Has additive entered the manufacturing mainstream?

摘要

Additive manufacturing has changed in many ways - 20 years ago, for example, the term 'additive manufacturing'was not commonly used at all. The additive layer technologies at , the time were most commonly called rapid prototyping, because that's what they were mostly used for.Over the past 20 years, the number of technologies has grown, as well as materials. The biggest growth by far has been in manufacturers and users - this is mostly due to the expiry of many key patents registered in the 80s and early 90s, thus allowing new players to enter the market.