Changing the world, depending on one technology is a lot to take in. You don’t believe it.
Why not take the downhill road and check for the breakthroughs that did create revolution around the globe in a snap of a finger? Computers, internet, AI, and now, 3D printing.
Those who know even a little bit about the capabilities of this technology would agree. 3D printing innovation could create history. And, many of those have already done so.
It has made it impossible, possible. And, you would be surprised to know that we still do not know how far it will go. Because it keeps growing as we speak.
The world of 3D printing is a completely separate niche. It offers the world a new way to look at things. Did you ever wonder why there are so many 3D Printers out there? It is because 3D printers are in demand.
From industries to homes, these devices and machines are making game-changing models. So, why not take a deep dive into the various things that technology has been able to uncover so far.
The 3D printing innovations that made the world change its perspective. Don’t feel like a doable design, let’s try with 3D printing.
It sure does have its own limitations. You cannot think of printing a model that does not stand true in the real world. But what could make sense, is a lot possible?
And, 3D printing has given that assurance to people. Perhaps, it is because of 3D printing that we have found a better way to manufacture things. Not just in terms of design and complexity, but in waiving a lot of efforts as well.
Introduction
Like a few years back, not everyone knew if there actually was technology like 3D printing, though it invented back in the 1980s. The reason it stayed in dark was its limited usage.
In the beginning, the technology surfaced as a rapid prototyping alternative. It did not have any other application to take care of for a long time. Later, after the other 3D printing processes came to existence, especially, the FDM 3D printing, the accessibility grew.
Companies, as well as hobbyists, started realizing the wonderful things that the machine was able to accomplish. Hence, it was soon available for commercial applications.
People can create customized objects using 3D printers. Do you know how frustrating it is to find a pair of shoes that fit when your size is somewhere between 6 and 7? While 6 is too short, 7 becomes large.
A great discomfort, isn’t it? With 3D printing, you can get your customized shoes delivered to your door. You do not even have to print it all yourself.
There are 3D printing services and various online repositories to select your design or upload one and get the product at home.
Too fancy, but true. 3D printing could help you find a needle in the haystack. And, without much of a hassle.
So, let’s check out the 3D printing innovation or a handful of them that demonstrated the power of the technology in the most commendable way.
List of 3D Printing Innovation
Without making any delays, let’s find out what made everyone start talking about 3D printing.
Prosthetics
We are living in a world where money can afford a lost hand too. But what about those who are living without limbs and do not have the amount to pay for it. Isn’t that injustice?
However, 3D printing has made prosthetics affordable. You do not have to pay more than thousands of dollars to have both the hands. It can now be 3D printed and sold for less than $100.
Not just that, these machines could print the exact size you need. Depending on the size of the other hand, your prosthetic can be created.
Also, you can choose a design and the way you want it to look like. You can choose to use a design inspired by the star war movies or you can 3D Print an arm with more room for air, with the inclusion of gaps. In addition, these prosthetics are lighter and easier to adapt to.
There are people who are making every effort to bring advantage to the needy through 3D printing.
For instance, Mark Ebeling who is the CEO of the research firm has started a hospital in Sudan. The hospital creates prosthetics for those who cannot afford one for themselves using a 3D printer. These are cheap and customizable.
Emergency Shelters
3D printing is impacting a lot of niches, including the construction industry. Although the 3D printing innovation is still flourishing around this sector, there have already been a lot of developments.
3D printers are even able to build homes and shelters for emergency purposes. And, these can be done in much less duration when compared to the conventional method.
You should know about ICON, a project that created a home using their own 3D printing system in a few weeks. The house was made out of cement. This is not it.
There are more examples similar to ICON. The research is still on the way and claims to be able to build a fully-insulated polyurethane foam house is not more than 30 minutes with the help of a robotic arm. They are yet to complete their 3D printing system.
The potential is yet to realize. However, the map is already laid. A lot of such companies are coming forward to find out what all could be done to get the best out of 3D printing.
Just a few more years or maybe months, and we may see more development around the construction niche. All thanks to 3D printing innovation.
3D Printing Innovation for Aerospace
3D printing is sooner getting into the mainstream niches. The aerospace industry is no different. Understanding the benefits of additive manufacturing, the aerospace sector is catching up with the flow to reap the benefits at the most.
Not many of you would know, 3D printing can create sealed but hollow structures. Hence, making the entire structure lighter as well as stronger.
