Manufacturing Subcommittee on Commerce

The Disrupter Series Manufacturing Subcommittee on Commerce

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has disrupted industries, not just by challenging incumbents, but also by lowering cost and increasing efficiency. Its adoption is another example of how innovation is creating jobs, opportunity, and a revival of manufacturing in the United States. Additive manufacturing has been around since the 1980s, with the patent for stereolithography, which was issued to Charles Hull. Surveys show that about two-thirds of industrial manufacturers say they are implementing additive manufacturing either by experimenting or using it to create prototypes of finished products, and the 3D printing industry is expected to grow from $6 billion in 2016 to over $20 billion in 5 years. Some commercial airliners will soon use 3D-printed parts in their engines. Many of the cars on the road have had their development sped because of 3D-printed prototypes. People around the globe are benefiting from 3D-printed prosthetic limbs, which would be otherwise unaffordable. Additive manufacturing has plugged itself into a growing proportion of manufacturing supply chains because the designs are flexible and are a naturally better solution for certain tasks.