Most products we use every day are made of many parts. They result from many manufacturing steps performed by different machines, each with its own operator. Each machine and operator does a certain job, such as cutting, drilling or milling, then passes the part to another machine and operator that perform another job, and on and on along an assembly line until the part is complete. Eventually, all of the parts are assembled into a final product, either by machine or by hand.
3D printing replaces all of these steps with fundamentally different machines and materials that substantially simplify the manufacturing process. 3D printers can make finished products, with all their parts, fully assembled. Driven by a digital blueprint, they build layer upon layer of fused plastic, metal or other materials. In this article, Finnegan attorney John F. Hornick discusses how 3D printing affects manufacturing processes.
Previously published by EE Times
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
