According to the US Department of Commerce, "sometimes known as '3-D printing,' additive manufacturing uses emerging technologies to fabricate parts by building them up layer-by-layer. It allows rapid transformation from 'art' (CAD model) to 'part' (manufactured product), and shows great promise for applications as diverse as lightweight aerospace structures and custom biomedical implants." The terms Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM) and 3D Printing are also commonly used to describe Additive Manufacturing technologies. See also the DAU Additive Manufacturing ACQuipedia article and a series of Additive Manufacturing Overview Training Videos for an overview of this important topic.
