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3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has grown by leaps and bounds in the past few years as makers, designers, hobbyists and more have gotten on board with the ability to build their own toys, devices, parts and more.
Now we are seeing a huge influx of industrial 3D printing companies and machines coming on line to support the digital supply chain. In industrial markets, 3D printing is getting buzz because of its potential to revolutionize manufacturing, allowing any company to produce almost anything, layer-by-layer through a single printer.
What began as a way to print plastic toys at home has turned into a big business. Aviation suppliers are using 3D printers to produce new parts such as wings or engines, the automotive industry prints replacement parts for cars, and healthcare produces body parts or new medical wearables. Even food production can be 3D-printed.