ETM 1050 Design Considerations Fundamentals Practice Exam

Design for manufacturability here centers on how the production method shapes what the part should look like. Additive manufacturing builds parts layer by layer, which makes it practical to create complex geometries, internal channels, lattices, and integrated assemblies with little or no tooling or fixturing. That means the emphasis is on enabling complex forms and reducing the need for specialized tooling, molds, or setup time. Subtractive manufacturing, in contrast, starts from a solid block and removes material with cutting tools, so the design must be crafted with machinability in mind—how easily features can be reached, what tolerances can be reliably held, and how tooling costs and setup time will affect overall production. So the best answer captures that additive supports complex geometries with minimal tooling, while subtractive focuses on machinability, tolerances, and tooling costs. The other statements don’t reflect these fundamental trade-offs: additive isn’t limited to simple shapes and isn’t defined by higher tooling costs; subtractive doesn’t guarantee unlimited tolerances, and both approaches do consider tooling and processing costs in the design.