Application of 3D printing
The origins of 3D printing in 'Rapid Prototyping' are based on the principles of industrial prototyping as a means to accelerate the earliest product development phase in a quick and simple way. Produce prototypes that allow multiple products to be repeated more quickly and efficiently at an optimal solution. This saves time and money right from the start of the whole product development process and ensures the confidence of the production tool.
Prototyping is still considered the largest, though improved, for today's 3D printing applications.
The development and improvement of the process and materials, from the appearance of 3D printing for modeling, have seen the processes applied to subsequent applications in the product development chain. Instrument and molding applications have been developed using the advantages of different processes. Again, these applications are increasingly being used and applied in the industry.
Similarly for production activities, improvements are continuing to create favorable conditions.
In terms of markets that are benefiting enormously from the 3D printing industry on all broad spectrum applications, here is a basic breakdown:
Medicine and dentistry
The healthcare industry is seen as one of the first adopters of 3D printing, but also a sector with great growth potential, due to its customization and individualization of technology and its ability to improve life. The people of the process improvement and materials Developed to meet medical standards.
3D printing technology is being used for a variety of applications. In addition to the prototypes to support the development of new products for the medical and dental industry, these technologies are also used to make molds for the bottom metal casting of teeth and the manufacture of tools on which The plastic is formed vacuum to create the orthodontist. The technology is also used directly to produce both items, such as the hips and the knees, and specific products for patients, such as hearing aids, foot pads, footwear. Personal implants and implants for patients with diseases such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and cancer, along with accident and injury victims. The 3D surgery guide for specific activities is also an emerging application that helps surgeons in work and patients recover. Technology is also being developed for 3D printing of skins, bones, tissues, pharmaceuticals and even human organs. However, these technologies are still far from commercialized.
In aerospace
Like the medical sector, the aerospace industry has adopted early 3D printing technology in the earliest form for product development and prototyping. These companies, typically working in conjunction with research and research institutions, have been on the cutting edge or pushing the boundaries of technology for manufacturing applications.
Due to the important nature of aircraft development, R & D is demanding and strenuous, standards are critical and 3D printing systems are launched through their steps. Process and material development have seen some important applications being developed for the aerospace industry, and some non-critical components are poised to fly on planes.
High end users include GE / Morris Technologies, Airbus / EADS, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Boeing. While most of these companies make a practical approach about what they are doing now with the technology, and most are R & D, some are quite optimistic about the future.
Car
The automotive sector was one of the first to adopt Rapid Prototyping technology - the beginning of a 3D printing process. Many auto companies - especially at the heart of sports and F1 - have followed similar trajectories. for airline companies. The first (and still) uses technology for sample applications, but develops and adjusts their manufacturing process to incorporate the benefits of improved materials and the end result for parts of car.
Many car companies are now considering the potential of 3D printing to complete after-sales functions in the production of spare parts on demand rather than on huge stockpiles.
Jewelry
Traditionally, the design and manufacturing process of jewelry has always required high levels of expertise and knowledge regarding specific principles including fabrication, molding, casting, plating, silver / gold. pieces, cut stone, carving and polishing. Each of these principles has evolved over the years and each requires technical knowledge when applied to jewelry production. Just one example is investment casting - its origins can be traced to more than 4,000 years.
For the jewelry industry, 3D prints are particularly influential. There are many benefits and absorption - based on how 3D printing can and will contribute to the development of this industry. From the new freedom-driven designs by 3D CAD and 3D printing, through the refinement of traditional processes for jewelry production to the direction of traditional multi-step 3D printing, 3D printing. has been and continues to have a tremendous impact in this industry.
Art / Design / Sculpture
Artists and sculptors engage in 3D printing with a myriad of ways to explore form and function in ways that were previously impossible. Whether purely to find new original expressions or to learn from old masters is a highly charged field that is increasingly seeking new ways of working with 3D printing and presenting results to the world. . There are many artists who have named themselves by working specifically with 3D models, 3D scanning technology and 3D printing technology.
Joshua Harker
Dizeof
Jessica Rosenkrantz at The Nervous System
Pia Hinze
Nick Ervinck
Lionel Dean
And much, much more. The discipline of 3D scanning along with 3D printing also brings a new dimension to the art world, in which artists and students now have a proven method. To reproduce the work of masters in the past and to make accurate copies of ancient works (and more recently) Sculptures for thorough study - works of art that Otherwise they will not be able to interact with the person directly. The work of Cosmo Wenman is especially enlightening in this area.
Architecture
Architectural models have long been a major application of 3D printing processes, to create accurate demonstration models of the architect's vision. 3D Print provides a relatively quick, easy and economical way to produce detailed 3D CAD, BIM or other digital data models used by architects. Many successful architecture companies now use 3D printing (indoors or as a service) as an important part of their workflow for improved and improved communications.
