This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC’s registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726. As a manufacturer, you may find a lot of problems in the workplace have to do with missing or broken components. Replacing these components will take time and money, so being able to reproduce those parts on the factory floor can be a big help, even if just temporarily. One of the reasons 3D printing has become so popular is because of the help the invention lends to manufacturers. However, 3D printing might not always be the best option. While it certainly sounds amazing on paper, there can be hidden drawbacks you may not see until you already own and use one. To be fair, 3D printers are pretty incredible machines, they just aren’t as unique as you may think. Maybe there’s something out there that’s better for manufacturing. 3D printing and additive manufacturing â Additive Manufacturing (AM) is the process of three-dimension parts being made by creating one layer of material at a time according to the design dictated by a digital ...