US NSF - Advanced Manufacturing: Made to Order

Made to order. A phrase that began with the service industry is now vital to manufacturing's future. Manufacturing production has recently grown at its fastest pace in more than a decade, creating more economic value per dollar spent than any other sector. Adding to this surge is customization -- the ability to quickly and efficiently make what you want, when you want it.

Manufacturing the Past, Present, and Future

NSF has shaped additive manufacturing for decades. What is behind the 3-D printing revolution? How is large-scale manufacturing going high-tech? What research will form advanced manufacturing's future?

Tools to track or treat

Students in classrooms across America use 3-D printers every day to learn and experiment. Robotic components can be easily combined in different ways to perform different functions. At the very small scale, programmable materials can even assemble themselves with remarkable precision.

Tailored Healthcare

The human body is the most complex biological structure in the known universe. Yet, engineers are pursuing customized replacement parts, rapid design of cancer treatments, and personalized drug delivery for the sick and injured in the future.

Video: The engineering behind additive manufacturing and the 3-D printing revolution

3-D printing and other additive manufacturing techniques give engineers and enthusiasts new options.

Related Websites:

Manufacturing.gov is a "one-stop shop" for news and information on advanced manufacturing programs.

NSF Directorate for Engineering invests in fundamental research and technological innovation to create economic growth and a better quality of life nationwide.

Whitehouse.gov offers a fact sheet on America's investments in manufacturing.

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Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations presented in this material are only those of the presenter grantee/researcher, author, or agency employee; and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.