Glossary

The vocabulary of advanced manufacturing.

A working reference for the terms that come up most often in VEC engagements, written for technical and non-technical readers alike.

Additive manufacturing (AM): A family of manufacturing processes that build parts layer by layer from digital models, rather than removing material from a solid block. The term includes several technologies used with metals, polymers, ceramics and composites.
Advanced manufacturing: The use of innovative technologies, materials, processes and digital systems to improve how products are designed and produced. It includes additive manufacturing, automation, advanced materials and data-driven production.
Anisotropy: The condition in which a material has different properties depending on the direction in which it is measured. In additive manufacturing, build orientation and layer-by-layer processing can cause strength, ductility and other properties to vary by direction.
Application development: The process of moving a potential manufacturing application from an initial idea through feasibility, development, testing and implementation.
Application discovery: The structured process of finding parts or business problems that may benefit from a new manufacturing technology. Effective application discovery begins with operational needs rather than with a desire to use a particular machine.
Binder jetting: An additive manufacturing process in which a liquid binding agent is deposited selectively onto layers of powder. The resulting “green” part normally requires curing, depowdering and sintering.
Build orientation: The position and angle at which a part is placed within an additive manufacturing build. Orientation can affect supports, surface finish, build time, material properties and the likelihood of distortion.
Build plate: The platform on which a part is constructed during an additive manufacturing build. Its material, preparation and thermal behavior can influence adhesion, residual stress and part removal.
Build-to-build variability: Differences in results between manufacturing builds produced using nominally the same materials, equipment and process settings. Understanding this variation is important when demonstrating a stable and repeatable process.
Business case: The technical and economic justification for pursuing an application or investing in a capability. A strong business case considers cost, lead time, performance, risk, capacity and strategic value.
Capability development: The process of building the people, knowledge, systems, equipment and procedures needed to perform work successfully. A capability is sustainable only when it can operate without depending on a single expert.
Composite additive manufacturing: The additive manufacture of components containing a polymer matrix reinforced with materials such as carbon or glass fiber. Reinforcement may improve stiffness, strength, thermal behavior or dimensional stability.
Cost modeling: The systematic estimation of the costs associated with manufacturing a product or operating a process. Models may include materials, equipment, labor, post-processing, inspection, scrap and production volume.
Coupon: A standardized test specimen manufactured to measure material properties or process performance. Coupons may be produced separately or alongside parts to support development, monitoring or qualification.
Deposition rate: The amount of material a manufacturing process can deposit over a given period of time. Deposition rate is an important consideration when evaluating the productivity of processes such as directed energy deposition and large-format additive manufacturing.
Design allowables: Statistically derived material-property values that engineers can use safely in design calculations. Developing reliable allowables requires controlled production, testing and sufficient data.
Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM): The practice of designing components specifically around the opportunities and constraints of additive processes. DfAM may address part consolidation, internal channels, lightweighting, support reduction and manufacturability.
Directed energy deposition (DED): An additive process that uses focused thermal energy to melt material as it is deposited. DED is often used for large components, feature addition and the repair of existing parts.
Digital inventory: A controlled library of validated digital part definitions that can be manufactured when needed instead of held as physical stock. A usable digital inventory also requires approved materials, processes, suppliers and configuration control.
Digital thread: The connected flow of data across a product’s lifecycle, from design and simulation through manufacturing, inspection and service. It helps maintain traceability and prevents critical information from becoming isolated.
Distributed manufacturing: A production approach in which parts can be manufactured at multiple qualified locations rather than at a single centralized facility. It can improve responsiveness, reduce logistics requirements and support production closer to the point of need.
Fatigue: The progressive damage that occurs when a material is subjected to repeated or cyclic loading. Fatigue testing is commonly used to understand how long a component may perform under repeated service loads.
Feedstock: The raw material supplied to a manufacturing process, such as powder, wire, filament, pellets or liquid resin. Feedstock condition and consistency can have a direct effect on process stability and part quality.
