3D Printing or additive manufacturing is a digital manufacturing technology that enables us to transform a 3D file into a object layer by layer. The 3D file sums up all descriptive informations about the 3D model so that they could be translated in a group of digital orders for a 3D printer.

The 3D printer builds objects by adding a layer of material on the top of another layer. A lot of different materials are available (plastics, resins, wax, metals...) for 3D printing, in the form of powder, liquid or filament.

The main benefit of 3D Printing is the possibility of producing any kind of shape, starting at 1 copy. This manufacturing process is ideal for custom parts and short series for scale models.