A new type of 3D printing may bring it into the mainstream

EARLY FORMSDDD of additive manufacturing, or 3 printing as it is popularly called, began to emerge in the 1980s. But it took more than a decade for the technology to start taking off. Initially, it was used to make prototypes. Now, intricate components are routinely 3-printed in plastic and metal, for use in products ranging from jet engines and robots to cars.Sales of 3-printing services and machines grew by more than 17% in 2021, to reach around $15bn, according to preliminary estimates for a report by Wohlers Associates, a firm that tracks the industry. However, as useful as additive manufacturing has become, it struggles to compete on cost and speed with more established ways of making things, such as injecting molten plastic into moulds or stamping out metal parts with a giant press.