Today, laser additive manufacturing (LAM) is used in many industrial applications. Because of the freedom in design allowed by LAM, it offers much potential for new approaches in product design. However, most design engineers are used to designing parts for conventional manufacturing methods, such as milling and casting, and often have only limited experience in designing products for LAM. In this chapter the most basic design guidelines that should be considered to ensure a safe build process are presented. Guidelines cover geometric resolution, surface quality, geometrical features, and general restrictions. Derived design guidelines are presented in a catalogue. Favorable and unfavorable examples are shown, the underlying process restrictions are mentioned, and further recommendations are given. Moreover, an overview over some already successfully realized design approaches for parts specifically designed for LAM is given to show the process's potential for industrial applications.
