Additive manufacturing is transforming manufacturing as we know it, dramatically speeding up the process from initial design to manufactured piece. Parts that used to take weeks to create are now being created in just days.
The term “additive manufacturing” encompasses many technologies including 3D printing, which is expanding the options for production efficiency and creating new intricate designs and structures that, until now, were not feasible using traditional methods.
Companies have been using additive manufacturing since the 1980s, primarily for the production of prototypes for testing. In recent years, however, new 3D printing machines have been manufacturing an increasing number of functional metallic parts, particularly in the medical and aerospace fields. Analysts expect the market just for additive manufactured metal products, as well as the market for the powders needed to make them, to continue growing at a rapid pace, reaching $6 billion by 2017. (Source: Wohlers Associates)
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