Additive manufacturing is a growing field of technology that refers to the process of manufacturing a product by laying down layers of material one by one instead of cutting and shaping material as traditional manufacturing does. Some synonyms for additive manufacturing include 3D printing, rapid prototyping, digital fabrication, layered manufacturing, and direct digital manufacturing. 3D printing, in particular, has become a common term for additive manufacturing due to its widespread use in consumer-grade printers. Digital fabrication is another synonym for the process of creating physical objects directly from digital designs. The term layered manufacturing emphasizes the layer-by-layer production approach, while direct digital manufacturing highlights the ability to produce parts without the need for tooling.