{"id":33784,"date":"2022-07-20T08:45:18","date_gmt":"2022-07-20T15:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/?p=33784"},"modified":"2025-05-30T11:39:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T18:39:12","slug":"what-are-the-differences-between-additive-manufacturing-and-3d-printing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/what-are-the-differences-between-additive-manufacturing-and-3d-printing\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the Differences Between Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Additive manufacturing<\/a> and 3D printing may be synonymous terms at the surface level, but as the industry grows, additive manufacturing becomes more of an all-enveloping term, while 3D printing<\/a> describes a smaller piece of the larger pie.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"3d-printing-additive-manufacturing\n\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Whether you are a hobbyist, engineer, or machinist, the two terms might seem like they are nearly synonymous. One thing that is certain for both terms is that they describe the process of layering materials repetitively to create a three-dimensional object. Most commonly, plastics and metal alloys are used as building materials. However, in recent years, innovators have used concrete and living tissue in both as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the industry grows and processes become more complex, engineers must consider whether they can use the terms interchangeably. Let\u2019s take a look at the key differences between the two and discuss whether engineers should worry about mislabeling one or the other.<\/p>\n\n\n

What is Additive Manufacturing?<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"additive-manufacturing\n\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When differentiating additive manufacturing<\/a> from 3D printing<\/a>, it is helpful to associate the slightly different meanings with their respective industries and applications. For example, additive manufacturing is often used when describing industrial applications. It consists of larger production output instigated by engineers, architects, or construction managers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design applications for additive manufacturing are similar to 3D printing<\/a>, but they are often on a larger scale. Additive manufacturing and 3D printing methods were originally created to deliver small, cost-effective prototypes to test functionality, durability, and fit before mass production. Since then, additive manufacturing has steered more towards on-demand production. Companies currently can deliver reliable and less expensive goods for commercial and industrial applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subsets of additive manufacturing include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n