Additive manufacturing (AM) has its roots in a number of processes developed in the late 1980s (Levy et al., 2003). It has since been classified as a revolutionary set of processes for product development and manufacturing.

Unlike most conventional manufacturing techniques, AM forms objects by building matter up, rather than removing it. Paired with computer-aided design (CAD) software, this technique affords the creation of new types of object with unique material properties. But while AM is widely billed as ‘the next industrial revolution’, in reality there are still significant hurdles for successful commercialisation of the technologies. AM offers many benefits such as manufacturing of complex geometries and customised products and fast production of these.