Difference between 3D printing and additive manufacturing.
Overtime we see people using both 3D printing and additive manufacturing interchangeably. But are they actually synonymous or are they completely two different terms? . Let us understand the concept better in this blog.
To begin with, we all basically know that additive manufacturing is a process in which the component or the product is built by adding material over a base layer instead of removing material from a solid stock, unlike subtractive or traditional manufacturing.
Similar is the case of a 3D printing. A product is built by depository layers of materials, which means the methodology of 3D printing involves building components by addition of layers. Hence , 3D printing by its own definition is an additive manufacturing process. To put it in manufacturing terms, 3D printing in additive manufacturing is like turning and milling for traditional manufacturing methods. Or in other terms it like what machine learning and deep learning is to artificial intelligence.
To get a clearer picture, let us first understand that Additive manufacturing is a really broad term. It encompasses various other non-subtractive manufacturing methods like selective laser melting, powder bed based methods, direct energy deposition and many more. All the above mentioned methods, does not remove material like the traditional subtractive manufacturing , neither do they function like a 3D printer.
With all the recent developments in the field and increasing advancements in the technology, the difference between these 2 terms are definitely increasing.
At the end of this discussion my inference is that , 3D printing comes under the umbrella of Additive manufacturing . 3D printing is one of the most familiar additive manufacturing methods. 3D printing and additive manufacturing are not completely two different terms but counterparts.
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ReplyDeleteBrief, yet clear info
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