Additive manufacturing––or 3D printing––encompasses various process in which materials are fused together, layer by layer, under the command of computer software inputs. There are many types of 3D printing, including selective laser sintering, which uses a high-powered CO2 laser to sinter powdered nylon and other plastics into three-dimensional parts, one layer at a time, from a supply of powder scanned by the beam. Engineers can test and change features by altering data in computer-aided design (CAD) software. New parts can be printed in hours instead of days without creating a new mold.
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