its fundamental principles • FAQ 10 min
of operation, the industry
landscape, and why it INTRODUCTION TO ADDITIVE
3 hrs
has, and will continue to, MANUFACTURING
grow to broad industrial • Foundations of Additive Manufacturing 5 min
relevance. • Defining Additive Manufacturing 10 min
• The Importance of Additive Manufacturing 15 min
• The Additive Manufacturing Industry 25 min
• The Additive Manufacturing Workflow 10 min
• The Additive Manufacturing Technology
15 min
Spectrum
• Emerging Trends in Additive Manufacturing 10 min
• Graded Assignment 60 min
Your submission due by
Monday
Peer Assessment due by
Wednesday
• Key Takeaways and Course Trajectory 5 min
 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING | Week-by-Week Schedule

WEEK 2: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES (5 hrs)

In week two, you will ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES 5 hrs

explore each of the • Welcome to Week 2: Navigating the AM
10 min
commercial AM Process Spectrum
technologies and • Extrusion 40 min
understand their principle • Photopolymerization 40 min
method of operation, • Powder Bed Fusion 60 min
materials compatibility, • Material Jetting 40 min
and application potential. • Binder Jetting 40 min
• Directed Energy Deposition 40 min
• Lamination 30 min
WEEK 3: BREAK (No new content, assignments still due. Check deadlines above)

WEEK 4: APPLICATIONS OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING (5 hrs)

APPLICATIONS OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING 5 hrs*
The fourth week of the
• Welcome to Week 4 5 min
course focuses on the
applicationsofAMacross • Framing the Applications of AM 30 min
theproductlifecycle,and • Prototyping 40 min
presents both a
• Tooling 40 min
framework for
understanding the value • Performance Improvement 40 min
case for AM as well as an • Mid-Week Concept Questions 20 min
approach for determining • Production 40 min
business readiness in its
utilization of AM. • Customization and Personalization 30 min
• Spare Parts, Maintenance and Repair 20 min
• Art, Design, and Architecture 30 min
• A Framework for Evaluating the Adoption of AM 30 min
• Graded Assignment 1 hr
Your submission due by Monday | Peer Assessment due by Wednesday
* Week 4 features more content than you are required to complete
in order to complete the week. The italicized time listings are
expected if a learner were to engage in all examples provided.

Copyright © 2023. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights reserved.

 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING | 2020 Schedule

WEEK 5: THE AM DESIGN SPACE (5 hrs)

In week five, you will be WEEKS 5, 6, 7: AN INTRODUCTION TO 10 min

introduced to the DESIGN FOR AM
principles of designing • An Introduction to Design for AM 10 min
parts for AM for each
major process, illustrated THE AM DESIGN SPACE 5 hrs
through a series of • Envisioning the AM Design Space 15 min
instructional examples • Comparing Process and Material Performance 40 min
and test artifacts • AM Design Principles and the 3DMIT Kit 15 min
produced at MIT. • The 3DMIT Kit: Deep Dive 1 hr 30min
• Lattice Structures in AM 30 min

WEEK 6: COMPUTATION-DRIVEN DESIGN FOR AM (5 hrs)

In week six, you will be COMPUTATION-DRIVEN DESIGN FOR AM 5 hrs

introduced to the • Introduction to AM Software and 35 min
software workflow for Computational Design
additive manufacturing, • Principles of Computational Design for AM 30 min
including generative • Computational Design of a High-Performance
60 min
design tools and build Wheel
preparation software. • Mid-Week Concept Questions 5 min
• Generative Design at Autodesk 10 min
• Advanced Topology Optimization for AM 15 min
• Graded Assignment 1 hr 30 min
Your submission due by
Monday
Peer Assessment due by
Wednesday

Copyright © 2023 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights reserved.

 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING | Week-by-Week Schedule

WEEK 7a: DATA REPRESENTATION AND BUILD PREPARATION (2 hrs)

In the first part of week DATA REPRESENTATION AND BUILD

1 hr 45 mins
seven, you will PREPARATION
be presented with the • Introduction 10 min
software infrastructure for • AM File Formats 20 min
AM, including how data is • AM Toolpaths 15 min
represented in different • Build Preparation Software 60 min
file format schemes, and
how this data is
translated into machine
instructions via build
preparation software.

