MECH502 EXAM: 100% EXPERT VERIFIED STUDY GUIDE
REAL TESTING 2026|2027 QUESTIONS DETAILED
ANSWERS AND INSTRUCTOR NOTE FOR A+
GUARANTEED PASS
Direct Energy Deposition - Answers -focused thermal energy is used to fuse materials by
melting as they are being deposited
Material Extrusion - Answers -material is selectively dispensed through a nozzle or orifice.
Material Jetting - Answers -droplets of build material are selectively deposited
Powder Bed Fusion - Answers -thermal energy selectively fuses regions of a powder bed
Sheet Lamination - Answers -sheets of material are bonded to form an object
Vat Photopolymerization - Answers -liquid photopolymer in a vat is selectively cured by light-
activated polymerization.
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,Pros Additive Manufacturing - Answers -High degree of flexibility
Ability to manufacture complex, near-net shapes
Ability to manufacture assemblies
Low ramp-up investment
Reduced lead time
Ability to manufacture multi-material/multi-color
parts*
Excellent mechanical properties*
Little/No wasted material
Cons Additive Manufacturing - Answers -Not economical for large batch sizes
Manufacturing time required high*
Skill and expertise needed to prepare design
Requires post-processing (e.g., removal of support
structure)
Materials available limited & expensive
(improving!)
Systems (and maintenance) cost is high
(improving!)
Limited mechanical properties*
Some waste materials can be hazardous*
Fusion/Consolidation - Answers -Usage of lasers, electron
beams, extrusion heads to create the localized
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,solid entity
Cut/restart - Answers -Usage of mechanisms and cutting knives that enable the cut/restart
process
Pressure - Answers -Usage of pressure mechanisms in certain processes to 'sinter' components
Motion Control - Answers -Usage of mechanisms to ensure deposition/addition location and
feedback to
system
Containment Chamber - Answers -Usage of volume separation to contain heat/cold depending
on process. I.e. Cold chamber manufacturing.
Filaments - Answers -that are introduced by an extrusion head, and fused
together constitutes family of FFF
Filaments are widely available in a range of
different qualities and prices
Common filament materials:
Polylactic Acid (PLA)
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
Other filament materials:
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, Nylon / Reinforced nylon / Metal / carbon fiber / ...
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) / Poly Propylene
(PP) / Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU)
Common filament sizes:
1.75mm
3mm
Powder - Answers -that are spread and fused together using a laser or
electron beam constitutes family of Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
Metal powder as a raw material for SL are
increasingly available yet still expensive
Depending on process, there might be
certain safety precautions necessary
Common metal powder variations:
Aluminum alloys
Cobalt based alloys
Nickel based alloys
Stainless steel / Tool steel
Titanium alloys
Common other powder variations:
Ceramics (e.g., Silicon Carbide (SiC) )
Polymers (e.g., Ultrasint PA6 - X028)
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REAL TESTING 2026|2027 QUESTIONS DETAILED
ANSWERS AND INSTRUCTOR NOTE FOR A+
GUARANTEED PASS
Direct Energy Deposition - Answers -focused thermal energy is used to fuse materials by
melting as they are being deposited
Material Extrusion - Answers -material is selectively dispensed through a nozzle or orifice.
Material Jetting - Answers -droplets of build material are selectively deposited
Powder Bed Fusion - Answers -thermal energy selectively fuses regions of a powder bed
Sheet Lamination - Answers -sheets of material are bonded to form an object
Vat Photopolymerization - Answers -liquid photopolymer in a vat is selectively cured by light-
activated polymerization.
1|Page
,Pros Additive Manufacturing - Answers -High degree of flexibility
Ability to manufacture complex, near-net shapes
Ability to manufacture assemblies
Low ramp-up investment
Reduced lead time
Ability to manufacture multi-material/multi-color
parts*
Excellent mechanical properties*
Little/No wasted material
Cons Additive Manufacturing - Answers -Not economical for large batch sizes
Manufacturing time required high*
Skill and expertise needed to prepare design
Requires post-processing (e.g., removal of support
structure)
Materials available limited & expensive
(improving!)
Systems (and maintenance) cost is high
(improving!)
Limited mechanical properties*
Some waste materials can be hazardous*
Fusion/Consolidation - Answers -Usage of lasers, electron
beams, extrusion heads to create the localized
2|Page
,solid entity
Cut/restart - Answers -Usage of mechanisms and cutting knives that enable the cut/restart
process
Pressure - Answers -Usage of pressure mechanisms in certain processes to 'sinter' components
Motion Control - Answers -Usage of mechanisms to ensure deposition/addition location and
feedback to
system
Containment Chamber - Answers -Usage of volume separation to contain heat/cold depending
on process. I.e. Cold chamber manufacturing.
Filaments - Answers -that are introduced by an extrusion head, and fused
together constitutes family of FFF
Filaments are widely available in a range of
different qualities and prices
Common filament materials:
Polylactic Acid (PLA)
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
Other filament materials:
3|Page
, Nylon / Reinforced nylon / Metal / carbon fiber / ...
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) / Poly Propylene
(PP) / Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU)
Common filament sizes:
1.75mm
3mm
Powder - Answers -that are spread and fused together using a laser or
electron beam constitutes family of Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
Metal powder as a raw material for SL are
increasingly available yet still expensive
Depending on process, there might be
certain safety precautions necessary
Common metal powder variations:
Aluminum alloys
Cobalt based alloys
Nickel based alloys
Stainless steel / Tool steel
Titanium alloys
Common other powder variations:
Ceramics (e.g., Silicon Carbide (SiC) )
Polymers (e.g., Ultrasint PA6 - X028)
4|Page
