Written by 3D Printing is a popular manufacturing process that is also referred to as Additive Manufacturing, and has impacted multiple industries in product design and manufacturing. Rather than adding material from the top down, 3D printing places a layer of material on top of the previous layer, making it possible to manufacture and customize without purchasing costly tools, molds or codes. Components and goods can be individualised and a printer can be used to directly print on the particular part or product. With the technology becoming more and more enhanced, it is evident that more corporations are incorporating 3D printing in their processes to enhance their products and supply chain. Here are the top 5 industries benefiting the most from 3D printing:Here are the top 5 industries benefiting the most from 3D printing:
1. Aerospace
Aerospace industry typically uses high precision components that may involve intricate shapes and detailed features. The 3D printing technique applies to brackets, airborne ducting, and enclosures to improve their design and performance. Traditional metal parts often have high performance demands for aircrafts and are relatively heavy, while printed metal parts overcome these drawbacks. Compared to conventional solutions involved in making tiny and complex aeroplane parts, 3D printing slashes lead times and expenses massively. Components can be 3-D printed as this helps in providing the ability to make changes faster. Boeing, Airbus, and Rolls Royce are only some of the industry-leading aerospace manufacturers that incorporate additive manufacturing for prototyping and creating fully functional flight parts.
2. Medical
Innovations in the field of 3D printing technology have impacted almost every aspect of the medical industry today. It aids in sizeable specific medical devices that can be tailored to suit the patient’s unique measurement and shape. High-level custom surgical guides and implants with the porous surface enhance the integration with the body tissues. One example of the usefulness of 3D printing is affecting the dose size in tablets. It can also print out the anatomy of the patient through his CT/MRI scans for practice and educational purposes before operations. As the result, these applications give an improved treatment result, which is safer and less intrusive to the patient. The FDA has also endorsed several drugs that have been produced using the 3D printing technology. As the research progresses, 3D printers will attempt at printing live tissues and organs to transplant.
3. Automotive
The manufacturers are always looking for ways to make their car lighter and more efficient in order to meet the performance and any sustainability targets. 3D print helps each vehicle part to be fine-tuned or adjusted when it comes to air vents, housings as well as structural parts. It releases shapes not possible with conventional manufacturing at less strength. Whereas, the reduction of the weight of the part in question has a definite effect on the vehicle’s fuel economy and emissions. The same way Automotive suppliers also use 3D printing to address issue of warehousing and logistics through localized production. Other opportunities of car application include bespoke interior trimmings, engine components, jigs and fixtures to enhance production procedures. Another sector that is also quite involved in testing the efficiency of 3D printed auto parts is the EV and motorsports industries.
4. Consumer Products
Some of the advantages of 3D printing include allowing entrepreneurs and small companies to affordably create and launch innovative consumer products without having to order in bulk. Designers then use the technology for rapid prototyping as they seek to get through the design cycle as soon as possible. In this category, 3D printing effectively in the production of short runs or bridging volume to a large-scale production. It enables scale and efficiency in customization and personalization. We see it in electronics, designs of all kinds of jewelries, sports equipment, furniture, clothing and other accessories – 3D printing opens a new world of creating new products with unique forms and functions. It also encourages production at convenient centres and helps in the reduction of supply chain complexities. While some predict that 3D printing is now just in an industrial use, there are others who agree that 3D printing will one day find its way into the home use due to the decreasing costs.
5. Industrial Manufacturing
From the manufacturing of industrial machinery, manufacturing tools, and heavy machines to 3D printing enhancing production and supply chain security. In relation to availability, on-demand 3D printed spare parts, tools, jigs and fixtures solve uptime issues that are as a result of unavailable components. Replacement parts for old and retired industrial apparatuses can be manufactured using green chemistry and in-house fabrication instead of buying new raw materials. 3D printing also offers more design latitude for innovative new complex components such as heat exchangers, pumps, or even thermal management solutions. Third, digital inventory and decoupled manufacturing through the use of 3D printing decreases the vulnerability of supply chain localization. Other major sectors that use 3D printing include construction and infrastructure- such as equipment maintenance or manufacturing of rails and marine equipment.
Finally, it can be summarized that transformation through 3D printing has already started in aerospace, medical, automotive, consumer products and general manufacturing industries. Although once used solely in the prototype stage, the technology currently manufactures many functional parts implementing designs that were once inconceivable. It will keep ongoing and extending deeper and deeper into various sectors depending on the rising printer velocity and decreasing expenses, the new industrial manufacturing norm will be 3D printing.
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