3D Printing: A Reality of this Decade

3D Printing: A Reality of this Decade

Gone are the days, where we used to take printing of images, the fastest growth of technology and the needs of the society made it possible with the real time printing for the objects!

Due to the requirement of large productivity and short span of time, everyone is looking for some new ways to make the life simple.  How Thrilled will it be if anything we want as an Object gets printed as per ones’ requirement through a simplest form of printing them on the machines! Yes, it is possible now through the newest Technology called additive manufacturing.

3D was once limited as a Visional technology, but now there are techniques to make the 3D Printing of Objects as a Reality. One of the widely known technology used for 3D printing is Rapid prototyping.

Rapid prototyping' is a group of techniques used to quickly fabricate a scale model of a physical part or assembly using three-dimensional computer which is then transformed into 3D objects with the help of a 3D printer.

Most of the Companies are using 3D technologies to make the miniature of their products so that the amount of time, cost and energy companies spend on their projects will have a positive impact and in return, it crops more ideas to improvise the design and performance of the products.

3D printing is pretty much helpful for manufacturing things like Miniatures of everything which is greatly beneficial in terms of Design and Time. Another wise usage of this technology is manufacturing the miniatures of every Objects that seem to be limited only by what they can imagine: guitars, jawbone implants, bionic ears and more.

One of the Brazilian based companies known as Tecnologia Humana 3D has created ultrasound models of babies in utero, which will be greatly helpful for Parents without sight who are excited to “see” their baby by touching the Ultra sound model of it. Countries like Japan are welcoming such technology for the goodness of Parents who eagers to see and “touch” the Ultra sound model of a baby.

People from every field of specialty can be benefited by the use of additive manufacturing as it can produce objects of any form not just as Miniature but to the size where one can use them for the life.

Usage in the field of Medicine

The use of this technology is greatly appreciated in the field of Medicine as the doctors are keen on using the Implants made through an additive manufacturing process for their patient. Last year, a Belgian manufacturer created a synthetic jawbone from a 3-D printer that surgeons implanted in an 83-year-old woman, allowing her to speak and swallow just a day after the operation.

 Companies which are Eyeing for the use of Additive Manufacture

One of the milestones of this technology is, GE, the world’s largest manufacturer, is on the edge of using 3-D printing to make jet parts. This in turn will reduce the cost of production to the Profitable level, which has been an “expectation” and “yet to achieve Goal” for many of the companies.

However, it is yet to explore about how to use additive manufacturing with a wider range of metal alloys, including some materials specifically designed for 3-D printing. Little Giants are looking for an opportunity to use titanium, aluminum, and nickel-chromium alloys as these types of materials would have the character to mold into the perfect shape to give us the Objects as per the Expectations. A single part could be made of multiple alloys, letting designers tailor its material characteristics in a way that’s not possible with casting. A blade for an engine or turbine, for example, could be made with different materials so that one end is optimized for strength and the other for heat resistance.

Giant like GE are researching on how well this technology can be used in multiple ways to attain high level perfection in the design and strength of the parts created through an Additive manufacture process. As a mark on it, the Designs existing on the paper or let’s say, computerized designs of products will get into the form of Objects in real time scenario which in turn will be the first Big test of whether additive manufacturing can manufacturing can revolutionize the way complex high-performance products are made.

The bottom line is, this much appreciative technology is being used in every field right from manufacturing plastic miniatures, manufacturing all parts of the implants in medicinal world and even to manufacture designer wear as per our expectation. Consequently, it stands as one of the most welcomed technology in all the fields.

courtesy : Lenin VJ Nair, Basheer Ahmad

About the Author: 

Basheer Ahmad works for MSys Technologies as a senior content writer.