Have you seen 3D printers in your school’s maker space? Have you ever wondered when such technology was invented and what dramatic effects it had on many aspects of the future? The term 3D printing covers many processes and technologies. It offers a full spectrum of capabilities for the production of prototype-parts and products in different materials. To briefly put it, the general mechanism behind 3D printing involves processes that are carried out layer by layer in an additive process: an ‘inkjet printer’ that prints out images layer upon layer.
History of 3D Printing
The history of such revolutionary technology is surprisingly long as it was invented in the 1980s by Charles W. Hull. However, only when the legal exclusivity of the patented technology lost its effectiveness, did the technology rapidly spread from individual DIY-makers to industries such as the aerospace industry. Since then, 3D printing derived from the initial version of the FDM printing style that could only print plastic into many different styles. All different kinds included SLA that uses a high-powered laser, to melt powdered material, DMLS that can be used to 3D print metals, and many more.
Application of 3D printing in the aerospace industry and other areas
Aerospace applications make use of advanced engineering materials and complex geometries in order to reduce weight while improving the performances of aircraft and their parts. Aerospace parts frequently include internal channels for cooling, internal features, thin walls, and complex curved surfaces for various aerodynamic effects that often demand a high level of technology. 3D printing is capable of manufacturing such geometrically-intricate features without being constrained by materials or the size of the parts. Such a high degree of design freedom enables the iterative optimization of the parts and the integration of functional features in a single component which was not possible before the implementation of 3D printing.
More recently, 3D printing has also been used in the humanitarian-development sector to produce a range of medical items, prosthetics, spares, and parts that are needed for repairs. In fact, an astronaut in the International Space Station has 3D printed a wrench that was needed for a repair instead of waiting months for the wrench to be ‘shipped’ from the Earth.
The astronaut is holding the 3D printed wrench in the International Space Station.
One other interesting, as well as shocking, area the 3D printing technology has been applied is the food industry. Foods can be 3D printed by squeezing out edible materials, layer by layer, into three-dimensional objects. A large variety of foods are appropriate for production through such methods, for example, chocolate and candy, as well as flat foods such as crackers, pasta, and pizza. But why do we need to 3D print foods when we can make them on our own? Major companies including NASA are looking into the technology in order to create 3D printed food to limit food waste and to make foods that are designed to fit peoples’ dietary needs which may be critical in the future with limited food sources and rapidly increasing human population.
Future of 3D printing
Currently, 3D printing is most commonly used for producing low-volume prototypes because changes are easier and cheaper to make on 3D printed parts than having to reset tools and machines which traditional manufacturing methods require. This is why 3D printing is expected to become the new, ultimate manufacturing future on top of the material and design freedom that it provides. However, despite its advantages that this article laid out, 3D printing still is a time-consuming process. The consequences of implementing 3D printing in the manufacturing industry are hard to predict, yet. But based on the impacts that 3D printing technology has left on many industries, it is reasonable to say that it will rapidly develop, making up its disadvantages over the traditional production means, and will someday be the ‘ultimate’ manufacturing method.
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