3D printing technology is revolutionizing the world. With 3D printing, we can now turn digital designs into actual physical objects, increasing the possibilities for manufacturing and design.
While Japanese researcher Hideo Kodama published the earliest work on a photopolymer additive process in 1981, the commercial foundation of 3D printing technology was established by Charles “Chuck” Hull, who patented Stereolithography (SLA) in 1986 and created the universal .STL file format. The use of 3D printing has developed over time and is now common in a wide range of areas, including the automotive, aerospace, defense, and healthcare industries.
If you’re a manufacturer or a business owner, you can use 3D printing to make complex functional things that are impossible to make using traditional production methods. This technology has countless uses and the potential to revolutionize how we make and work with objects.
What is 3D Printing?
3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is the process of creating three-dimensional physical objects from a computer file. Under international engineering standards like ISO/ASTM 52900, a 3D technology item is created using additive processes. Additive manufacturing creates an object by adding successive layers of material until an object is created. Each of these layers can be viewed as a thin cross-section of the object.
To understand exactly how this works for a reader, the setup follows a continuous digital-to-physical loop:
- The Design: An object is built using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software or 3D scan data.
- The File: The asset is exported as an STL (classic triangle mesh), OBJ (supports texture), or 3MF (modern format with rich metadata).
- The Slicer: A print preparation program (Slicer) slices the model into horizontal layers and translates them into G-code, which tells the printer hardware exactly how to move and melt material layer by layer.
3D printing is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing, i.e., cutting, milling, or hollowing out a piece of metal or plastic, for example, with a milling machine or CNC router. 3D printing allows you to create highly complex internal shapes and organic geometries with significantly less material waste than traditional manufacturing methods.
Processes of 3D Printing
3D printing isn’t one technology but a toolbox of very different processes. Under the global ISO/ASTM 52900 standard framework, all forms of 3D printing fall into one of the following main types:
Stereolithography (SLA)
Stereolithography (SLA), also known as vat photopolymerization or resin printing, is an industrial 3D printing process. SLA printers are excellent at creating parts with fine details, smooth surface finishes, and close dimensional tolerances. High-quality surface finishes on SLA parts not only look good but can also support the mechanical function of the part, for example, by checking a complex engineering assembly for a tight or watertight fit.
Charles Hull invented Stereolithography (SLA) in 1986. It is widely used in the medical and dental industries, and common applications include patient-specific anatomical models, customized surgical guides, and microfluidics.
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is used in the powder-based 3D printing process, formally classified under Powder Bed Fusion (PBF). It uses fused layers of material together to create a finished structural part. In a bed of powder, a high-powered thermal laser follows the pattern of every cross-section of a 3D design, sintering polymer micro-particles together—primarily engineering thermoplastics like Nylon 11 and Nylon 12.
Selective laser sintering (SLS) was invented by Dr. Carl Deckard. Because the surrounding unfused powder bed acts as a continuous natural support structure during the print, SLS completely eliminates the need for temporary sacrificial support structures. This provides significant time and cost savings for low-volume production parts that would otherwise need to be assembled using traditional manufacturing. SLS is a perfect combination of functionality, structural strength, and geometric complexity.
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), also known as Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), is an additive manufacturing process in the field of material extrusion. FDM printing technology was invented in 1988 by Scott Crump and commercialized by Stratasys.
An FDM 3D printer deposits melted thermoplastic filament feedstock (such as PLA, ABS, or PETG) onto a build platform layer by layer through a heated extrusion nozzle. Using digital design files that are loaded onto the machine, FDM converts them into physical dimensions. FDM parts are inherently anisotropic, meaning their physical tensile strength is weaker along the vertical Z-axis layer lines than along the horizontal X-Y structural paths, which is an essential factor to evaluate when testing functional parts.
Digital Light Processing (DLP)
DLP 3D printing utilizes a digital light projector or LCD panel paired with a digital micromirror device to simultaneously flash a single image of an entire cross-section layer on a vat of liquid photopolymer resin. It is used to produce larger parts or larger volumes of parts in a single batch because each layer flash takes the same amount of time regardless of the number of individual parts in the build tray, making it significantly faster than the point-to-point laser scanning method used in traditional SLA.
DLP is a process that is highly similar to stereolithography as both are 3D printing processes that use liquid photopolymers. The key difference is the type of light source used by DLP to cure an entire layer of resin simultaneously.
