UNKNOWN

The need for manufacturing quality product at minimal cost with reduced manufacturing lead time has created a huge demand in manufacturing industries to look for different fabrication techniques. Consequently, additive manufacturing (AM) has evolved to overcome the conventional methods of manufacturing ( Leigh et al., 2012; Groth et al., 2014; Muth et al., 2014; Ning et al., 2015; Huang et al., 2015). AM also referred as 3D printing; has been recognized as a transformative approach in industrial production sectors with the capability of creating lighter and stronger parts by eliminating the post processing time. AM is defined as an advanced technology that uses computer aided design (CAD) models or 3D scanners to fabricate three dimensional functional components by depositing material usually layer by layer in precise geometric shapes. (Muth et al., 2014). Fabrication process of AM offers several advantages including geometrical flexibility, elimination of molds and tooling, multi material fabrication, reduced cycle time for design (Zhai et al., 2014). In AM, the conceptual design model of the product is transformed into an real time product by eliminating some fabrication steps that are generally followed in the traditional manufacturing techniques (Saari et al., 2016). In the early 1987, evolution of AM technology was symbolized with the origin of Stereolithography (SLA).