As additive manufacturing (AM) / 3D printing continues to evolve, many of the pre-conceptions concerning its usefulness as a production technology for plastic parts and components need to be revisited. Now an established technology set, with a 30-year plus pedigree in industry, 3D printing is no longer just a solution for rapid prototyping applications. Today, many 3D printing processes, such as selective laser sintering (SLS), co-exist alongside traditional plastic manufacturing processes as a viable alternative, where it can rival them in terms of cost and lead times.
