Additive Manufacturing: Evolution from Rapid Prototyping to Digital Transformation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62431/4ebg3q37Keywords:
Additive Manufacturing (AM), Anisotropy, Geometric Complexity, Industrial Applications, Material Waste ReductionAbstract
Traditional manufacturing methods such as machining, casting, and molding generate substantial material waste (up to 80%), require expensive tooling, and impose severe geometric constraints that prevent the fabrication of complex internal features, lattice structures, and patient-specific designs. These limitations create significant barriers to rapid customization, sustainable production, and design innovation across aerospace, biomedical, and automotive sectors. Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, addresses these challenges by building objects layer by layer directly from a computer model, adding material only where needed. This approach eliminates tooling costs, reduces material waste to near zero, and enables geometric complexity including internal channels, topology-optimized lattices, and multi-material assemblies that is impossible or prohibitively expensive with conventional methods. This review synthesizes findings from peer-reviewed sources published between 2015 and 2026 to provide an intermediate-level overview of AM across three interconnected sections: classification of seven AM process categories with working principles and trade-offs; materials science challenges including solidification behavior, anisotropy, and defect formation; and industrial applications, economic considerations, and emerging trends such as large-scale AM, bioprinting, and closed-loop process control.
References
S. Ford and M. Despeisse, “Additive manufacturing and sustainability: An exploratory study of the advantages and challenges,” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 137, pp. 1573–1587, 2016.
H. Bikas, P. Stavropoulos, and G. Chryssolouris, “Additive manufacturing methods and modelling approaches: A critical review,” The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, vol. 83, no. 1, pp. 389–405, 2016.
J. Gardan, “Additive manufacturing technologies: State of the art and trends,” International Journal of Production Research, vol. 54, no. 10, pp. 3118–3132, 2016.
T. D. Ngo et al., “Additive manufacturing (3D printing): A review of materials, methods, applications and challenges,” Composites Part B: Engineering, vol. 143, pp. 172–196, 2018.
T. DebRoy et al., “Additive manufacturing of metallic components: Process, structure and properties,” Progress in Materials Science, vol. 92, pp. 112–224, 2018.
A. Cattenone et al., “Finite element analysis of additive manufacturing based on fused deposition modeling: Distortions comparison,” Finite Elements in Analysis and Design, vol. 128, pp. 25–35, 2017.
X. Wang et al., “3D printing of polymer matrix composites: A review and prospective,” Composites Part B: Engineering, vol. 110, pp. 442–458, 2017.
P. Honigmann et al., “Patient-specific surgical implants made of 3D printed PEEK: Material, technology, and scope of surgical application,” BioMed Research International, vol. 2018, pp. 1–8, 2018.
D. K. Patel et al., “Highly stretchable and UV curable elastomers for digital light processing based 3D printing,” Advanced Materials, vol. 33, no. 4, p. 2005900, 2021.
J. H. Tan, W. L. E. Wong, and K. W. Dalgarno, “An overview of powder granulometry on feedstock and part performance in laser powder bed fusion,” Additive Manufacturing, vol. 19, pp. 158–187, 2018.
S. Leuders et al., “Fatigue strength of laser beam melted Ti-6Al-4V as a function of surface quality and porosity,” International Journal of Fatigue, vol. 124, pp. 348–355, 2019.
T. M. Mower and M. J. Long, “Mechanical behavior of additive manufactured, powder-bed laser-fused materials: A review,” Materials Science and Engineering: A, vol. 651, pp. 198–213, 2016.
Z. Chen et al., “3D printing of ceramics: A review,” Journal of the European Ceramic Society, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 661–687, 2019.
Y. Lakhdar et al., “Additive manufacturing of advanced ceramic materials,” Progress in Materials Science, vol. 116, p. 100736, 2021.
L. G. Blok et al., “An investigation into 3D printing of fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites,” Additive Manufacturing, vol. 22, pp. 176–186, 2018.
H. L. Tekinalp et al., “Highly oriented carbon fiber-polymer composites via additive manufacturing,” Composites Science and Technology, vol. 105, pp. 144–150, 2018.
J. Lorenz, M. Schnupp, and R. Dietzel, “Influence of temperature control on interlayer bonding in fused deposition modeling,” Additive Manufacturing, vol. 28, pp. 471–477, 2019.
Y. Zhou, X. Chen, and Y. Li, “Anisotropic mechanical properties of fused deposition modeling parts,” Additive Manufacturing, vol. 42, p. 101981, 2021.
G. Strano et al., “Surface roughness analysis, modelling and prediction in selective laser melting,” Journal of Materials Processing Technology, vol. 227, pp. 250–258, 2016.
A. Lalehpour and A. Barari, “Post-processing of FDM parts to improve surface quality and dimensional accuracy,” IFAC-PapersOnLine, vol. 51, no. 11, pp. 103–108, 2018.
J. L. Bartlett and X. Li, “An overview of residual stresses in metal additive manufacturing,” Additive Manufacturing, vol. 27, pp. 131–149, 2019.
B. Chausse, R. Ponche, and M. Bigerelle, “Warpage reduction in fused deposition modeling through build plate heating,” Journal of Manufacturing Processes, vol. 45, pp. 532–542, 2019.
M. Seifi et al., “Overview of materials qualification needs for metal additive manufacturing,” JOM, vol. 68, no. 3, pp. 747–764, 2016.
M. Revilla-León and M. Özcan, “Additive manufacturing technologies used for processing polymers: Current status and potential application in prosthetic dentistry,” Journal of Prosthodontics, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 146–158, 2019.
R. Leal et al., “Additive manufacturing tooling for the automotive industry,” The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, vol. 92, no. 5, pp. 1671–1680, 2017.
R. A. Buswell et al., “3D printing using concrete extrusion: A roadmap for research,” Cement and Concrete Research, vol. 112, pp. 103–115, 2018.
S. N. Bhavsar et al., “Additive manufacturing of heat exchangers: A review,” Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 143, pp. 123–137, 2018.
L. R. Lopes et al., “Multi-material additive manufacturing of functional conductive parts,” Additive Manufacturing, vol. 61, p. 103345, 2023.
I. A. Okaro et al., “Real-time melt pool monitoring in laser powder bed fusion using machine learning,” Additive Manufacturing, vol. 52, p. 102654, 2022.
C. Mandrycky et al., “Tissue engineering toward organ printing: Progress and challenges,” Current Opinion in Biomedical Engineering, vol. 13, pp. 63–71, 2020.
Downloads
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Sanjay Bajgotra, Sanjeev Gupta
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Author(s) hold complete right on the content of this article.
