Review on Advances in 3D Printing: Processes, Materials, Industrial Applications, and Emerging Trends in Metal Printing and Metallic Implants

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are the subject of this review, which delves into the revolutionary developments in 3D printing, including the materials used, the applications, the problems, and the trends to come. 3D printing has changed the game for industries like aerospace, healthcare, and automotive. It allows for the manufacture of complicated, high-precision components with minimum lead times, which was originally created for fast prototyping. Powder Bed Fusion (PBF), Electron Beam Melting (EBM), Binder Jetting, and Directed Energy Deposition (DED) are four important metal 3D printing methods that are analyzed for their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Titanium alloys, aluminum alloys, and stainless steels are among the critical materials that undergo evaluation for their mechanical qualities & potential uses. Metal 3D printing has many practical uses in industry, and this article highlights a few of them, including efficient tooling systems, patient-specific medical implants, and lightweight aircraft components. Lack of uniform certification requirements is one of the challenges that are mentioned, along with high prices, material constraints, and the necessity of substantial post-processing. The integration of AI to optimize processes, the development of hybrid manufacturing methods, and the introduction of new materials are all promising areas for future research. This paper highlights the groundbreaking possibilities of metal 3D printing in the manufacturing sector, which might lead to industry-wide solutions that are scalable, environmentally friendly, and extremely effective.