The history of 3D printing Starting as 3D printing - “ which many companies have spent a lot of money promoting the term 3D Printing ,” says Langfield - has transitioned to what is more commonly known as additive manufacturing “ this is because it outlines more of the designated solutions .”

But in the early stages , the approach was : How do you make , in the fastest way , your CAT design into a viable model or product in a digital way ? “ So from CAT design to printed part layer by layer , the solution was mainly used for prototyping . Many companies wanted to see what the functionality , or the look and feel of a future product may be before bringing it to market . This solution also provided organisations with confidentiality as they can produce prototypes in-house without outsourcing and the risk of confidential data being passed to third parties . This solution also saves time and money compared to prototyping in a conventional way ,” continues Langfield .

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