More recently, some architects are looking at 3D printing as a direct construction method. Research is underway at several organizations on this front, most notably Loughborough University, Contour Crafting and Universe Architecture.
Fashion
As the 3D printing process has improved in terms of resolution and more flexible materials, an industry known for experimentation and overstatement has emerged. We are talking about fashion!
3D print accessories including footwear, headgear, hats and bags are all available on global catalogs. And even more innovative fashion designers have demonstrated the technological prowess of high-end dresses, long gowns, long gowns, and even clothing that debuted at Different fashion locations around the world.
Iris van Herpen should have a particular mention as the leading pioneer in this vein. She has produced a number of collections - simulated on the Paris and Milan catwalk - incorporating 3D printing to blow up the "norms" that no longer apply to fashion design. Many have followed, and continue to follow, in their footsteps, often with completely new results.
Food
Although a person arrives at the end of a 3D printing session, food is an emerging application (and / or 3D printing material) that is making people very excited and has the potential to actually bring technology into the mainstream. After all, we all will always need to eat! 3D printing is emerging as a new way to prepare and present food.
The initial breakthroughs in 3D food have been made with chocolates and sugar, and this development has continued to swell with special 3D printers emerging in the market. Some of the first tests with food include "meat" 3D printing at the cellular level. Recently, pasta is another food group being studied in 3D food.
Looking at 3D prints in the future is also being considered as a complete food preparation method and a way to balance the nutrients in a holistic and healthy way.
Consumers
The noble goal of 3D print providers is to print 3D consumers. There is wide debate about whether this is a viable future. Currently, consumer spending is low due to access problems with entry levels (consumer machines). Larger 3D printers such as 3D Systems and Makerbot, as a subsidiary of Stratasys, are moving in that direction because they are trying to make the 3D printing process and its components (software, digital content etc.) more accessible and user-friendly. There are currently three main ways people on the street can interact with 3D printing technology for consumer products:
Design + print
Select + print
Select + Make 3D printing service
The origins of 3D printing in 'Rapid Prototyping' were founded on the principle of industrial prototyping as a means of speeding up the earliest stages of product development with a quick and straightforward way of producing prototypes that allows for multiple iterations of a product to arrive more quickly and efficiently at an optimum solution. This saves time and money at the outset of the entire product development process and ensures confidence ahead of the tooling.
Prototyping is still probably the biggest, even though sometimes overlooked, application of 3D printing today.
The development and process of materials, since the emergence of 3D printing for prototyping, saw the processes being taken up for applications further down the product development process chain. Tooling and casting applications were developed utilizing the advantages of different processes. Again, these applications are increasingly being used and adopted across the industrial sectors.
Similarly for final manufacturing operations, improvements are continuing to uptake.
In terms of the industrialized vertical markets that are benefitting greatly from industrial 3D printing across all of these broad spectrum applications, the following is a basic breakdown:
Medical and Dental
in-3d-health
The medical sector is viewed as being one that was an early adopter of 3D printing, but also a sector with huge potential for growth, due to the customization and personalization capabilities of the technologies and the ability to improve people’s lives as the processes improve and materials are developed that meet medical grade standards.
3D printing technologies are being used for a host of different applications. In addition to making prototypes to support new product development for the medical and dental industries, the technologies are also utilized to make patterns for the downstream metal casting of dental crowns and in the manufacture of tools over which plastic is being vacuum formed to make dental aligners. The technology is also taken advantage of directly to manufacture both stock items, such as hip and knee implants, and bespoke patient-specific products, such as hearing aids, orthotic insoles for shoes, personalised prosthetics and one-off implants for patients suffering from diseases such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and cancer, along with accident and trauma victims. 3D printed surgical guides for specific operations are also an emerging application that is aiding surgeons in their work and patients in their recovery. Technology is also being developed for the 3D printing of skin, bone, tissue, pharmaceuticals and even human organs. However, these technologies remain largely decades away from commercialisation.
Aerospace
in 3d aerospace
Like the medical sector, the aerospace sector was an early adopter of 3D printing technologies in their earliest forms for product development and prototyping. These companies, typically working in partnership with academic and research institutes, have been at the sharp end in terms or pushing the boundaries of the technologies for manufacturing applications.
Because of the critical nature of aircraft development, the R&D is demanding and strenuous, standards are critical and industrial grade 3D printing systems are put through their paces. Process and materials development have seen a number of key applications developed for the aerospace sector — and some non-critical parts are all-ready flying on aircraft.
High profile users include GE / Morris Technologies, Airbus / EADS, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Boeing. While most of these companies do take a realistic approach in terms of what they are doing now with the technologies, and most of it is R&D, some do get quite bullish about the future.
