If you read manufacturing publications, you may have come across an article about additive manufacturing. This topic is becoming more prevalent and many industry experts believe that additive manufacturing will become an important part of the American manufacturing economy.
So what is it? Additive manufacturing (which is sometimes referred to as 3D printing) is the process of making three dimensional, solid objects from a digital model. A technical process, additive manufacturing allows designers to take multiple materials and build parts as a single unit from the inside out. Because materials are built layer by layer, the product is able to be built with high precision which helps manufacturers save on costs by reducing material waste.
Although reducing production costs is a great benefit for U.S. manufacturers, this process will help the field in another important way: additive manufacturing will allow us to build complex, “multi-material” components. This can spark new innovative parts, products and processes for our nation’s manufacturers.
Advancements in the field will lead us to create more high-tech manufacturing jobs for our economy and will inspire businesses to come back to the U.S. This has made pursuing additive manufacturing a top priority for our country. In fact, a $30 million grant was used to establish the National Additive Manufacturing Institute (NAMII) in Youngstown, Ohio last year. With continuing developments, the process could help affirm America as the high-tech manufacturing hub of the world for years to come.