Additive technology:

Technology may have had the greatest impact on recent human history. Consider a light bulb, a steam engine, or, more recently, automobiles and aeroplanes, not to mention the rise and rise of the world wide web. These technologies have improved our lives in a variety of ways, opening up new pathways and opportunities, but it usually takes time, often decades, before the genuinely disruptive character of the technology becomes obvious.

It is widely assumed that 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), has a great deal of potential to become one of these technologies. Many media channels, mainstream publications, and online resources have now covered 3D printing. What exactly is 3D printing, which some predict will replace traditional manufacturing as we know it, revolutionise design, and have geopolitical, economic, social, demographic, environmental, and security ramifications in our daily lives?

The most fundamental and distinguishing feature of 3D printing is that it is an additive manufacturing method. And this is crucial because 3D printing is a totally different manufacturing approach based on modern technology that builds up items additively in sub-millimetre layers. This is significantly different from any other traditional manufacturing technology now in use.

Traditional manufacturing has a variety of constraints, which stem from the etymological origins of the French word for manufacture itself, which is based on human effort and created by hand philosophy. However, the manufacturing world has changed, and automated operations like machining, casting, forming, and moulding are all (relatively) modern, complicated processes that necessitate the use of machines, computers, and robot technology.

Traditional design and production techniques impose a variety of unacceptable limits for many applications, including the previously stated expensive tooling, fixtures, and the necessity for the assembly of complicated parts. Furthermore, subtractive manufacturing methods such as machining can waste up to 90% of the original block of material. 3D printing, on the other hand, is a method of directly producing items by adding material layer by layer in a variety of ways, depending on the technology employed. To simplify the theory underlying 3D printing, it may be compared to the process of automatically making anything using Lego blocks for anyone who is still attempting to understand the notion (and there are many).

3D printing is an enabling technology that fosters and drives innovation by providing unparalleled design freedom while reducing prohibitive prices and lead times. Components with elaborate geometry and complex features can be developed at no extra cost to avoid assembly needs. 3D printing is also emerging as an energy-efficient technology that can deliver environmental efficiencies in both the manufacturing process, which can use up to 90% of standard materials, and during the product's working life, which can be achieved through lighter and stronger design.