additive manufacturing

noun

: 3d printing

Instead of the old approach of carving a usable part out of a large block of material, additive manufacturing builds an object up layer by layer.

—Larry Greenemeier

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Large-scale additive manufacturing, like desktop 3D printing, involves building objects one layer at a time. —James Rose, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2023

Divergent Technologies specializes in additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3-D printing. —Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 11 Mar. 2023

Since 2015, Relativity has worked toward developing its first launch vehicle to gauge the success of its founding thesis — that rockets can be quickly, cheaply and efficiently built using additive manufacturing, otherwise known as 3D printing. —Jackie Wattles, CNN, 22 Mar. 2023

Tunable materials that swell or expand have been investigated for some time, says Eujin Pei, a reader in additive manufacturing at Brunel University London. —IEEE Spectrum, 7 Mar. 2023

The engine passed its main test by proving its hardware – made by additive manufacturing or 3D printing – could operate for long periods under extreme heat and pressure. —Lee Roop | [e-mail], al, 26 Jan. 2023

The center includes: fabrication lab for additive manufacturing; simulation and lab space for trade skills; collaboration room for innovation; training space for workforce development; maker space, entrepreneurship and business acceleration programming. —Tony Roberts, Baltimore Sun, 30 Aug. 2022

This is the biggest proof point for our novel additive manufacturing approach. —Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 23 Mar. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

2007, in the meaning defined above