Metal Powder Bed Fusion (DMLS / SLM)
To understand industrial applications fully, one must look at metal additive manufacturing, which includes Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Selective Laser Melting (SLM). These systems use a high-energy laser beam to fuse atomized metal alloy powders (such as Titanium, Aluminum, and Stainless Steel) layer by layer. Unlike polymer printing, metal additive parts require dense structural anchors to handle intense thermal stresses during the build, which are later removed using precision machining or wire EDM post-processing.
Binder Jetting
Binder jetting deposits a thin layer of powdered material, for example metal, polymer sand, or ceramic, onto the build platform, after which drops of adhesive are deposited by a printhead to bind the particles together. This builds the part layer by layer, and once this is complete, post-processing may be necessary to finish the build. For metal parts, they may be thermally sintered in a furnace later, while full-color polymer or ceramic parts may be saturated with an adhesive. Binder jetting is great for full-color prototypes and large-scale casting molds.
Direct Energy Deposition (DED) & Sheet Lamination
- Direct Energy Deposition (DED): Uses focused thermal energy like a laser or electric arc to fuse wire or powder material as it is being deposited by a nozzle. It is highly useful for repairing worn rails or adding features to large pre-existing components.
- Sheet Lamination: Cuts and bonds thin sheets of material together. This includes Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM), which joins thin sheets of metal via ultrasonic welding at low temperatures.
Post-Processing
Most 3D printed parts require some form of post-processing to achieve the optimal finish and performance. Depending on the technology and the material, the printed parts may require rinsing in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to remove any uncured resin from their surface, post-curing to stabilize mechanical properties, manual work to remove support structures, or cleaning with compressed air to remove excess powder.
There’s a multitude of 3D printing post-processing methods to improve looks or performance for specific applications, such as vibratory tumbling, vapor smoothing, dyeing, painting, or metal coating.
3D Printing – A Game-Changer for These Industries
The Footwear Industry
Over the last few years, well-known brands such as Adidas (with their Carbon-printed lattice midsoles) and Nike (utilizing Flyprint textiles) have successfully involved this additive manufacturing technology in their traditional manufacturing processes, using it for everything from advanced structural soles to full functional prototypes. Total revenue from 3D-printed footwear continues on a massive trajectory, expected to exceed $9 billion by 2030.
3D printing helps footwear manufacturers to avoid tooling issues and supply chain constraints that slow down progress and limit design options. 3D printers use a completely digital process that eliminates expensive injection molds, reduces the time between physical manufacturing phases, and vastly expands mass customization options for consumers.
The Medicine and Healthcare Industry
3D printing in medicine and healthcare has revolutionized drug development and medical equipment manufacturing. The presence of hundreds of regulatory-approved clinical devices demonstrates its maturity, providing entirely new methods of practicing medicine, optimizing critical hospital supply chains, and delivering less expensive, more personalized medical services.
The key advantage of using 3D printing in the medical field is patient-matched customization. The 3D printing process allows for the creation of biocompatible prosthetics, custom cranial implants, and orthopedic plates that perfectly match a patient’s CT or MRI scans, as well as surgical instrumentation that can be customized to the daily ergonomic use of a specific surgeon. Beyond structured plastics and metals, the industry has expanded heavily into Bioprinting, using cellular bio-inks composed of living cells to print functional synthetic tissues, bone matrices, and vascular structures for regenerative engineering.
The Housing Industry
3D-printed homes provide a sustainable, economical, and highly customizable alternative that is altering the home construction industry. These structural buildings are fabricated using massive gantry systems or automated robotic arms that extrude specialized concrete formulations layer by layer directly from architectural blueprints.
Market research estimates show that the global 3D concrete printing market has surged into a major sector, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 23%. The key benefit of 3D printing technology in the construction sector is a massive reduction in production costs caused by material waste at the building site. A 3D-printed home structure is much more affordable to build than the traditional construction method due to the decrease in raw material transport costs and the ability to build structural walls in up to 70% less time.
The Aerospace & Automotive Industries
Automotive: The automotive industry uses 3D printing because of the weight and cost reductions it offers. It allows for rapid prototyping and track testing of new parts overnight, or making a small run of rare spare parts that are no longer available.
Aerospace: 3D printing is widely used because it can create lightweight yet complex components like blisks as a single piece. This reduces material wastage and eliminates the need to assemble a part from multiple individual pieces.
Benefits of 3D Printing Technology
The following are some major benefits of using 3D printing technology.
Rapid Prototyping
With 3D technology, the ability to create prototypes of new products quickly and cheaply is a game-changer for businesses and entrepreneurs. Previously, it took months or even years to develop a new physical product through external fabrication lines. Using the 3D printing process, businesses can create high-fidelity functional prototypes in-house in days or even hours, radically shortening product time-to-market.
