What's in a name?

Additive Manufacturing is a name the describes what the technology has become. Originally known as Rapid Prototyping, the user community has proven that the technology has much more use and potential than simply creating one-off prototype parts. For example, the Navy's F/A-18 uses rapid manufactured parts in its air ducting system. With such a small number of jets produced, the decision to use rapid manufactured parts in lieu of creating the tooling that would be necessary to make them traditionally proved to be an enormous cost savings.

Other names have been discussed as potential replacements to rapid prototyping as well. Among them rapid manufacturing, 3D printing and layered manufacturing. All of these names accurately describe the processes as we know them today. However, Additive Manufacturing seems to be the most popular replacement.

So, as this technology matures, so will the name used to describe it. It's an exciting time!