Reprint from Additive Manufacturing
The chance to launch a product into the world using additive manufacturing as the initial process delivers important new possibilities and even keeps on delivering advantages far into the product’s life.
We are watching additive manufacturing find its place as an accepted and established method for making production parts. What will be the ultimate extent of additive’s share of production? One way to think of this is as a percentage: the portion of production performed through 3D printing. However, another way to see AM finding its place is in terms of sequence: the role additive production is finding in the stages of development of manufactured products.
Similarly, we are watching additive manufacturing realize new possibilities. One way to see this is in engineered geometries — the elaborate forms, and customized forms, that can only be made through AM. However, another way to see AM realizing new possibilities is in the products that never would have come to market without it, because of the way 3D printing permits both fast speed to market and bringing the product to market without the investment and commitment needed for production tooling.
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