Question By: Many people consider that the term “3D printing” and “additive manufacturing” refer to the same manufacturing process, But in practice, there are various situations and settings where one term is preferred to the other.
3D Printing
This is the term not actually preferred as manufacturing or engineering, this related to technology but not specifically manufacturing technology. 3D printing is a process in which an object is created layer by layer using a machine, known as a 3D printer and CAD software. In many cases, 3D printing is described as fused deposition modeling (FDM) or fused filament fabrication (FFF) of smaller desktop 3D printers.
Additive Manufacturing
The term additive manufacturing describes the creation of objects by adding material. This 3D printing on an industrial scale describes the more advanced techniques such as Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). This additive manufacturing process provides a more professional look to the finished product and easily layers of that which look very hard. Additive Manufacturing is much more expensive but provides the best results on a larger scale, with greater precision, and with a wider variety of materials.
Between 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing
3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing. However, additive manufacturing is a larger term that includes a wider range of processes than its 3D printing counterpart. The term additive manufacturing is commonly associated with industrial and commercial applications, whereas the term 3D printing is commonly associated with consumer and recreational applications.
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