Additive Manufacturing

Conventional manufacturing like lathe turning, milling, drilling, etc. are considered "subtractive" process since you are starting with a block and removing material causing waste.  Additive Manufacturing, more commonly known as "3D Printing", is an "additive" process since you are adding material where it is needed per the geometry, layer by layer, to achieve a final result.  This process is efficient with material use and only sacrificial support material (when necessary) is wasted.  Additive manufacturing equipment and materials have exploded in recent years with both polymers and powdered metals.  New, innovative solutions for designs and parts are possible with additive manufacturing methods.  In many cases, additive manufacturing methods are more advantageous than conventional machining or injection molding in terms of speed, cost, and quality.  In many cases, additive techniques can supplement conventional methods by producing support tooling or protoytyping parts before the machining or injection molding of the final part takes place. 

 

It all depends on the specific application of the part and customer demands that will help formulate how additive manufacturing can add value to your product lifecycle.