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

Examples of additive manufacturing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Pittsburgh wasn’t selected to become the home of metal additive manufacturing (AM) — the industrial name for 3D printing — solely because of its history in metal fabrication. —Carolyn Schwaar, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University have two of the country's most renowned metal AM facilities, and the entire supply chain for metal additive manufacturing had already sprung up around the greater metro area. —Carolyn Schwaar, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

As part of its mission to drive innovation, SQN targets companies in high-potential verticals, such as 3D additive manufacturing, agricultural technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cybersecurity, robotics & automation, and sustainable energy. —William Mullane, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2024

These include several advanced, long-lead tooling products as well as components of the solid rocket motor’s nozzle structure, constructed with additive manufacturing techniques. —Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 15 Dec. 2023

The creepy accomplishment was made possible by a new approach to additive manufacturing that can print both rigid and elastic materials at the same time in high resolution. —IEEE Spectrum, 15 Nov. 2023

The actual components were produced through additive manufacturing. —IEEE Spectrum, 14 Oct. 2023

This technology can also be used to target light to a precise location, solving a problem common to biology, chemistry, and additive manufacturing. —Tracy H. Schloemer, IEEE Spectrum, 19 Sep. 2023

Faster, smaller, and cheaper additive manufacturing is now available. —IEEE Spectrum, 8 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

2007, in the meaning defined above