The ABCs of 3D Printing: How Additive Manufacturing is Shaping Modern Industry

What do a house, a coral reef, skin cells, and a cutting saw have in common?

They all have been 3D printed.

3D printing is accelerating innovation across sectors—from dentistry and eyewear to prosthetics, furniture design, archaeology, paleontology, and forensic science. We're just scratching the surface of its transformative potential.

What Is 3D Printing? 3D printing encompasses a range of additive manufacturing processes that build objects layer by layer from a digital design. These parts can be geometrically complex and are ideal for many manufacturing applications. Printers vary in cost—from a few hundred dollars for hobbyist units to several million for industrial machines—and in the technologies they employ.

3D printing is a subset of additive manufacturing, where material is added to create a part, unlike subtractive methods that remove material. A 3D printer starts from a CAD file and deposits or bonds new material to form a three‑dimensional object. Today’s printers support a broad palette of materials and technologies, making it easier than ever to produce parts for diverse industries.

How Is 3D Printing Used in Manufacturing?

While often associated with toys and hobby projects, 3D printing can produce parts that endure heavy‑duty conditions. Industries such as energy, automotive, and defense now use 3D‑printed components in everything from functional prototypes to tools, fixtures, and end‑use parts. The technology is reshaping manufacturing workflows by enabling rapid, low‑cost production of custom, low‑volume items.

Although 3D printers were invented in the 1980s, widespread adoption didn’t begin until around 2009 when prices fell and performance improved. Today, businesses worldwide use 3D printing to accelerate product development and reduce lead times.

What Are the Most Common 3D Printing Technologies?

While many techniques exist, two are especially prominent. All printers build parts in discrete slices called layers.

1. Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF, also known as Fused Deposition Modeling)
2. Continuous Fiber Reinforcement (CFR)

FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication)

FFF is the most widely used and affordable technology. It heats a thermoplastic filament to near‑melting temperatures and extrudes it through a nozzle that traces each layer’s cross‑section. The process repeats until the part is complete.

Continuous Fiber Reinforcement (CFR)

CFR adds continuous fibers to an FFF build, using a second extruder to lay down fibers in‑layer instead of infill. The resulting parts can be up to ten times stronger than standard FFF polymers and can replace machined aluminum in many applications.

Today, FFF printers dominate the market, but CFR materials bring the strength of traditional metals to the affordability of FFF, opening new possibilities for lightweight, high‑performance parts.

The Bottom Line

Adding multiple printers to a manufacturing workflow can drastically cut the time and cost of producing complex parts. 3D printing enables rapid iteration and eliminates the need to invest in expensive tooling for low‑volume, custom components.

With a 3D printer, you can quickly prototype, refine, and produce functional parts without the delays of traditional manufacturing. This agility is ideal for low‑volume, custom prototypes, tooling, and fixtures that are often too intricate for conventional machining.

Want to see what other companies have made by 3D printing with Markforged? Check out our Application Spotlights.

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