Additive Manufacturing Progress as a New Industrial Revolution

Additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing (3DP), a new industrial revolution, is a manufacturing technique that has revolutionized the way products and consumer goods are made. Emerged in the 1980s, today, it has arrived at the maturity phase, where products that were difficult to produce by conventional processes are now possible. Our paper aims to discuss this technology's evolution from the birth phase to the maturity one, and the different AM processes and materials used. We examine the growth of its adoption by companies to be more competitive in the market, and also we highlight its several industrial applications. We identify this technology's ability to satisfy the automotive industry requirements by manufacturing parts, which must be complex and lightweight at the same time. We also investigate its application in medical field due to its advantage of customizing the part to each patient's anatomy, and its support against COVID- 19 by manufacturing face masks.