Biology

Operating system

Manufacturing engineering

Macroeconomics

Engineering

Principal (computer security)

Political science

Embedded system

Economics

Ecology

Programming language

Industry 4.0

Production (economics)

Computer science

Rapid prototyping

Sustainability

Process (computing)

Smart manufacturing

Factory (object-oriented programming)

Industrial Revolution

Mechanical engineering

Applied Sciences

Additive manufacturing (AM) or three-dimensional (3D) printing has introduced a novel production method in design, manufacturing, and distribution to end-users. This technology has provided great freedom in design for creating complex components, highly customizable products, and efficient waste minimization. The last industrial revolution, namely industry 4.0, employs the integration of smart manufacturing systems and developed information technologies. Accordingly, AM plays a principal role in industry 4.0 thanks to numerous benefits, such as time and material saving, rapid prototyping, high efficiency, and decentralized production methods. This review paper is to organize a comprehensive study on AM technology and present the latest achievements and industrial applications. Besides that, this paper investigates the sustainability dimensions of the AM process and the added values in economic, social, and environment sections. Finally, the paper concludes by pointing out the future trend of AM in technology, applications, and materials aspects that have the potential to come up with new ideas for the future of AM explorations.

The Potential of Additive Manufacturing in the Smart Factory Industrial 4.0: A Review