Abstract Mass customization is transforming global manufacturing paradigms, fueled by increasing consumer demand for individualized products. Traditional manufacturing methods, constrained by inflexible workflows, high setup costs, and long lead times, struggle to efficiently address these personalized demands. In contrast, additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, presents a flexible, scalable alternative capable of producing complex and customized designs layer by layer with minimal tooling. This paper examines the role of AM in bridging the divide between traditional mass production and personalized manufacturing. By integrating AM into existing production systems, manufacturers can reduce setup times, enable on-demand production, and respond dynamically to market needs. The paper highlights key AM technologies, Material Extrusion, Vat Photopolymerization, Powder Bed Fusion, Binder Jetting, and Directed Energy Deposition, and reviews recent innovations aimed at improving throughput, material performance, resolution, and system integration. Through diverse applications spanning healthcare, consumer goods, and industrial sectors, the potential of AM to deliver mass-customized products is demonstrated, emphasizing its capacity for personalized medical implants, tailored consumer goods, and responsive, distributed manufacturing systems for critical needs. This is further supported by a comparative productivity analysis against injection molding and a review of research efforts focused on enhancing industrial throughput and scalability. Ultimately, this paper presents additive manufacturing as a pivotal technology ins redefining manufacturing paradigms, highlighting both current innovations and future directions essential for fully realizing mass customization at scale.
Ji et al. (Wed,) studied this question.