These are more efficient when compared to the parts manufactured using traditional methods.
Because of 3D printing innovation, Stratasys already created a jet-powered UAV. Of these, 80% of the parts were 3D printed. And, the company can go for the next one and complete it in a few weeks when needed.
Following the league, there are other innovations around the same niche. One is the University of Sheffield that also got its hand into creating a 3D-printed UAV airframe. This is possible to print in a day.
The entire workflow time is reduced to nothing when compared to the old methods. And, it saves a lot of time spent on testing, re-designing as well as building.
Fight Plastic Waste
The fact that most of the plastics in circulation aren’t biodegradable, did give us a shiver. Knowing that our world is degrading with time is something we all must work against.
The non-biodegradable plastics pose a great threat to nature and the environment. But why to worry when you can actually find a useful application of these plastics.
The good news is that most of these plastics could be recycled to create filaments for 3D printers. And, there is a 3D printer called Ekocycle Cube which only make use of special and recycled plastics.
The printer was an idea by 3D Systems. The company in collaboration with will.i.am alongside Coca-Cola’s Ekocycle initiative, came with this amazing 3D printing innovation.
According to the researches, recycling of plastics into spools does not require a lot of energy. Even less than any other conventional method for plastic recycling.
You can actually save the planet when using 3D printing. These plastics could turn into gadgets, mobile covers, and a lot of other products.
Implants
Medical niche is the biggest of all industries that need constant development to meet the needs of patients and newer disasters.
The best part about 3D Printing is that it can be used for creating guides and implants. It can print really precise guides and implants that could actually better the lives of people in many different ways.
All you need is a scan of the anatomy of patients. And, these can be 3D printed to produce very precise and accurate parts. Not just that, there is more to the list of benefits.
One can make use of better materials and metals that are impossible to tame through conventional methods. For instance, titanium implants with selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D Printing process can help achieve better properties.
Titanium is porous and can be molded with complex and special internal geometries. Hence, the bone would grow and will fuse over time to the titanium throughout making it functional again.
One can exponentially lower the failed implants that existed with the lack of proper technology before. And, you can always find the custom-made implants right for your size instead of fitting in one size for all.
There are also dental implants being made to prepare patients for a better tomorrow. Some systems can even mill a tooth on a CNC machine in a matter of minutes. No longer waiting days. Patients can wait while the tooth prepares to be attached.
Food
You can print food too. A lot of different 3D printing innovation around food industry is already out. From candies to pizza to cakes, many things are possible to 3D print using these machines.
You can now print your favorite dish instead of ordering it from anywhere else. You can print chocolates in complex shapes and in less time.
Foodini, a 3D printer can work for preparing Ravioli and pizza. This could get even more specific as the technology grows.
Guns and Weapons
After you have shot the gun, the bullet isn’t possible to retract. The same goes with the advancing technology. As you progress, you find out what all you can create.
But at the same time, it may get you things that are better when difficult to get. For example, the guns and weapons, if got in the hands of the wrong people, could create consequences that no one would like.
With so many free 3D designs for guns, it is not that difficult to 3D print a weapon in a matter of hours.
Not only the good people, but the bad ones can take advantage of the same for wrong purposes. However, the technology would do what it is capable of doing.
The standard guns, when created with conventional methods, could only fire limited rounds. However, with 3D printing, you can change the specs as per your wish.
You can play around the design and customize it to fire more rounds. 3D printed guns could fire around 30 rounds or even more.
The worst part is that guns cannot be tracked. Because you do not need a permit to keep such weapons. While the topic could go on, this is about what 3D printing innovation has led us. We can 3D print a gun with more fire rounds.
The Conclusion
Do you think that the world could be a better place when you had the chance to create things for yourself? If yes, you are the lucky one. Because you can do that now.
Either it’s a fixture for a broken appliance or complete furniture for your house, you can build anything. You can actually design your entire house with 3D printers.
At the larger spec, 3D printing is doing much more than expected. From the medical industry to automobiles, it is impacting almost every sector.
Sooner, we will be 3D printing organs for transplant. This means that no more waiting for the donors. If you need an organ, a 3D printer would do that for you.
3D printing innovation will keep happening. And, it is consistently changing the face of the planet too. We have more affordable prosthetics, 3D printable homes, food that can come right out of a 3D printer, and whatnot. And, it will keep growing with time.
