Tooling U-SME Additive Manufacturing Practice Test 2025 – Complete All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The method that deposits a liquid adhesive onto very thin layers of powdered build material is binder jetting. This additive manufacturing technique involves using a binding agent that is selectively applied to layers of powder, which could be metal, sand, ceramic, or other materials. The adhesive bonds the particles together where it is applied, allowing for the creation of complex shapes and structures. After the layers are built up and the binder is cured, the unbound powder can be removed, leaving a solid object.

In contrast, stereolithography uses a liquid resin that is cured by a laser to form solid parts layer by layer. Fused deposition modeling extrudes thermoplastic filaments through a heated nozzle to create objects linearly rather than using a powder-based approach. Selective laser sintering utilizes a laser to fuse powdered materials together without the need for a separate adhesive, focusing primarily on heat rather than liquid binding agents.