Polymers for Additive Manufacturing

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, has seen exponential growth in the past two decades, with more new techniques emerging and new materials available. AM was first established as an efficient technology for prototyping about four decades ago. Today, it is widely used in a variety of industries, including healthcare, automotive, aerospace, defense, and so on. Whilst AM is a general term, it consists of multiple drastically different techniques that need different forms of feedstock materials and processing conditions. This article reviews the current prevailing AM technology for polymers with a brief history, and then a focus on technological details, available materials, and the latest development for each method. The challenges and trends of AM toward next‐generation advanced manufacturing are also highlighted.