Around the world, scientists, engineers and designers are constantly developing new applications for 3D printing. By using computer-aided design programs, such as SolidWorks CAD software, professionals and amateurs alike have used 3D printing to produce everything from chocolate treats to furniture to pharmaceutical drugs.
This breadth and scope of development recently led Bloomberg Businessweek's Ashlee Vance to declare that 3D printer has the power to "make whatever you want."
Designing at home
To emphasize the degree to which 3D printing has reached the mainstream, Vance highlights the example of the Lewis family in Santa Clara, California. David and Riley, father and son, built a hobbyist 3D printing kit in their garage which Riley and his friends, all of whom are in the eighth grade, use to create a wide assortment of items. Among the objects the adolescents created via 3D printing are rockets, cutlery and guitar picks.
According to Vance, 3D printing has become so ingrained in these children's lives that they see nothing unusual or revolutionary in the notion that a computer design can be turned into a physical process within their home.
Industrial and non-industrial uses
Vance also notes that companies are beginning to sell a wider variety of 3D printed products. Whereas the technology has been used for decades in the industrial sector, creating parts in such fields as automotives and aeronautics, only in recent years have its uses expanded to consumer goods.
Now, according to Vance, companies are printing and selling objects such as jewelry, iPhone covers, model trains and even bikinis.
This is largely due to decreasing prices and sizes of 3D printers. While large industrial printers can cost as much as $1 million, others, such as Objet 3D printers, can be purchased for under $20,000, and can be small enough to fit comfortably on a standard wooden desk.
Several weeks ago, scientists from Glasgow University announced they had developed a means of "printing" pharmaceutical drugs. By using commercially available technology, such as Objet 3D printers, they were able to create "reactionware," capable of producing medication. According to the BBC, Lee Cronin, the project leader, said that the most important potential benefit of this development is the possibility of extending healthcare access to the developing world.
Recently, New Scientist pointed out another potential benefit of this or similar technology: the possibility of individuals creating and selling "apps" for at-home 3D chemical printing.
Direct to customer chemicals
According to New Scientist, as 3D printing becomes more common and researchers fine-tune the methods Cronin and others are pioneering, the chemical industry may undergo an "internet-fuelled disruption" similar to that experienced by the music and publishing industries. Individual designers may be able to create programs for the production of chemical products, then sell or give away these apps online. Users will be able to purchase the apps and, using their 3D printers, produce whatever chemical they desire.
This process would largely eliminate the chemical industry from the equation, just as ebooks and mp3s avoid publishing houses and record labels. Costs may drop and innovation may flourish as a result, New Scientist claims.
Safety and legal concerns
However, such a revolution would inevitably bring serious safety and legal concerns. Most notably, creators may offer apps for producing untested, unsafe chemical compounds, as well as illegal drugs. Consequently, the rise of at-home chemical printing may also cause a revolution among enforcement groups, as the FDA and other agencies work to protect consumers as well as chemical companies' intellectual property.
In the world of technology, early adoption is key. A company that allows itself to lag behind the latest developments will struggle to compete in difficult markets.
That is why InfoWorld's Bob Lewis recently declared that 3D printing is "a litmus test for IT leadership." According to Lewis, 3D printing represents a significant shift in manufacturing and production, and a company's willingness to pursue this new technology may determine the future success or failure of that organization.
The crux, according to Lewis, is a change in focus from "quality" to "excellence." Quality, in Lewis' sense of the word, refers to mass production of low-cost, identical items with a low defect rate. This type of manufacturing has been the standard for many years. However, Lewis argued that the near future will be defined by industries' ability to produce customized products with a wide range of features.
This is where 3D printing comes in. With 3D printing, a business or individual can use computer aided design software to modify the architecture of an item, then print out the customized object. Objet 3D printers, for example, can produce customized hearing aids.
Consequently, Lewis believes that 3D printing and additive manufacturing will play crucial roles in the movement toward "excellence" in production. Businesses and individuals will simply have to purchase a design, much like an app, and can then produce or modify as they see fit.
The Economist seems to agree with Lewis. It has recently devoted a significant amount of attention to 3D printing and additive manufacturing, arguing that the techniques will lead to major changes in production methods. According to The Economist, not only will it provide for greater customization of products - it will also improve overall quality. For example, using 3D printing can produce rounded channels within solid metal structures, something that is difficult to achieve by traditional means. Rounded channels can often improve performance for devices such as gearboxes, potentially making the 3D printed version of a gearbox superior to older forms.
According to The Economist, a revolution is currently occurring in the world of manufacturing, and additive manufacturing is playing a major role in the transformation.
Additive manufacturing, The Economist noted, is becoming cheaper and more effective. To a large extent, this is due to the technique's relative autonomy. Additive manufacturing can produce items with minimal supervision, which saves organizations money by reducing the need for human labor.
