Additive Manufacturing: 3-D Printing Systems

General Electric has produced almost 100,000 fuel nozzles for jet engines, Nike has fabricated football cleats for the 2014 Super Bowl, and Ford has created engine covers for the new 2015 Mustang. What ties these three world-renowned companies together? The fact that a 3-D printer made these products possible. Another Industrial Revolution is on the brink as 3-D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, emerges today. Founded in the 1980’s, the innovative printer has made massive improvements since its birth. Traditional production, also known as subtractive manufacturing, is slowly fading away as consumers and companies partake in the 3-D frenzy. Additive manufacturing is without a doubt the better production method because it ensures quick production, reduced costs, healthier environmental impacts, and major manufacturing advancements in America.

To realize why this method is a more suitable alternative, one must first know what additive and subtractive manufacturing is. Created by 3D Systems company founder Chuck Hull, additive manufacturing appeared about thirty years ago (Saginor). In simple terms, additive manufacturing generates products by adding layer upon layer of material from 3-Dimensional blueprints. Nozzles attached to these printers fill models with layers of heated material until the final product is formed. It not only creates products from designs, but also specializes in making designs too, like speedy prototypes for pioneering businesses. The subtractive process, much older than thirty years, uses conventional machinery to cut away excess matter to form a product; this process can best be compared to sculpting. When you envision the old-school factories with machines accompanying long assembly lines, you...

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