WEEK 7b: IMPLEMENTING DfAM (4 hrs)

In the second part of IMPLEMENTING DFAM 2 hrs 30 min

week seven, you will • An Integrative Approach to DfAM 40 min
be presented with a • Integrative Examples of DfAM in Practice 20 min
methodology for • Graded Assignment 1 hr 30 min
leveraging the design Your submission due by
creativity of AM to design Monday
new parts and products. Peer Assessment due by
Wednesday

(SUPPLEMENTARY) AM PROCESS
KNOWLEDGE BASE
• Introduction
• Extrusion
• Photopolymerization
• Selective Laser Sintering
• Selective Laser Melting
• Electron Beam Melting
• Material Jetting
• Binder Jetting
WEEK 8: BREAK WEEK
(No new content, assignments still due. Check deadlines above)

Copyright © 2023 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights reserved.

 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING | Week-by-Week Schedule

WEEK 9: ASSESSING THE COST AND VALUE OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

(5 hrs)
In week nine, you will be
presented with a model ASSESSING THE COST AND VALUE OF AM 5 hrs
and method for assessing • Introduction 10 min
the cost of additive • A Cost Model of Conventional Manufacturing 20 min
manufacturing, as well as • Modeling the Cost of AM 1 hr 30min
a series of exemplary • Assessing the Value of AM 40 min
scenarios illustrating how • Cost and Value Scenarios 60 min
AM can change
fundamental economics of
manufacturing and • Graded Assignment 1 hr 30min
product lifecycle cost.
Your submission due by
Saturday
Peer Assessment due by
Wednesday

WEEK 10: CASE STUDY (5 hrs)

In the tenth week of the CASE STUDY OVERVIEW AND

1 min
course, you complete one INSTRUCTIONS
part of a summative case
study, whereby you apply STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS CASE
5 hrs
the capability you’ve STUDY –PART 1
acquired over the duration • Graded Assignment 5 hrs
of the course to solve a Your submission due by
real-world design or Monday
strategy problem. Peer Assessment due by
Saturday
You complete one of three
cases. DESIGN CASE STUDY OPTION I,
GENERATIVE DESIGN OF A BRACKET – 5 hrs
PART 1
• Graded Assignment 5 hrs
Your submission due by
Monday
Peer Assessment due by
Saturday

DESIGN CASE STUDY OPTION II, PART

5 hrs
CONSOLIDATION OF A DUCT – PART 1
• Graded Assignment 5 hrs
Your submission due by
Monday
Peer Assessment due by
Saturday

Copyright © 2023 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights reserved.

 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING | Week-by-Week Schedule

WEEK 11: CASE STUDY (5 hrs)

In the eleventh week of STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS CASE STUDY

– PART 2 5 hrs
the course, you complete
the second part of a • Graded Assignment 5 hrs
summative case study, Your submission due by
whereby you apply the Wednesday
capability you’ve acquired Peer Assessment due by
over the duration of the Sunday
course to solve a real-
world design or strategy
problem. DESIGN CASE STUDY OPTION I,
GENERATIVE DESIGN OF A BRACKET – 5 hrs
PART 2
• Graded Assignment 5 hrs
Your submission due by
Wednesday
Peer Assessment due by
Sunday

DESIGN CASE STUDY OPTION II, PART

CONSOLIDATION OF A DUCT – PART 2 5 hrs
• Graded Assignment 5 hrs
Your submission due by
Wednesday
Peer Assessment due by
Sunday

Copyright © 2023 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights reserved.

 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING | Week-by-Week Schedule

WEEK 12: THE FUTURE OF PRODUCTION (3 hrs)

THE FUTURE OF PRODUCTION 3 hrs
The twelfth week of the • Introduction 15 min
course synthesizes the • The Growing AM Infrastructure 40 min
material you have • The Digitization of Production 45 min
learned, and paints a
• Charting Your AM Journey 40 min
vision of the future of
production where AM is
one part of intelligent, • Staying in Touch 10 min
automated factory
systems.
• Graded Assignment: Reflection 20 min

AFTER THE COURSE ENDS…

Last Day of the Course

Course ends at 23:30 UTC
Two Days After the Course Ends
Download your course certificate from your
student dashboard
30 Days After the Course Ends
(or when the next course begins)
Fusion 360 license lapses
Course content available in perpetuity

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 A D D I T I V E M A N U FAC T U R I N G
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READY TO LEARN?

Explore the fundamentals, applications, and implications of

AM with MIT’s online course:

Additive Manufacturing for Innovative Design

and Production

This course starts September 18 2023 and enrollment is

now open. To enroll, click here.

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