ABSTRACT
Additive manufacturing (AM) has a market niche with an enormous growth potential if the main barriers to up-take it can be addressed. While AM started mainly as a means to create prototypes, technological advancements and applications of AM technologies suggest that the technology has a potential to revolutionize many facets of everyday life. This chapter summarizes the trends and numerous applications of AM in almost every field including tooling, aerospace, automobile, marine, construction, medical, retail and fashion, and so on. AM has established itself with a firm footing in niche sectors like automotive, aerospace, biomedical and tissue engineering, etc. It has opened up entirely new manufacturing as well as supply chain opportunities. Betterment of existing fabrication opportunities and development of newer facilities that were initially thought impossible has become a reality with AM. The concept of “digiproneurship,” which is based upon advanced information, communication as well as manufacturing technologies, has emerged with advancements in AM technology.
