3D printing is rapidly becoming a practical tool that looks set to reshape production and manufacturing. It confers the ability to manufacture according to a specific set of digital instructions, allowing products to be constructed at will and to high levels of customisation. However, it also introduces new challenges in terms of technical complexity and data demand, and calls for significant capital investment. The process of 3D printing (3DP) or additive manufacturing (AM) is less wasteful in material requirement than conventional manufacturing, and offers considerable time savings and logistic benefits. 3D printers deposit thin layers of material to create a component or product by following a digital blueprint. It inverts the custom die manufacturing process, changing it from subtractive to additive. The whittling down of metal to the required size and form is replaced by a CAD (computer-aided design) file-controlled, layer-by-layer build-up of material.
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