Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, refers to the scientific and technological system of directly manufacturing parts driven by 3D data of parts based on the discrete stacking principle. Based on different classification principles and understanding methods, additive manufacturing technology also has many titles, such as rapid prototyping, rapid prototyping, rapid manufacturing, 3D printing and so on. By introducing additive manufacturing terms and key technologies, this course helps students understand the principle, characteristics and key technologies of additive manufacturing.