Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly referred to as 3D printing, offers advantages over traditional
production methods, such as quick prototyping, short production runs and intricate, thin section,
microfluidic, variable composition, and low-waste designs. These exciting features are accompanied by
new challenges, such as higher costs, the possibility of variable quality, and inherently anisotropic
properties.
Existing AM technologies include 3D printing, rapid prototyping (RP), direct digital manufacturing (DDM),
selective laser melting (SLM), and direct metal laser Sintering (DMLS).