3D printers hold the promise for low-cost, environmentally friendly, on-demand production, which are key priorities in auto manufacturing. The incredible devices make products by following instructions from a computer and stacking raw material – polymers, mainly – into layers. Whereas in the conventional design and manufacturing process CAD models are developed and then adapted to machining, 3D printers have the amazing capability to interpret a digital design file directly from CAD and create – literally grow – a finished product from plastic, metal, or other type of material.