This is commonly referred to as 3D Printing.

Usually additive manufacturing is the first manufacturing step (after design of course). Subsequent subtractive steps are required to remove material that was necessary to perform the additive process, such as supports for design elements which are cantilevered.

Dear Mr.Carpenter,

Thanks for clarifications.

Best regards,

Pylnev Mikhail

The manufacturing processes can be clasified in additives, when the machine use gives the shape of the piece layer by layer, and sustractive (like all the chip removal processes) that remove material cut by cut to manufacture the piece. I recomend to you the reading of the book "Additive manufacturing technologies" by Ian Gibson.

 Below notes I have taken from the website I would like to recommend you :

https://novoed.com/3d-opportunity-fall-2014/home

You can visit and take the video lectures if you like. It is a great comrehensive source to learn AM processes.

Additive manufacturing is a better term to use than 3D printing because among other reasons, all the processes included in the technology set are "additive" but not all of them look like "printing".

Additive manufacturing is "a process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies."

Some AM technologies are more than 30 years old.

The AM market is rapidly growing.

Prototyping, tooling, and final part production are dominant AM applications.

Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Medical, and Consumer & Industrial Products industries are dominent AM users.

AM is generally considered to be better for complex designs, speed to market, and waste reduction.

Traditional manufacturing is generally considered to be better for mass production, material variety, and creation of larger parts.

All the answers above are essentially correct, and provide points of reference for you to follow. The technology should be referred to as Additive Manufacturing, not 3D printing (which is the name that has been adopted by the mass/popular media and the maker movements / low cost desktop machine markets). The ASTM standard thankfully now confirms this terminology.

Ian's book is good, and I'd also recommend '3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing : Principles and Applications' by Chua and Leong. When you start to get a bit more specialised, there are further books that are more relevant (e.g. Biomanufacturing, Medical Modelling, Casting, etc...).

A good web reference is the long-standing 'Worldwide Guide to Rapid Prototyping' formerly Castle Island, but now found at www.additive3d.com.

There are different additive manufacturing techniques available which distinct advantages and drawback associated.  You need to go through these details before you use any one.

Rapid prototyping is one of the most widely used technologies since last few years.Also known as 3D printing.

For reading I recommend "3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing : Principles and Applications' book.

Thanks for your replies!

I have already clarified what I needed from your answers!

You may add, subtact or deform material. All the processes in which you add material, are additive processes. but in modern days computer controlled 3D addition is being said to be additive processes (Stereolitography, 3D printing, cladding, etc.)

As already mentioned, Additive Manufacturing is the process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies.

Next to the books that are mentioned here already, I would recommend the "Rapid Prototyping Journal" or Additive Manufacturing Journal" for more in depth readings.

Brazilian Indians used an additive technique to form pottery. They did not know the rotating pottery table, so the formed a filament and joined this upon the pre joined layer. So you can say, 3D printing is a stone age technique, today computer assisted.

Walter. Do you have a photography of product make with brazilian indian technique?

Manufacturing process are mainly of two types.

Additive process

Material removal processes.

In Additive process material is added in order to produce the desire products. 3D printing is an example of additive processes

 Dear Sir,

Additive manufacturing (AM) is defined by ASTM as the "process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies, such as traditional machining. 

Additive processes are: 

3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS).

I am sending you few links. I hope that they will help you.

Best regards,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcX41EQ1JTo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwPWLCVekGc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2thSsQrZUM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIXBFXrwrSo

http://tagrimm.com/downloads/fdm-white-paper.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUvnz0borAI

http://andreasbastian.com/3dp/final_report_v2.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKXfnkYGj-o

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClP7x_tLC3AOezVDbnpXcvg