Not unlike the personal computer or the world wide web, additive manufacturing (AM) has exploded from a hobbyist’s oddity to an essential global industry in just a short few years.

Advancements in technology and the materials that can be used have made additive manufacturing processes more affordable and accessible to small- and medium-sized businesses. As a result, the market for additive printing technology is expected to grow from $11.5 billion as of 2020 to $47.5 billion by the year 2028.¹

What is additive manufacturing?

Additive manufacturing (AM) is the process of creating objects by adding material, as opposed to more traditional subtractive manufacturing, which creates products by removing material. AM is often considered to be synonymous with 3D printing. However, 3D printer technology, which has boomed in recent years, is simply one use case of AM.

3D printing and rapid prototyping are two of the more quickly recognizable implementations of AM, but they’re far from the only ones. AM can include any process that uses software, such as computer-aided design (CAD) or 3D object scanners, to direct a machine that deposits layers of material to create an object.

What’s truly brought AM within reach of small businesses is that the process can now work with a variety of materials, including: 

• Alloys
• Metals
• Plastics
• Concrete
• Polymers
• And even biological tissue²

Because AM is a flexible process without the need for tooling, manufacturers not only can profit from its versatility to produce precise, complex parts and solutions efficiently and at a low cost but also tap into opportunities to customize designs and enter niche production.

How AM is reshaping industries

AM is presently found in almost every major industry that historically has relied on traditional subtractive manufacturing, although the aerospace industry was one of its earliest adopters.³ The technology is increasingly finding success in the automotive and medical device industries, as well as industries responsible for energy, infrastructure, and consumer goods.

Just as the second industrial revolution modernized these industries at the turn of the twentieth century, AM is evolving them today. AM is improving quality, efficiency, and consistency across these industries through a number of common applications: 

• Rapid production of prototypes and models to support research and development.
• Production of parts to build pilot series, especially in the medical, automotive, and aerospace industries.
• Production for short series projects where traditional casting or injection molding would be too expensive.
• Production of highly complex geometric parts that would not be possible to produce through milling, grinding, casting, or other traditional manufacturing methods.

Benefits of AM for small businesses

One of the key advantages of AM — as opposed to traditional subtractive manufacturing — is that it is inherently lean. In many cases, a particular process can be streamlined from several expensive, specialized machines to one machine.

As the barrier to entry has become relatively low, small businesses can take advantage of this new technology in numerous ways without the need of prohibitively expensive infrastructure.

With some up-front investment, small businesses can gain a significant return on investment (ROI) from engaging with additive manufacturing by: 

• Reducing time-to-market
• Customizing products at scale
• Lowering the quantity of overall parts needed for assembly
• Cutting down on the number of fabrication or process steps
• Simplifying and streamlining repairs and maintenance of products
• Eliminating toolmaking operations to speed up the production process
• Improving on traditional designs with the flexibility to design the same parts with better functionality and lower costs 

Practical applications of AM for your business

Parts that require temperature control 

Where computer numerical control (CNC) machining is limited in some ways, such as in the shapes that can be produced, AM is flexible by enabling manufacturers to produce, for example, molds or tools that allow for temperature control. Using AM, manufacturers can leverage vacuum channels for cooling or conformal water jackets to create parts able to function at high temperatures.

Castings and molds

In the process of traditional investment casting, the first step is creating a mold that can accommodate a molten alloy being poured into it. AM allows manufacturers to produce a pattern straight from a CAD design, in many cases skipping the time and costs required to create a mold or tool. AM can be used to print sand molds, cores, and other tools as needed. 

Manufacturers who work with injection molding can also leverage AM to design and build cooling channels that contour to the mold itself. This extends the life of the mold, cutting down on waste and increasing the ROI of each mold.

Repairing high-value parts

Manufacturers that work with high-value parts have to contend with the costs of repair in time, money, and materials anytime a part breaks or is damaged. AM can open up the ability to repair parts faster and at lower costs, with processes, such as directed energy deposition, that deposit material onto an existing part to extend its life span.

Customization at scale

Traditionally speaking, the production of bespoke products presents a trade-off for businesses: Despite being able to reach niche audiences and charge more for a customized design, the costs and time to set up and run production for a one-time specialized part often doesn’t positively affect the bottom line. 

Manufacturers can incorporate AM in their production processes to customize designs at relatively low costs. The efficiency and flexibility of AM makes it a more accessible option for small businesses that want to offer custom or bespoke versions of their products to customers, a value-add that can boost margins.

Joining the next industrial revolution

Additive manufacturing is in the early stages of its maturity but it’s already had a nearly immeasurable effect on the industries that have adopted it.

AM offers a path to reducing costs, improving efficiency and safety, and producing consistently high-quality output. It has the potential to disrupt the way we conceptualize and design products, and to create bespoke, highly customizable products at scale. With long-term savings in cost and time, and a variety of ways for businesses of any scale to get involved, what are you waiting for?

Start or grow your relationship with us today and take advantage of our exclusive suite of services designed to meet all the needs of your business.

1. “3D Printing Market is expected to grow from USD 11.5 Billion in 2020 to USD 47.5 Billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 19.6% during the forecast period 2021-2028: Greyviews,” GlobeNewswire, April 20, 2022.
2. Multiple Authors, “Current Developments in 3D Bioprinting for Tissue and Organ Regeneration – A Review,” Frontiers, October 30, 2020.
3. “Advancements in 3D Printing are Revolutionizing the Aerospace Industry,” VaughnCollege, February 25, 2022.