First article inspection (FAI): A documented inspection of an initial production component to verify that the manufacturing process can produce a part that meets its defined requirements. It is normally completed before routine production begins.
Fused filament fabrication (FFF): A material-extrusion process in which thermoplastic filament is heated and deposited through a nozzle. FFF is widely used for prototypes, tooling, fixtures and some end-use components.
Green part: A shaped component that has not yet received the thermal processing needed to reach its final density or properties. The term is commonly used in binder jetting and other powder-based processes.
Heat treatment: Controlled heating and cooling used to alter a material’s microstructure and properties. In additive manufacturing, heat treatment may relieve residual stress or improve strength, ductility and stability.
Hot isostatic pressing (HIP): A post-processing method that applies high temperature and pressure uniformly around a component. HIP can reduce internal porosity and improve the consistency of some additively manufactured metal parts.
In-process monitoring: The collection of data during manufacturing to observe process conditions and identify potential anomalies. Monitoring may support process understanding and quality control, but it does not automatically prove that a part is acceptable.
Knowledge transfer: The structured transfer of technical knowledge, methods and experience from one person or organization to another. Effective knowledge transfer helps a manufacturing capability remain sustainable beyond its original developers.
Large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM): Additive manufacturing processes designed to produce relatively large components, commonly using high-rate extrusion of polymer or composite materials. LFAM is often used for tooling, molds, fixtures and large structural components.
Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF): A metal additive manufacturing process in which a laser selectively melts regions of a thin powder layer. Repeating this sequence creates a dense component directly from digital data.
Lattice structure: An engineered network of repeating or varying cells inside a component. Lattices can reduce mass or provide tailored stiffness, energy absorption, heat transfer or biological performance.
Machine-to-machine variability: Differences in manufacturing results between machines operating with nominally equivalent materials and process settings. Characterizing this variability is important when transferring or scaling production across equipment.
Make-or-buy analysis: An evaluation used to determine whether a product or capability should be produced internally or sourced from an outside supplier. The decision may consider cost, capacity, expertise, risk, intellectual property and strategic importance.
Manufacturing feasibility: An assessment of whether a component can be produced successfully using a particular manufacturing process. It considers geometry, materials, equipment, tolerances, performance requirements, cost and qualification needs.
Manufacturing pedigree: The documented history of how a component was produced, including the materials, equipment, process settings, post-processing, inspections and testing associated with it.
Manufacturing readiness level (MRL): A framework used to describe the maturity of a manufacturing capability and its readiness to transition from development toward production.
Manufacturing strategy: A plan for aligning manufacturing technologies, capabilities, suppliers, people and investments with an organization’s technical and business objectives.
Material characterization: The measurement of a material’s physical, chemical, thermal, mechanical or microstructural properties. Characterization connects what a material is to how it behaves during processing and service.
Material extrusion: An additive manufacturing process in which material is pushed through a nozzle and deposited selectively. Feedstock may take the form of filament, pellets, paste or a highly filled compound.
Material lot: A defined quantity of material produced under controlled conditions and identified as a single batch or lot. Tracking material lots helps connect material characteristics to manufacturing and test results.
Material pedigree: The documented history and characteristics of a material, including its supplier, lot, chemistry, processing history, condition and relevant test results.
Material property database: An organized collection of measured material-property data used to support engineering, design, qualification and manufacturing decisions.
Material qualification: The process of demonstrating that a material consistently meets defined requirements for a particular manufacturing process or application.
Material-process-property relationship: The relationship between a material’s characteristics, how it is processed and the properties that result. Understanding these connections is fundamental to developing and controlling advanced manufacturing processes.
Mechanical properties: Measurable characteristics that describe how a material responds to forces or loads. Common mechanical properties include strength, stiffness, ductility, toughness and fatigue performance.