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Automotive
in-3d-engine-engine.j
Another general early adopter of Rapid Prototying technologies — the earliest incarnation of 3D printing — was the automotive sector. Many automotive companies — particularly at the cutting edge of motor sport and F1 — have followed a similar trajectory to the aerospace companies. First (and still) using the technologies for prototyping applications, but developing and adapting their manufacturing processes to incorporate the benefits of improved materials and end results for automotive parts.
Many automotive companies are now also looking at the potential of 3D printing to fulfill after sales functions in terms of production of spare/replacement parts, on demand, rather than holding huge inventories.
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Jewellery
in 3d jewelry
Traditionally, the design and manufacturing process for jewellery has always required high levels of expertise and knowledge involving specific disciplines that include fabrication, mould-making, casting, electroplating, forging, silver/gold smithing, stone-cutting, engraving and polishing. Each of these disciplines has evolved over many years and each requires technical knowledge when applied to jewellery manufacture. Just one example is investment casting — the origins of which can be traced back more than 4000 years.
For the jewellery sector, 3D printing has proved to be particularly disruptive. There is a great deal of interest — and uptake — based on how 3D printing can, and will, contribute to the further development of this industry. From new design freedoms enabled by 3D CAD and 3D printing, through improving traditional processes for jewellery production all the way to direct 3D printed production eliminating many of the traditional steps, 3D printing has had — and continues to have — a tremendous impact in this sector.
Art / Design / Sculpture
in-3d-art
Artists and Sculptors are engaging with 3D printing in myriad of different ways to explore form and function in ways previously impossible. Whether purely to find new original expression or to learn from old masters this is a highly charged sector that is increasingly finding new ways of working with 3D printing and introducing the results to the world. There are numerous artists that have now made a name for themselves by working specifically with 3D modelling, 3D scanning and 3D printing technologies.
The discipline of 3D scanning in conjunction with 3D printing also brings a new dimension to the art world, however, in that artists and students now have a proven methodology of reproducing the work of past masters and creating exact replicas of ancient (and more recent) sculptures for close study – works of art that they would otherwise never have been able to interact with in person. The work of Cosmo Wenman is particularly enlightening in this field.
Architecture
in 3d architecture
Architectural models have long been a staple application of 3D printing processes, for producing accurate demonstration models of an architect’s vision. 3D printing offers a relatively fast, easy and economically viable method of producing detailed models directly from 3D CAD, BIM or other digital data that architects use. Many successful architectural firms, now commonly use 3D printing (in house or as a service) as a critical part of their workflow for increased innovation and improved communication.
More recently some visionary architects are looking to 3D printing as a direct construction method. Research is being conducted at a number of organizations on this front, most notably Loughborough University, Contour Crafting and Universe Architecture.
Fashion
in-3d-fashion
As 3D printing processes have improved in terms of resolution and more flexible materials, one industry, renowned for experimentation and outrageous statements, has come to the fore. We are of course talking about fashion!
3D printed accessories including shoes, head-pieces, hats and bags have all made their way on to global catwalks. And some even more visionary fashion designers have demonstrated the capabilities of the tech for haute couture — dresses, capes, full-length gowns and even some under wear have debuted at different fashion venues around the world.
Iris van Herpen should get a special mention as the leading pioneer in this vein. She has produced a number of collections — modelled on the catwalks of Paris and Milan — that incorporate 3D printing to blow up the ‘normal rules’ that no longer apply to fashion design. Many have followed, and continue to follow, in her footsteps, often with wholly original results.
Food
in-3d-food-9
Although a late-comer to the 3D printing party, food is one emerging application (and/or 3D printing material) that is getting people very excited and has the potential to truly take the technology into the mainstream. After all, we will all, always, need to eat! 3D printing is emerging as a new way of preparing and presenting food.
Initial forays into 3D printing food were with chocolate and sugar, and these developments have continued apace with specific 3D printers hitting the market. Some other early experiments with food including the 3D printing of “meat” at the cellular protein level. More recently pasta is another food group that is being researched for 3D printing food.
Looking to the future 3D printing is also being considered as a complete food preparation method and a way of balancing nutrients in a comprehensive and healthy way.
Consumers
The holy grail for 3D printing vendors is consumer 3D printing. There is a widespread debate as to whether this is a feasible future. Currently, consumer uptake is low due to the accessibility issues that exist with entry level (consumer machines). There is headway being made in this direction by the larger 3D printing companies such as 3D Systems and Makerbot, as a subsidiary of Stratasys as they try to make the 3D printing process and the ancillary components (software, digital content etc) more accessible and user-friendly. There are currently three main ways that the person on the street can interact with 3D printing tech for consumer products:
