Over the next few days, hundreds of leaders in the tech world of additive manufacturing will be in Youngstown to mark the 10-year anniversary of America Makes.

21 News spoke to several of those leaders who say additive manufacturing applications continue to grow this ever-emerging technology.

After ten years, America Makes has made huge strides in developing additive manufacturing technology.

The computer-controlled process creates three-dimensional objects by depositing materials, usually metals, in layers.

Early on, NASA and airline companies used it to create replacement parts. Now consumers can use the tech for things like Invisalign, which work like braces.

They are discovering more and more applications.

"You can potentially redesign a part where you can improve quality or consolidate parts where you had six parts before now it's one part you can print," said Alexander Steeb, operations director at America Makes.

And they are now using materials other than metal, like ceramics, which can withstand temperatures that would melt anything else.

"Those materials are very hard, so they have good temperature capabilities. They can be used in things like jet engines that have high operating temperatures, well above 1000 degrees centigrade in some instances, so in those cases, those materials have good durability or good strength," said technology director Brandon Ribic.

The future of additive manufacturing will depend on ways to produce things at higher volumes which they are already working on.

These new technologies have worldwide applications, and they are being created right here in the valley.