What Are the Roles of 3D Printing in the Future?

Only a few short years ago, the concept of 3D printing seemed completely alien to most people. Since then, it has established itself more in the public eye and the media. It is becoming an increasingly important technology for prototyping and manufacturing.

And whilst there are some financial and practical limitations to 3D printing’s widespread adoption, the rapid advancement of 3D printing technology in such a short space of time suggests that these limitations could be overcome sooner rather than later. Improvements and cost cuts are set to bring 3D printing into the mass market and even your home in the very near future.And when this happens? The possibilities are endless. 3D printing has the potential to transform your home, your car, and even your food. Which raises a very exciting question... What does the future of 3D printing look like?

3D Printing Financing Continues to Increase

Recently, the consulting firm Wallace released the 2019 annual report on the 3D printing industry: the 3D printing industry in 2018 is 73.4 dollars, and it is predicted that by 2020, the 3D printing industry is expected to reach 15.8 billion dollars. It may climb to 23.9 billion dollars in 2022, and may reach 35.6 billion dollars in 2024.

Enterprises from all walks of life are generally optimistic about the value of 3D printing technology for various industries. Currently, companies investing in 3D printing technology include Airbus, Adidas, Ford, Toyota and other well-known enterprises.

3D printing Applicable Industry Continues to Expand

The vigorous development of the 3D printing industry is mainly due to the high customization ability of the industry, and the applicable scenarios are quite diverse. At present, the deep integration of various industries and scenes is also relatively optimistic.

1. The field of ready-made clothing

In 2012, Nike used 3D printing technology to design shoes for American rugby players, "Vapor Laser", which can effectively improve the efficiency of player movement. In 2018, New Balance announced that it can be customized with 3D printing technology and fits perfectly with the foot.

2.The traditional automotive field

In 2014, Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg used 3D printing technology to produce parts, and the manufacturer also has a dedicated 3D printing line for parts. Ubere, the American engineering company Kor Ecologic and 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys, is the world's first car to print body and window using 3D printing technology.

3. The field of flight

Because the aircraft not only has a long manufacturing cycle and many consumables, it can effectively improve material utilization and shorten manufacturing time by 3D printing technology. In 2015, Airbus announced that its model A350 XWB has more than 1,000 parts manufactured in 3D printing.

4. The field of construction

Today's 3D printing technology is mainly used in the construction of models in the construction field. Most of the architectural models used in the past are hand-made, which is time-consuming and difficult to achieve customer expectations. The 3D printing can fully present the design and effectively reduce the production time.

The University of Southern California has developed technology to print out the house directly, and it is expected to "print out" a building within 24 hours and achieve the goal of zero consumables.

5. Weapons field

In 2012, a non-governmental organization in the United States designed a pistol design that could be mass-produced in 3D printing. In 2014, a Japanese man was arrested for printing a fireable pistol and transmitting a gun design, becoming the world’s first printing weapon. The person sentenced.

6.The field of medicine

3D printing has been successfully used in organ transplantation and medical device manufacturing. At present, in organ transplantation, the pelvis and chin are successfully replaced, and the reconstruction of patients with facial disfigurement is also used. It is expected to help the development of orthopedics, hearing aids and dental related technologies in the future.

7. The field of robots

Due to the complexity of the components, humanoid robots are often assembled manually, and there are still challenges in mass production. Through 3D printing, the assembly problem can be effectively solved, and the humanoid robot realizes the mass production plan. At present, companies around the world have developed humanoid robots that can be manufactured by 3D printing technology.

3D printing Gradually Serves the Customer Market

Not only is the application in the industry popular, but 3D printers are gradually moving toward customer market.

Whilst many larger industries are set to benefit from 3D printing in the future, this technology could quickly become a fundamental part of every household too.

But why would you want a 3D printer  for your home? Imagine you’ve bought a new appliance but you’ve broken part of it. Rather than send the product off for repair or wait for the manufacturer to deliver the spare part, you would be able to download the file for it and print it off at home. There would also be the potential for items that you buy to be personalised to your preference and then printed off. Eventually, the possibilities for 3D printing at home could become almost limitless. 

Overall, the future of 3D printing technology is still worth looking forward to. As technology matures, 3D printing can provide strong design and manufacturing support for industries in a more environmentally friendly manner.