積層製造在第三次工業革命數位製造的聲浪中竄起，因製造原理可塑型出傳統製程無法建構之產品，並經由數位模型檔案快速完整呈現設計概念達到客製化的需求，美國材料與試驗協會國際組織已將積層製造技術分為七大類，依據不同的技術原理，有其適合開發的材料與應用市場，從初期的文創產業、醫材應用、航空、電子產業，甚至是未來的生物醫學，都已經看到該技術應用其中，然目前的生產成本與速度仍有很大的進步空間，未來將持續朝著客製化量產的方向進行。

Additive manufacturing rises sharply in the third industrial revolution as the new manufacturing process of the digital manufacturing enable to generate the product that can’t be accomplished by the traditional method. In addition, through the digital model file, it can efficiently demonstrate the design concept to achieve the demand for a customized product. ASTM, an intentional organization has categorized additive manufacturing into seven groups, where each have their own materials for development and application markets according to the technological theories. This technology has been employed in a wide spectrum of areas from the preliminary application, such as architectural, medical /dental, aerospace, electronic industries, to the biological medical application in the future. Although the production costs andthroughput of additive manufacturing can be better improved, the customized mass production is the direction for future development.