Polymer 3D printing in perspective: Assessing challenges and opportunities in industrial translation against the metal benchmark

Additive manufacturing is swiftly transitioning from a prototyping tool to a useful technology for industrial-scale manufacturing. As global industries seek to harness its potential, several 3D printing technologies have been successfully integrated into mainstream manufacturing workflows, based on the range of processable materials, fabrication mechanisms and integration into regulated environments. While metal 3D printing has established a significant niche in the context of aerospace and automotive manufacturing, the upscaled translation of polymer 3D printing lags, limited by several critical challenges, both in the materials domain, as well as the technical fabrication mechanisms. This article seeks to juxtapose the growth, challenges and opportunities of metal and polymer additive manufacturing, emphasizing the latter’s potential for future growth in sectors such as polymer waste recycling and point-of-care medical device manufacturing. By dissecting the complexities surrounding feedstocks, manufacturing and post-processing workflows and the advances in simulations and quality control, this review provides comprehensive insights into the progression of 3D printed technologies for industrial-scale additive manufacturing into the future.