Technology

3D Printing Trends in the Upcoming Years

printer-1455169_960_720The 3D printing industry has gained traction over the years. Also known as additive manufacturing, this technology utilises raw materials like plastic, rubber, metals etc. to create functional objects. The design is fed to the printer with the help of a CAD (Computer Aided Design) software and the printer then spits out the object as a whole.

The field of 3D printing has immense potential. Its ability to print objects on demand and the scope it provides for a high level of customisation make it one of the most efficient technologies of today. Various industries have already adopted this technology to stand out from among their competitors.

3D printing is expected to grow into a $21 billion industry by 2020.

Let’s take a look at some of the 3D printing trends in the upcoming years.

3D Printing Will Empower Users

The trend of customisation has gained momentum recently with customers looking for products that suit their exact requirements. However, mass manufacturing of products restricts customisation considerably. This is where 3D printing becomes relevant.

This technology shifts the power to the customers by handing over the ability to design the products the way they want them. Customers will have a final say in how the products they invest money in looks. This will empower the customers. Therefore, 3D printing will fuel the trend of personalisation and help it scale new heights.

With the commercialisation of 3D printers, customers will be able to print the products that they need right from the comfort of their homes. In addition to that, such increased scope for customisation will reduce wastage of products significantly.

3D Printing Will Save Lives

3D printing has the potential to improve modern medicine. This technology has already created a niche for itself in the healthcare industry owing to its numerous benefits. For example, when 5-year old Mia Gonzalez was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect known as the double aortic arch, her surgeon, Dr. Redmond Burke used a 3D printed model of her heart to identify the best way to operate. This made all the difference in Mia’s successful operation.

“For a heart surgeon, I’m used to be able to hold a heart when I operate on it. But I can’t hold an MRI in my hands and feel it and create an operation,”, Dr. Burke pointed out, “The 3D-printed heart gives you a fantastic view of a very complex, three-dimensional problem. It helped me do a really good operation for her.”

Apart from medical imaging, 3D printers will be used to create body parts including skin, bones etc. 3D printed pills will also become mainstream in a few years from now.

3D Printing Will Have its App Store

With 3D printing making big waves in the customer front, its popularity is highly likely to increase with the rising demands. However, 3D printers are reliant on technology to improve their efficiency and aid in creating the products that customers design.

Customers may require certain application to fulfil their 3D modeling requirements. This where an app store dedicated to 3D printing will become relevant. While a few apps for 3D printing are already available, a plethora of new ones will be developed to aid in the process. Also, a dominant source of 3D files will also mushroom with the purpose of making 3D printing more complete.

3D Printing Your Dinner Would be Commonplace

3D food printers can print out digital recipes in minutes. The future where you can print out your dinner instead of having to cook it is no longer distant. These machines use edible ingredients like pastes, powders and liquid ingredients as raw materials to print out the final dish.

According to Hod Lipson, a mechanical engineering professor, “They will produce an infinite variety of customised fresh, nutritional foods on demand, transforming digital recipes and basic ingredients supplied in frozen cartridges into healthy dishes that can supplement our daily intake. I think this is the missing link that will bring the benefits of personalised data-driven health to our kitchen tables — it’s the ‘killer app’ of 3D printing.”

In addition to that, 3D printing will also witness a major progress in architecture. For example, 3D property will be on the rise with buildings being printed out of raw materials. With these, numerous job opportunities will open up for the millennials. 3D printing still has a long way to go before it becomes mainstream, but such a future is not distant anymore.

Information shared by Icreate3d.com

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