In an interview with The Economist's Greg Ip, GE’s CEO was asked that very question, and his answer was quite revealing about how important AM is becoming. For the last 20 years GE has had an interest in 3D printing technology, and recently they’ve been rapidly integrating 3D printing into the development of their new line of jet engines.
Mr. Immelt's praise for 3D printing was mainly focused on the speed and customization that the technology was capable of producing, but he also made sure to mention that with rapid prototyping the design cycle has become much more efficient and that “3D printing allows you to make that product right the first time”.
In short Mr. Immelt believes, “[3d printing] is worth a lot of investment… I think this is one of the Things”
Watch The Economists Interview with Jeff Immelt Below (skip to 20:25 for the 3d printing segment):
GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt: What's Next for US Manufacturing? from The Atlantic on FORA.tv Image & Video Courtesy of Wikipedia & The Atlantic via ForaTV