Think of toys, automobiles, kitchen utensils, pedestrian bridges. Name an object and there’s likely someone with a story of how they created it using 3D printing. However, you may be surprised to learn the facts behind the popular term “3D printing.”
The term 3D printing refers to the mechanical processes of manufacturing an object by adding material layer by layer. No printing actually occurs.
The concept of additive manufacturing is a part of a larger concept called direct digital manufacturing. Instead of whittling out a shape that’s needed, as a sculptor does with stone or a router does by removing layers of wood from a plank using subtractive manufacturing, additive manufacturing only uses the feedstock needed for a given project.
Additive manufacturing allows for radical redesigns, organic complex geometry and an ability to minimize waste. The process enables CAD designers to take their concepts and embed them directly into a machine that builds their product layer by layer. Suddenly, manufacturers can build things that were never before possible. This is particularly true in certain industries such as aviation.