What is Additive Manufacturing?

Additive Manufacturing is the process of adding metallic and/or nonmetallic material in order to create parts. The base material can exist in various forms, as a metal powder or a plastic filament, for example, with a form of heat used to adhere succeeding material layers, thus building the part. This differs from subtractive manufacturing processes such as machining, where material is removed to produce the part. Additive manufacturing enables production of unique structures, impossible to create via other manufacturing processes.

What is Finishing?

AM finishing processes, designed to optimize surface appearance, include blasting, sanding, grinding, polishing or tumbling, as well as EDM or sawing to remove supports.