General Electric produced nearly 100,000 fuel nozzles for jet engines, Nike made football cleats for the 2014 Super Bowl, and Ford created engine covers for the new Mustang 2015. What binds these three world-famous companies together? The fact that a 3D printer made these products possible. Another industrial revolution is on the brink with the advent of 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing. Founded in the 1980s, the innovative printer has made huge improvements since its inception. Traditional manufacturing, also known as subtractive manufacturing, is slowly fading away as consumers and businesses participate in the 3-D frenzy. Additive manufacturing is undoubtedly the best manufacturing method because it ensures rapid production, reduced costs, healthier environmental impacts and major manufacturing advances in America. To understand why this method is a more suitable alternative, you first need to know what additive and subtractive manufacturing is. AND. Created by the founder of the company 3D Systems Chuck Hull, additive manufacturing appeared about thirty years ago (Saginor). In simple terms, additive manufacturing generates products by adding layer upon layer of material from three-dimensional designs. Nozzles attached to these printers fill the models with layers of heated material until the final product is formed. It not only creates products from blueprints, but also specializes in building blueprints, such as rapid prototypes for pioneering companies. The subtractive process, more than thirty years old, uses conventional machinery to cut away excess material to form a product; this process can best be compared to sculpture. When you imagine old-school factories with machines accompanying long assembly lines, you're... middle of paper... Web. March 31, 2014. Gallagher, Dan. “3D Printing Multiples in Another Dimension.” Wall Street Journal (online) March 4, 2014: 1. Academic research completed. Network. April 22, 2014.Mills, Mark P. “3D Printers Are Coming: Dig More Coal?” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, February 28, 2014. Web. March 31, 2014.Olson, Robert L. “3D Printing: A Boon or a Bane?” 3D Printing: A Boon or a Bane? 30.6 (2013): 34-38. The Wilson Center, November-December. 2013. Web. March 31, 2014. Saginor, Jeff. “Pandora's Box: How can we harness the power of 3D printing while protecting ourselves from its dark side?” The American Prospect 24.5 (2013): 7+. Opposing points of view in context. Network. April 22, 2014."The advantages of 3D printing | Caliber." The advantages of 3D printing Comments. Caliper Media Inc., ndWeb. March 31, 2014."Transforming manufacturing, one layer at a time." GE.com. General Electric and Web. March 31. 2014.