Ss the technology continues to evolve, the complexity of the items produced will almost certainly increase. Currently, 3D printing is capable of producing finished items for a range of industries. For example, Objet 3D printers have been used to create nearly finished parts for TREK Bicycles that required only minimal touch-up for completion. In the near future, however, it is likely that additive manufacturing will be able to produce totally finished products, as well as items consisting of multiple parts.
Additionally, The Economist noted that the anticipated rise of at-home 3D printing will create opportunities for entrepreneurs and inventors that would not otherwise be possible. Independent, small-scale researchers will quite possibly develop new applications for 3D printing and additive manufacturing that have not yet been conceived of, furthering the concept of a manufacturing revolution.
Many people believe that 3D printing is primarily useful as a means of creating prototypes. That is why the technology was originally created, and for many years, this has been its primary use.
By incorporating 3D printing into their design processes, organizations can significantly improve their ability to create new products. The bicycle manufacturer Trek, for example, has been able to significantly quicken their design cycles by taking advantage of Objet 3D printers. Mike Zeigle, Manager of Trek's Prototype Development group, said that using Objet Connex allowed the company to create high-quality parts in hours, rather than days, as was the case with older forms of prototyping.
However, 3D printing's use goes well beyond prototyping. As the Economist recently pointed out, by using 3D printing and additive manufacturing technology, industries can produce final products that are of higher quality than more traditional means allow. In fact, additive manufacturing even allows organizations to extend what they are capable of creating.
As an example of the possibilities of additive manufacturing, The Economist notes that the technology makes possible the creation of rounded channels within solid metal structures. This is difficult to achieve through traditional methods, so many gearboxes and other items have had to settle for right-angle bends. However, by using 3D printing, one company is now able to offer gearboxes with smooth internal pathways, allowing for faster gear changes. Additionally, these gearboxes are 30 percent lighter than older models.
Additive manufacturing can also save money by reducing material expenditure. The Economist points out that metal parts for the aerospace industry are often created from a solid billet of titanium, resulting in a loss of as much as 90 percent of the material as it is cut away. By using 3D printing, parts may lose as little as 10 percent of raw material without sacrificing quality.
3D printing has rapidly established itself as a crucial component of several industries. It has found wide use in the fields of aeronautics, automotive design, architecture and dentistry.
However, as two new exhibitions demonstrate, 3D printing's uses are not limited to industry. It also has the potential to play a key role in the creation of cutting-edge art.
3D art in London
The first showcase was held in London from March 29 through April 1. The show, called The London Pride Festival of Art and Design, was part of a celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's 60th year on the throne. In honor of this milestone, the exhibition featured art and design focusing on London's last 60 years.
One section representing "Future Design" featured Daniel Hilldrup's project, "Fragments in Time." Explaining that he is "often influenced and motivated by technology," Hilldrup said that his work was "inspired by Objet multi-material printing."
Fittingly, Hilldrup used Objet 3D printers to create his artwork. By using Objet Connex technology, Hilldrup was able to print multiple materials and properties into the same part, which allowed him to create what he calls "contemporary fossils."
3D art in Paris
Objet 3D printers were also critical to the creation of the work of Neri Oxman, an artist, designer and architect who currently serves as an assistant professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Like Hilldrup, she used Objet multi-material 3D printing to create work featured in the exhibit called "Multiversités Créatives."
This exhibit will be on display at the Centre Pompidou, one of France's most visited attractions, in an event hosted by Objet on May 4, 2012. Explaining the importance of the event, Objet CEO David Reis said, "The 3D printing industry has the potential to invigorate how we think about product design, art and engineering."
Objet has created a precise 3D replica of Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its establishment.
The model was created by a team of Objet designers and engineers at the company's North American headquarters in Billerica, Massachusetts. It weighs slightly more than 100 pounds and measures three feet by five feet, making it an approximate 1/200th scale replica.
To create the facsimile, designers used computer aided design (CAD) software to accurately model all of the features of the ballpark. Objet's replica includes the exact same number of lights and seats as the real Fenway Park, including seats atop the Green Monster and the red right field seat that marks the longest home run hit in the park. The model was printed on an Objet 3D printer, the Connex500 multi-material 3D printer, and consists of 40 separately-printed sections.
Bruce Bradshaw, Director of U.S. Marketing for Objet, said that due to the number of employees considering themselves Red Sox fans{,} and the fact that Objet 3D printers are frequently used by architectural firms to create detailed models of building projects, it was fitting they create this model to celebrate Fenway Park's centennial.
Fenway Park was established in April, 1912. Its first game was an exhibition match between the Red Sox and the Harvard Crimson. On April 20, the Red Sox played the New York Highlanders, who would eventually become the New York Yankees. The Red Sox went on to win the World Series that year.