Metal additive manufacturing: The production of metal components using layer-based manufacturing processes such as LPBF, binder jetting or DED. Each process has different implications for materials, geometry, productivity and qualification.
Microstructure: The internal structure of a material at the microscopic scale, including features such as grains, phases and pores. Microstructure strongly influences the properties and performance of manufactured materials.
Part qualification: The process of demonstrating through documented evidence that a manufactured component meets the requirements necessary for its intended application.
Part screening: The systematic evaluation of components to identify strong candidates for additive manufacturing. Screening normally considers technical feasibility, economics, supply risk, demand, performance and qualification requirements.
Polymer additive manufacturing: The additive production of thermoplastic, thermoset or polymer-composite parts. Technologies include material extrusion, powder-bed fusion, vat photopolymerization and large-format deposition.
Porosity: Small voids or pores within a material. The amount, size, shape and location of porosity can affect the mechanical performance and reliability of a manufactured component.
Post-processing: Any operation performed after an additive build, including support removal, depowdering, heat treatment, machining, infiltration and surface finishing. Post-processing is often essential to achieving the final requirements.
Powder bed fusion (PBF): A family of additive manufacturing processes that selectively fuse regions of a powder layer to create a component. PBF technologies are widely used with metals and polymers.
Powder characterization: The measurement of powder attributes such as particle size, shape, chemistry, density, moisture and flowability. These attributes can affect handling, layer formation, processing behavior and final material properties.
Powder reuse / recycling: The practice of collecting unused powder from a manufacturing build and returning some or all of it to future production. Reuse must be controlled because powder characteristics can change through handling and repeated processing.
Process capability: A statistical measure of how consistently a stable process can produce output within specified limits. Capability analysis helps distinguish routine variation from a process that cannot reliably meet requirements.
Process development: The systematic work required to establish how a material, machine and set of parameters can produce the desired result. It typically involves experimentation, measurement and refinement against defined requirements.
Process parameters: The controllable settings used during manufacturing, such as power, speed, temperature, layer thickness and hatch spacing. Their interactions influence build stability, defects, geometry and material properties.
Process qualification: The documented demonstration that a manufacturing process can consistently produce results that meet defined requirements.
Process specification: A controlled document defining how a manufacturing process must be performed, including materials, equipment, parameters, procedures and acceptance requirements.
Process window: The range of process conditions within which acceptable manufacturing results can reliably be produced. A robust process window provides flexibility without sacrificing quality.
Production readiness: The condition in which a technology, process or application is prepared for repeatable operational use. It requires more than a successful prototype: documentation, quality controls, supply, training and capacity must also be in place.
Production scale-up: The transition from development or low-volume manufacturing to higher and more consistent production. Scale-up requires consideration of capacity, quality, supply chain, workforce, equipment and process control.
Qualification: The evidence-based process of demonstrating that a material, process, machine, supplier or part consistently meets defined requirements. The scope of qualification depends on the application, industry and level of risk.
Qualification strategy: A planned approach for generating the evidence needed to demonstrate that a material, process, machine or component meets its requirements. A good strategy focuses testing and data collection on the risks that matter most.
Quality assurance (QA): The planned system of procedures and controls used to give confidence that requirements will be met. QA focuses on preventing problems through controlled processes, not only detecting defects afterward.
Regulatory pathway: The sequence of evidence, reviews and approvals required to place a regulated product or process into use. The appropriate pathway depends on the product, intended use, jurisdiction and applicable regulatory framework.
Relative density: The measured density of a material compared with its theoretical fully dense value, usually expressed as a percentage. It is commonly used to assess porosity and consolidation in additively manufactured materials.
Repeatability and reproducibility: Repeatability describes consistency under the same conditions, while reproducibility describes consistency when conditions such as machine, operator, site or time change. Both are important when scaling a manufacturing process.
Residual stress: Internal stress that remains in a component after manufacturing even when no external load is applied. Thermal gradients during additive manufacturing can generate residual stresses that contribute to distortion or cracking.
