摘要：DIGITAL TOOLS SUCH AS CAD/CAE OR SIMULATION, DIGITAL DIRECT MANUFACTURINGTECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION, VIRTUALAND AUGMENTED REALITY ARE NOW SHAPING THE ENGINEERING WORLD. THE CONNECTIVITYPHYSICAL-DIGITAL AND DIGITAL-PHYSICAL INCREASED DUE TO A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THEMACHINES’ CAPABILITY TO COLLECT AND INTEGRATE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DATA AND TOINTELLIGENTLY AND AUTOMATICALLY REACT UPON DATA ANALYSIS RESULTS. THEREORE, ITBECAME POSSIBLE EXPLOITING THESE TECHNOLOGIES TO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. THIS ISESPECIALLY TRUE FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS THAT FOR YEARS FUNCTIONED IN ASTAND-ALONE MODE AND WHICH NOW HAVE STARTED TO BE AUTOMATIZED. BY AUTOMATION,ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING CAN BETTER FIT INDUSTRY 4.0 PARADIGM AND IT CAN BE USED FORCOUPLING MORE EFFICIENTLY THE DIGITAL WORLD WITH THE TANGIBLE MANUFACTURING.THE PAPER IS FOCUSED ON ANALYZING THE STATE OF THE ART IN AUTOMATING ADDITIVEMANUFACTURING PROCESSES IN ORDER TO ASSESS THE CURRENT CHALLENGES ANDLIMITATIONS, AND ALSO TO OFFER A PERSPECTIVE OVER OPPORTUNITIES AND APPLICATIONS.