Innovative Designs
3D technology provides design shapes and structural configurations that would be impossible or cost-prohibitive to achieve through traditional subtractive machining or formative casting methods, making product visualization more accurate and flexible. For instance, industrial printers can precisely place small amounts of material—whether polymer or concrete—only where structural simulation indicates it is needed, providing engineers and architects with unmatched design freedom.
Substantial Material Waste Reduction
When compared to traditional subtractive manufacturing methods—which cut away raw blocks of material to reveal a part—the 3D printing process works by adding material, consuming nearly exclusively what is required for the part geometry itself, with little or no waste. This process not only saves finite resources and lowers production energy requirements but also lowers the cost of the raw materials used.
Materials for 3D Printing
Choosing the right 3D printing process is just one side of the coin. Ultimately, it is largely up to the materials to enable you to create parts with the desired mechanical properties or looks. Below are analogous materials across the major technologies:
| Material Type | FDM/FFF Filaments | SLA/DLP/MSLA Resins | SLS/MJF Powders |
| General Use | PLA | General purpose resins (matte, clear, colors) | Nylon 12 |
| Tough Engineering | ABS, Nylon, PETG | Tough and durable resins | Nylon 12, Nylon 11 |
| Stiff Engineering | Composites (Carbon fiber) | Stiff, rigid resins (glass-filled) | Nylon composites |
| Flexible Engineering | TPU | Flexible or elastomeric resins | TPU, Polypropylene |
Final Verdict
It is accepted that 3D printing is a major disruptor in manufacturing. It already has a significant impact on industries like footwear, housing, and medicine, and its role in shaping decentralized, on-demand supply chains will only grow in the future. With the ability to convert digital CAD data directly into highly intricate, functional components with minimal waste, 3D printing technology plays a crucial role in shaping the future of industrial production and product design.
3D Printing FAQ
What is the core difference between 3D printing and CNC machining?
3D printing is an additive process that builds components layer by layer from the ground up, minimizing raw material waste and handling complex internal geometries easily. CNC machining is a subtractive method that cuts away material from a solid block. Machining excels at maintaining tight industrial tolerances and premium surface finishes on dense monolithic materials, while 3D printing excels at rapid design iteration and organic geometric configurations.
Are resin or filament 3D printers better?
This depends entirely on your target applications. Filament printers (FDM/FFF) are highly cost-effective, easy to operate, and excellent for printing durable, structural parts out of standard engineering plastics. Resin printers (SLA/DLP/MSLA) trade off simple raw material handling for incredible precision, smooth surface finishes, and isotropic properties, making them far superior for high-detail medical, dental, and jewelry prototypes.
How strong are 3D printed components?
Part strength is determined by the material, chosen technology, and print orientation. While standard plastic FDM prints exhibit directional weakness (anisotropy) across their layer lines, powder bed processes (SLS) and resin processes (SLA) yield highly isotropic parts with excellent structural integrity. Furthermore, industrial metal 3D printing (SLM/DMLS) yields components that meet or exceed the strength profiles of traditional wrought metal assets after standard thermal post-processing.
Can 3D printing be used for mass production?
While there have been great advances, 3D printing still struggles to match traditional techniques like injection molding for high-volume mass production. Estimates show that for simple identical parts, traditional methods are more cost-effective when production runs exceed 100 units.
Are 3D printing fumes dangerous?
3D printing fumes can be dangerous to your health as the process produces filament emissions when plastic materials are melted layer by layer. However, following correct safety procedures, such as ensuring sufficient ventilation or using extractors, easily solves this issue.
Are there any further developments beyond 3D printing, such as 4D and 5D printing?
Yes, there are ongoing advancements. 4D printing adds the element of time, meaning objects can change shape or self-assemble in response to things like temperature or moisture after they are printed. 5D printing uses advanced multi-axis machines to print from multiple angles, creating curved layers that make parts up to 5 times stronger while using less material.
Update History
Originally Published: April 2, 2023
Current Update: June 9, 2026 — Technical review completed by Muhammad Adeel. Updated historical attribution (Chuck Hull, 1986) and aligned definitions with ISO/ASTM 52900 standards. Expanded the technology stack to include industrial metal printing (DMLS/SLM), Binder Jetting, and post-processing protocols. Updated commercial market data for footwear, construction, and healthcare bioprinting. Added a 3D printing materials matrix and a technical FAQ module covering CNC trade-offs, part anisotropy, and multi-axis 5D printing.
