Additive manufacturing (AM) has the potential to completely redefine manufacturing in certain areas. Manufacturers of every size are now looking seriously at 3D printing as a complement to existing and traditional manufacturing methods. If implemented properly, additive manufacturing can significantly reduce material waste, reduce the amount of production steps, inventory being held, and reduce the amount of distinct parts needed for an assembly. 

IF IMPLEMENTED PROPERLY, AM CAN:

Significantly reduce material waste,
Reduce the amount of production steps,
Reduce the amount of inventory being held, and
Reduce the amount of distinct parts needed for an assembly

HERE ARE 10 ADVANTAGES OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

The cost of entry continues to decrease
Save on material waste and energy
Prototyping costs are much less
Small production runs often prove faster and less expensive
You don’t need as much stock on-hand
Its easier to recreate and optimise legacy parts
You can improve part reliability
You can consolidate an assembly into a single part
It uniquely supports new AI-driven design methods
It uniquely supports lattice structures

Source: Mike Gayette