Return on investment (ROI): A measure used to compare the financial benefit of an investment with its cost. For manufacturing technologies, ROI may include savings from lower costs, shorter lead times, reduced inventory or improved performance.
Reverse engineering: The process of capturing and interpreting an existing component so that it can be reproduced, modified or analyzed. It may involve scanning, measurement, material identification and the reconstruction of design intent.
Selective laser sintering (SLS): A powder-bed additive manufacturing process that uses a laser to fuse polymer powder selectively. SLS can produce complex polymer components without the support structures required by many other additive processes.
Sintering: A thermal process that bonds powder particles and densifies a component without fully melting the material. Shrinkage and distortion during sintering must be understood and controlled.
Statistical process control (SPC): The use of statistical methods to monitor process performance over time. SPC helps identify trends, unusual variation and changes that may require investigation before they result in unacceptable products.
Supplier qualification: The evaluation and approval of a supplier’s technical capability, quality system, equipment, processes and performance. Qualification provides evidence that the supplier can consistently meet the required standard.
Supply chain resilience: The ability of a supply chain to continue operating or recover quickly when disruptions occur. Advanced manufacturing can support resilience through alternative production methods, distributed manufacturing and reduced dependence on physical inventory.
Sustainment: The activities required to keep equipment or systems operational throughout their service lives. Additive manufacturing can support sustainment through repair, obsolete-part replacement and distributed production when the application is properly qualified.
Technical data package (TDP): The collection of technical information needed to define, manufacture, inspect and support a product. A TDP may include drawings, models, material requirements, process specifications, inspection requirements and manufacturing records.
Technology adoption: The process of integrating a new technology into routine organizational or manufacturing operations. Successful adoption requires more than purchasing equipment and may involve applications, processes, people, data and business practices.
Technology assessment: A structured evaluation of a technology’s capabilities, limitations, maturity, risks and fit with a particular need. Its purpose is to support a sound decision, which may include deciding not to adopt the technology.
Technology readiness level (TRL): A scale used to describe the maturity of a technology, ranging from early scientific concepts through technologies demonstrated in operational environments.
Technology roadmap: A prioritized plan linking technology investments to applications, capability milestones and business outcomes. A useful roadmap identifies what must happen, in what order and why.
Technology transition: The process of moving a technology from research or development into practical, sustained use. Transition often requires technical maturation, qualification, funding, workforce development and an operational owner.
Tensile testing: A mechanical test in which a specimen is pulled until it deforms and ultimately fails. The test provides properties such as tensile strength, yield strength and elongation.
Topology optimization: A computational method that distributes material within a defined design space to meet performance targets. It can produce lightweight, highly efficient forms, although the result must still be manufacturable and inspectable.
Total cost of ownership (TCO): The complete cost of acquiring and operating a technology over its useful life. TCO may include equipment, installation, materials, labor, maintenance, software, training, quality and other ongoing expenses.
Traceability: The documented chain connecting materials, equipment, process data, personnel, inspections and test results to a finished component. Traceability makes it possible to understand exactly how a part was produced.
Validation: Documented evidence that a process, method or system performs as intended under actual or representative conditions. Validation confirms fitness for the intended use, while qualification establishes that specified requirements can be met.
Vat photopolymerization: An additive manufacturing process in which liquid photopolymer resin is selectively cured using light. The process can produce highly detailed polymer components with fine features and smooth surfaces.
Workflow: The defined sequence of people, information, decisions and operations used to move work from input to completed output. A robust additive manufacturing workflow extends from application selection through production, inspection and release.
Workforce development: The deliberate development of the technical knowledge, practical skills and professional judgment needed to implement and sustain manufacturing capabilities. It can include operator training, engineering education, executive awareness and hands-on experience.
Workforce readiness: The degree to which an organization has the people, skills, knowledge and procedures needed to implement and sustain a manufacturing capability.

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