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What is 3D Printing?

The superior technology of 3D printing is rapidly growing into a revolutionary and remarkable asset in today’s world.

The striking ability of 3D printing to easily create complete and creatively designed prototypes and objects has made it an essential aid to the production activities of companies across the globe..

The technology enthusiasts often claim that 3D printing can really do unparalleled things.

During the past few years 3D printing has created tremendous curiosity and gained popularity. However, it may be a surprise to learn that this 3D printing technology has been around for more than 20 years.

The first 3D printer was invented by chief technology officer and co-founder of 3D Systems, Charles Hull, back in 1983.

At that time the 3D printer primarily worked through the stereo lithography process, which involved the use of UV lasers during the fabrication of solid imaging objects.

In the past two decades several improvements and modifications have been incorporated into Hull’s first 3D printer, such as grinding, sanding and polishing, in order to develop the most efficient and advanced high-end 3D printers now in use around the world.

Market researchers have previously predicted the exponential growth of the 3D printing industry, and have been proven correct. This is why several groups of international researchers continue to conduct detailed and data-driven analysis of all emerging and existing 3D printing technologies.

The researchers are mainly focusing on developing high-end 3D applications in various market domains such as medical, dental, orthopedics, aerospace, jewelry, education, oil and gas, architecture, and automotive. The researchers are also analyzing the scope of current and future markets for 3D printing.

A group of researchers recently used 3D printing technology to reconstruct the face of an Egyptian mummy which was around 2,300 years old. Another group of researchers is using the 3D printing to craft prototypes that can easily create nearly impossible geometries in production-grade plastic and many other materials.

As a niche prototyping technology, 3DPrinting is tipped to bring about the third industrial revolution.

 

Advantages of 3D printing

This technology really has so many obvious & potential benefits. However, the top 8 major advantages of 3D printing is listed below :

Cheap manufacturing

3D Printing has the remarkable potential to replace some of the traditional manufacturing methods which can provide a tremendous cost savings. 3D printed objects are also expected to get much cheaper with advanced additive manufacturing techniques, mainstream adoption, cheaper consumables, and self-replicating practices.

Quick production

The speed of 3D printing is just unparalleled; High quality 3D printers are able to easily print most of the objects within few hours. Whereas, the classical manufacturing methods generally take several days or even weeks to complete those objects. Thus, this new printing technology leads to massive cost savings.

Less waste

Manufacturing plastic and metal objects using the additive manufacturing process not only uses less energy but also reduces waste to a minimum, which means an overall lower impact on the environment.

Better quality

Avoiding the critical faults of the mass manufacturing process, 3D Printing makes better quality products with an extended lifetime: both of these aspects making it a significant benefit for end users.

Mitigate risk

This technology can verify a particular design, beware making large investments by printing the production-ready prototypes. Hence, the manufacturers can redesign or alter any existing molds in order to mitigate risk.

Saves money

The cost of creating tools and/or parts using the 3D printing process is much less than for traditional machining methods.

Sustainability

By producing less waste than conventional manufacturing methods, this technology also brings a possible eco-friendly attribute. The multi-purpose characteristics of a 3D printer along with the digital ecosystem create a sustainable manufacturing process. (Also the 3D models can be printed anywhere the users want.)

Other potential benefits

The 3D printer’s extruder nozzle can easily implement an infinite number of complicated and complex figures while adding more durability and higher structural integrity. Also, it allows mixing of different raw materials with various strengths and temperature resistance. This technology also brings a brand new business model, i.e. on-demand manufacturing.

Advantages particularly for the medical industry

3D printing is expected to revolutionize the entire health care industry, as the medical applications of this technology are expanding rapidly. It offers a wide array of potential advantages.

Customization and personalization

The greatest advantage of using 3D printers is the freedom to produce customized medical products & equipment which provide great value for both physicians and patients. These include:

  • Customization and personalization: The greatest advantage of using 3D printers is the freedom to produce customized medical products and equipment which provide great value for both physicians and patients.
  • Improved cost efficiency: 3D printing offers another important benefit by providing the ability to manufacture medical instruments cheaply by decreasing the use of unnecessary resources.
  • Enhanced productivity: 3D printing allows a product to be implemented within several hours, which is much faster than conventional methods of manufacturing items such as prosthetics and implants. Resolution, accuracy, repeat-ability and reliability are also improved.
  • Democratization and collaboration: This technology also supports the democratization of the design which allows people (specifically in medical fields) to design and produce novel products for commercial or personal use.

 3D Printing for general hobbies

With the rapid advancement of 3D technology during the past few years, it has also brought new possibilities for making various hobby/DIY scale models. The inventiveness of simple enthusiasts or 3D designers is unlimited when it comes to utilizing 3D technology to give shape to interesting and inventive objects.

From simple items such as key chains, smartphone cases and flash drive cases to different household items such as cups, futuristic bowls and hangers, and more complex objects such as 3D print models of cars, cities and house plans – all can be creatively shaped using this technology. The possibilities are limited only by imagination. Thus, 3D printing is the technology that brings a completely new approach to innovative creativity.