by Karsten Schumacher, Senior Consultant, and Matthew Wittemeier, Marketing Manager, INFORM's Logistics Division

Additive manufacturing, better known as 3D printing, has been around for a while, at least conceptually.

Invented in 1980 by Chuck Hull, it is a manufacturing process whereby precisely dosed materials (plastics, concrete, synthetic resins, metal, etc.) are built up, layer-by-layer, using a computer to drive the machinery.

In comparison to how things were traditionally produced, additive manufacturing is faster, cheaper, and generates less waste.

With recent leaps in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, how we design concepts for printing is also resulting in products that are lighter, stronger, and more efficient.

Finally, and probably the most potential to impact the maritime industry, 3D printing allows for individual, on-demand production of highly unique goods.

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