General Electric produced nearly 100,000 fuel injectors for jet engines, Nike made football cleats for the 2014 Super Bowl, and Ford created engine covers for the new 2015 Mustang. What ties these three world-renowned companies together? The fact that a 3D printer made these products possible. Another industrial revolution is poised to emerge today with the emergence of 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing. Founded in the 1980s, the innovative printer has made huge improvements since its inception. Traditional manufacturing, also known as subtractive manufacturing, is slowly disappearing as consumers and businesses join in on the 3D frenzy. Additive manufacturing is undoubtedly the best production method because it ensures rapid production, lower costs, healthier environmental impacts and major manufacturing advancements in America. To understand why this method is a more suitable alternative, you first need to know what additive and subtractive manufacturing are. East. Created by Chuck Hull, founder of the company 3D Systems, additive manufacturing appeared around thirty years ago (Saginor). Simply put, additive manufacturing generates products by adding layer upon layer of materials from three-dimensional planes. Nozzles attached to these printers fill the models with layers of heated material until the final product is formed. She not only creates products from designs, but also specializes in creating designs, such as rapid prototypes for pioneering companies. The subtractive process, more than thirty years old, uses conventional machines to remove excess material to form a product; this process can best be compared to sculpture. When you imagine old-school factories with machinery accompanying long assembly lines, you...... middle of paper ......Web. March 31, 2014. Gallagher, Dan. “3D Printing Multiples in Another Dimension”. Wall Street Journal (online) March 4, 2014: 1. Academic research completed. Internet. April 22, 2014.Mills, Mark P. “3D Printers Are Coming: Digging More Coal? Forbes. Forbes Magazine, February 28, 2014. Web. March 31, 2014. Olson, Robert L. “3D Printing: Boon or Bane? 3D printing: a boon or a bane? 30.6 (2013): 34-38. The Wilson Center, November-December. 2013. Internet. March 31, 2014. Saginor, Jeff. “Pandora's Box: How can we harness the power of 3D printing while protecting ourselves from its dark side?” The American Prospect 24.5 (2013): 7+. Opposing viewpoints in context. Internet. April 22, 2014. “The benefits of 3D printing | Caliper. » The advantages of 3D printing Comments. Caliper Media Inc., nd Web. March 31, 2014. “Transforming Manufacturing, One Layer at a Time.” » GE.com. General Electric, nd Web. March 31. 2014.