Fleet & hardware
What is additive manufacturing?
Additive manufacturing is the production of parts by building them up layer by layer from digital models, the industrial term for the family of processes that includes 3D printing.
Also known as: AM, 3D printing, layered manufacturing
Additive manufacturing vs. 3D printing
The terms are used interchangeably, but the register differs. “3D printing” is the general and consumer term; “additive manufacturing” is what the same activity is called in an industrial, procurement, or standards context. If you are writing a capital request or a quality procedure, the second term is the one your reader expects.
Why operations software matters at scale
As an operation grows, more work happens around the machines: deciding what should print, ordering jobs, choosing a printer, tracking cost, and keeping a useful record. Operations software handles that layer.