Gear technology Additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is a comprehensive term for all manufacturing processes in which material is applied layer by layer to create a three-dimensional component. The starting point of 3D printing is a digital CAD model, which is sliced by slicer software into a number of layers representing the material layers needed to build the component. The layer-by-layer buildup is made of one or more materials, which can be liquid or solid. Materials such as plastics, ceramics or metals can be used, among others. Melting and hardening processes occur during the buildup.