3D Printing: A Research Domain of Multiple Facets?

The 3D printing, a synonym for additive manufacturing, is an emerging technology based on the principle of additive manufacturing, that is, a material deposition in a tiny layer-by-layer process until the designed shape is completed. Considering the history of this technology, its products were at first closer to engineering, whereas more recently its products are diversifying to multiple areas. Hence, the present paper aims to investigate whether this technology figures out as a multi-faceted research domain. A complex search strategy with 41 words was used and 71,537 publications on 3D printing in the 1980-2019 period were found. The set of analysis based on time trend, the main typologies, the top 15 research fields and journal co citation networks indicate a multiple faceted field trend for publications on 3D printing that goes beyond engineering, computer science and material science, fields where originally this technology matured.