“Additive Manufacturing” – often done with 3D printers – is being used more-and-more for “rapid prototyping” and full-scale manufacturing. Although traditional manufacturing methods are still often the best way to make many items (eg: by moulding, casting or forming), additive manufacturing is often the ONLY way of reliably making complex shapes with re-entrant angles, multiple “land-locked” internal structures etc.

Some definitions of “Additive Manufacturing” are given in the web views above & below. URLs show the respective sources.

There are many other sites providing info, ideas & inspiration on ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING . . . including Uni’s here in Australia such as RMIT in Melbourne, Victoria:

To find resources like this, got to https://www.rmit.edu.au and use their search box with terms like “additive manufacturing” or “3D printing”.

Other Australian Universities researching or using additive manufacturing include:

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