The Objet replica will be included in a Boston Globe-sponsored event at Fenway Park on April 19, then travel to Boston's Museum of Science. There, it will be featured in a presentation on 3D printing. Objet will then donate the model to the Boston Sports Museum.
As numerous reports have demonstrated, 3D printing is likely to play a major, global role in the future. Not only does 3D printing have a wide range of applications - for manufacturing everything from aeronautics parts to dentures to doorknobs - it is also becoming more accessible to the general public. Lee Cronin, a researcher from University of Glasgow who has developed a means of using a 3D printer to produce pharmaceutical drugs, told the BBC that he believes the trend of 3D printers becoming increasingly common and inexpensive may lead to a day when individuals can print their own prescriptions at home, using personal 3D printers.
Now, Objet, one of the world's leading designers and producers of 3D printers, has taken a further step toward increasing the availability of its technology. The company announced an agreement with CIM Co. to distribute Objet 3D printers in the Mexican marketplace.
Gilad Gans, Executive Vice President for Objet, announced that partnering with CIM will allow Objet to continue its growth in the Mexican market. CIM is an established presence in Mexico, with clients in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, plastics, stamping and shoe industries.
Objet hopes that CIM's existing relationships will allow for greater distribution of Objet's 3D printing technology.
This is not the first effort Objet has made to expand its presence in emerging markets. In December, Objet signed a similar agreement with Anacom Eletrônica Ltda. to develop a presence in Brazil.
As Objet announced at the time, the local market potential for rapid protoyping is greatest in emerging markets. As such, Objet has dedicated itself to expanding its presence in these markets, as the deals with Anacom and CIM demonstrate.
In many ways, 3D printing has changed the world. The technology has had a major impact on numerous industries, and everyday, there are reports of additional applications for the technology. Recent reports detailed the use of 3D printing for the creation of both customizable robots and chocolate treats - the latter currently capable of being designed and executed by untrained individuals in their own homes. Objet 3D printers can produce a wide range of fixtures, molds and models. And as Joel Shurkin, writing for Inside Science News Service, recently highlighted, 3D printing is also responsible for a portion of the fuselage of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.
Shurkin, as well as an earlier report from the Atlantic Council, emphasized that as this technology continues to evolve, it is likely to have a significant effect on the global economic landscape. Additive manufacturing is becoming more widely applicable, easier to use and more affordable, and this means it may someday drastically change the way good are produced around the world, which could be extremely beneficial to some nations and industries, while extremely damaging to others.
According to the Atlantic Council's report, "Could 3D Printing Change the World? Technologies, Potential, and Implications of Additive Manufacturing," 3D printing may lead to a reduction in the amount of labor needed to produce a variety of goods, as 3D printers are highly automated. Additionally, the goods themselves will be producible at any location. Rather than manufacturing millions of items in one location and shipping them around the world, items can be produced on-site. This will significantly reduce manufacturing costs.
Consequently, nations with advanced additive manufacturing technology and skilled workforces, such as the United States, may benefit significantly from these developments. Nations like China, on the other hand, may experience economic difficulties as there is less demand for their older manufacturing capabilities.
As a first step toward the creation of a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, the United States government will soon initiate plans for a Pilot Institute for Manufacturing Innovation. Supported by a number of federal agencies, the Pilot Institute will initially focus the bulk of its efforts on the development of additive manufacturing technology.
The project was first announced by President Obama on March 9, 2012. According to the President, this venture is an extension of his Blueprint for an Economy Built to Last, which focuses on encouraging American insourcing, as well as stimulating investment in American manufacturing.
Additive manufacturing was chosen as the Pilot Institute's focus for several reasons, according to The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), including its "potential to minimize the need for tooling, compress supply chains, and reduce waste" and "produce novel components and complex structures that cannot be made cost effectively using conventional casting, molding, and forging processes."
The project will be funded via contributions from the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and NIST (a branch of the Department of Commerce). All told, the institute will receive upward of $50 million in initial federal funding. However, the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation is slated to receive a significantly greater investment once it is established, as President Obama's budget proposed $1 billion specifically for this purpose.
While this effort represents the federal government's first major push into the field of additive manufacturing, a number of companies in the private sector are already at work developing and advancing additive manufacturing technology. Objet 3D printers, for example, are capable of producing high-resolution, highly detailed 3D models of designs and prototypes, for both office and industrial use.
Denture use is widespread throughout the United States, and the world at large. The majority of people will eventually lose one or more teeth, according to the Academy of General Dentistry, and a fair percentage of these people will need dentures as a result. The American College of Prosthodontists estimates that the average lifespan for a pair of continuously used dentures is approximately five years. This means that the quick, skillful creation of dentures is an important component of the overall quality of American dental care.
