MANUFACTURING & TECHNOLOGY
{ INDUSTRY OUTLOOK }
How 3D printing is changing manufacturing
T
hree-dimensional printing is changing the way industries from aerospace to retail are solving significant, real world problems. And while 3D printing has gained notoriety in the past five to seven years from a commercial standpoint, the technology itself has been around since the late 1980s under a different name. The technology was initially called rapid prototyping because it was conceived to replace slow and aging forms of prototyping processes achieved through subtractive manufacturing. These processes mainly consisted of carving wood, using clay and fabricating from sheets of plastic. Over the course of the past 30-plus years, 3D printing has evolved, and what began as a quicker way to produce prototypes, has become a more efficient process for producing a low-volume, yet highly precise, end-user application. Companies in various business sectors that design and manufacture highly complex products and structures have been the main beneficiary of advancements in 3D printing. Manufactured fixtures that typically consisted of 20 or more pieces, welded or adjoined together, can easily be designed, sent to a printer and produced as one unified part the next day. Adopters of 3D printing see two to five times savings in cost, not to mention the space savings from reduction of materials, compared to the previous process. Additionally, less parts and labor can greatly reduce human error resulting in a more efficient and reliable product.
SPONSORED BY AZBIGMEDIA 118 ABL | Nominate at azBIGmedia.com
Another way that 3D printing has made an immense impact, is through its use in medical, dental and other implant applications. Traditionally, prosthetics Rey Chu and other Technology forms of implant technology were produced in standardized sizes - small, medium and large. 3D printing technology allows for custom prosthetics and implants to fit individuals based on body structure. This is a process that companies like Stryker, one of the world’s leading medical technology companies, have perfected for use on patients in need of this type of medical care. Today, leaders in the industry are discovering news ways that 3D printing can be applied to not only save time and money, but to act as a higher quality replacement for outdated design and manufacturing processes. Specific examples of this can be seen once again in the medical field and also in the defense sector. 3D printing is able to reproduce skin tissue using human or animal cells, and is currently being used by beauty companies like L’OrÊal to safely test products. Biomedical engineers are now researching
ways, based on this technology, to produce functional organs for transplant procedures. This type of medical breakthrough would abolish the organ donor wait list, and enable an expedited process for lifesaving medical procedures. Additionally, the military has expressed interest in using 3D scanning and printing to revitalize aging aircrafts. There are a number of models that require an inventory of thousands of repair components. The need to stockpile vast amounts of replacement parts cost a significant amount of money and take up a lot of storage space. The ability to scan each part and record a digital design would allow the military to print parts on an as-needed basis and greatly reduce the need for inventory. Many companies in the military sector have already asked 3D printing companies to put together proposals for this type of application. 3D printing technology has come a long way and with the advent of new, advanced printers and additional research funding being applied, revolutionary applications in manufacturing are discovered regularly. 3D printing is not going to replace all forms of traditional manufacturing, but with innovative leaders pushing the industry forward, it will continue to have a transformational impact. Rey Chu is co-owner and principal of Phoenix Analysis & Design Technologies (PADT), a provider of numerical simulation, product development, rapid prototyping sales and services.