Utilizing 3D printing in manufacturing companies: Comparative demonstration in a company case

The additive manufacturing method is more commonly known as three-dimensional (3D) printing. Traditionally, physical products have been fabricated by subtracting the material using machining tools. With modern technology, however, a wide range of materials, even metal, can be printed. In this method, the object is formed by adding layers of material. The INTERREG North project Innovations & Industrial Internet (I3) created innovative experiments with a 3D printer. The comparative 3D printing demonstration described in this paper was produced in collaboration with Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian research partners. The purpose of the demonstration was to verify 3D printing as a method for producing scale models of products.