3d Printing - Future Of Manufacturing

3D printing technology is already changing the way we produce objects from tools and toys to clothing and even body parts. 3D printing is a technology that lets you take a digital file and turn it into a physical product. It is a part of a process known as additive manufacturing, where an object is created by adding material layer by layer.

3D printing is opening up opportunities in areas of mass customization. The end user can have a certain product exactly how they wished it would be unlike selecting from a standard set of options. The simple technique they use in 3D printing is that they lay down a liquid that dries very fast so that they can lay down more liquid on top of it and they can keep building up.

The first step is to get a 3D file or you can use modelling software like Blender to create your own designs. Then the software is going to slice your part up into layers. By building a part layer by layer, you’re able to create a plastic part in three dimensions and the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. The most common material used in 3D printing is plastic. But the use of some other materials allow for the creation of some pretty amazing products beyond simple tools or toys.

^{3D Printed house in China}

Now smaller consumer friendly 3D printers are bringing additive manufacturing to homes and businesses. 3D printing food is becoming very popular and additive manufacturing has allowed for the creation of some very interesting edibles. In the medical world, doctors are testing bio-materials for regenerative medicine. By using the patient cells, doctors could 3D print small body parts like ears and noses.

Here a fun fact, most 3D printers are actually made by 3D printers. (Mind blown!). Recently, giant 3D printers in China printed 10 houses in just one day at a cost of just $5,000 per house. This proves just how cost and time efficient 3D printing can be. People who make money by selling things that are all of a sudden easily to copy using a 3D printer are going to be worried that people are going to be making unauthorized copies and that is something the industry is worried about. 3D printers are constantly developing and this would allow a lot more people to express their creativity.