Three-dimensional (3D) printing, often called “additive manufacturing,” was virtually unknown to the general public just six years ago. Today, it is a multi-billion dollar aspect of many industries and is quickly supplanting traditional design and manufacturing techniques.
Insurers should be asking whether this type of manufacturing creates exposures different from well-known methods such as casting, forging and molding, or subtractive manufacturing methods such as milling, cutting and machining.
3D printing creates products using a printer head that sprays the material, layer upon layer, following software instructions. The design itself is created with a computer-aided design program or a scanner that replicates an existing object.
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