Thanks to new technological advances, additive manufacturing can contribute in this field. By using 3D printing, dentures can be produced significantly faster and at a lower cost than by more traditional methods, without sacrificing quality. According to Industrial Laser Solutions, milling, one of the older, frequently used methods of denture production, typically costs approximately $26 per unit. Using laser additive manufacturing technology, the cost can be cut in half, to around $13 for a set.
3D printing of dentures is also more efficient than other available methods. Large batches of dentures can be produced in a single build plate, with some firms generating an average of 80 units per day. Despite this improved production level, the labor required is actually reduced to four employees per batch, as compared to the six or seven technicians required to perform conventional cast fabrication. Additionally, 3D printing can occur overnight, which further decreases the time it takes for a patient to receive his or her dentures.
The dental benefits of 3D printing are not limited to dentures. Objet 3D printers, for example, can also produce crowns, bridges and many more orthodontic appliances quickly and accurately.
Every day, new advancements are announced in the field of 3D printing. 3D printing can be used to manufacture door knobs, circuit boards, airplane engine components and much more. In addition to an exponentially increasing number of uses, 3D printing is also becoming more accessible. What was once used exclusively for specialized industries is now extending into the mainstream.
This trend was visible recently with the announcement of the world's first available-for-purchase 3d printer used exclusively for chocolate treats. Created by Choc Edge, the printer allows people to print their own chocolate creation from their homes. By mixing and matching chocolate types and syringe head units, owners can design and enjoy unique chocolate desserts.
As Time Techland notes, 3D chocolate printing is not new, with models existing at least as early as last year. However, this development is noteworthy because it highlights the shift toward consumer-run 3D printing. In addition to this purchasable 3D chocolate printer, MIT recently announced it is working on developing technology that will allow the average person to design and print a personalized robot.
Due to these and other related developments, the Huffington Post's Rod Roddenberry recently highlighted the ways in which 3D printing is entering the mainstream. He notes that for less than $1,000, anyone can purchase a desktop replicator to create 3D objects, including wrenches and appliance knobs.
He further muses that, in the near future, it will likely be possible to buy the digital model of a device and then create the item itself by uploading the schematics into a personal 3D printer.
Yet while personalized 3D printing is not yet widely available, there are a number of options for individuals or companies interested in using this technology. Objet 3D printers, for example, can create a wide range of products, including true-to-life models and prototypes.
Researchers from MIT, the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University are working together in an effort to create a desktop technology that would allow an average person, without engineering skills, to design and print a unique robot in fewer than 24 hours.
Professor Vijay Kumar of the University Pennsylvania, who is leading the project remotely, called this advancement a potential "game changer," explaining that, if successful, it will allow for significant reductions in the design and manufacturing stages of production, as well as greatly affect the way that science and technology is taught to high schools students.
The project, called "An Expedition in Computing for Compiling Printable Programmable Machines," is expected to take five years to complete. The National Science Foundation provided the majority of its funding, which totals $10 million.
Due to the extremely complex nature of the project, researchers have divided their attention into several different areas. While some focus on developing the algorithms that will control the assembly and operation of the robots, others work to create an application programming interface. Another group aims to write programming language that people unfamiliar with programming, robotics or engineering can understand.
When combined, the hope is that an average person will be able to design a robot on his or her own computer, using a selection from a pre-existing library of robotic designs, and then bring the blueprint to a 3D printer, who may be able to produce the robot in less than a day.
Currently, a number of companies provide 3D printing services for businesses and individuals. For example, Objet 3D printers can produce a variety of objects, ranging from door handles to advanced prototypes, to meet customers' specifications. If the personalized robotic program achieves its goals, it is likely firms such as Objet will be able to provide 3D printing for this purpose.
Innovation is the lifeblood of the technology industry. However, in today's world, innovative ideas and inventions alone are not enough. According to the Appleton Post Crescent columnist Cheryl Perkins, it can be difficult for a small business or independent inventors to accrue the support and resources needed to turn an idea into an actual product. Investors and stakeholders are more swayed by a prototype than an idea.
That is why Perkins recommends innovators look into rapid prototyping, a means of producing prototypes quickly and inexpensively.
Rapid prototyping is such a valuable tool that Perkins argues it should be considered an essential component of any innovator's toolchest. She further recommends that any company lacking the means to produce prototypes in-house should not hesitate to look elsewhere to find a service provider.
To find a company to provide rapid prototyping services, it is necessary to consider what form of rapid prototyping is best for a given project. One of the most common and useful forms of rapid prototyping is 3D printing. With this technology, an inventor can use a 3D computer-aided design program to produce a 3D object via an advanced3D printer.
In addition to being accurate and affordable, 3D printing is also fast and convenient. Companies like Objet can produce models in a matter of days, or even overnight. Numerous industries, including aerodynamics companies and marketing firms, use Objet 3D printers to transform innovative concepts into an innovative products.