3D printing technology is no more in its infancy as it has opened up ample opportunities for nearly all industries. You can apply 3D printing technology in many ways in areas such as medicine, design, architecture, manufacturing, and custom art. Industries can even use 3D printing technology to create more 3D printers. In fact, even projects like Project Daniel have initiatives utilizing 3D printing technology to create innovative products. Over time, 3D printing has become a thriving commercial technology due to its application in social culture, medicine, and manufacturing sectors. Below are five insane ways in which 3D printing technology is used in various industries.
Research
Clinical officers and researchers often use 3D printing technology in research labs due to its ability to make specialized geometrics. For example, a study conducted in 2012 at the University of Glashow found that researchers can use 3D printing techniques to speed up the production of chemical compounds. Moreover, clinical officers and researchers can use 3D printing technology as an alternative method to manufacture lab components such as vacuum components and magnetic shielding.
Bio-Printing
Biologists can now use 3D printing technology to implant stem cells due to its ability to generate new organs and tissues in living humans. In fact, there is a potential for growth of 3D bio-printing due to the capability of stem cells to transform into any other kind of cell in the living humans. A study in 2012 found that it was possible for clinical officers and lab technicians to use chemical inks to print tissue fabrication. More biotechnology academia and firms are researching the potential use of 3D bio-printing in tissues engineering to build body parts and organs using inkjet techniques. It involves depositing layers of living cells onto a sugar matrix or gel medium to form three-dimensional structures such as vascular systems. In fact, scientists in China are already using living tissues to print kidneys, livers, and ears and have recently used specialized 3D bioprinters instead of plastics to print human organs.
Automotive Industry
In 2014, a manufacturer of supercars in Sweden launched its first supercar that utilizes 3D printed components. It uses complete turbocharger assemblies, air ducts, titanium exhaust components, and side-mirror internals all of which are 3D printed. Besides, air forces are utilizing 3D printing technology to print spare parts for planes. The first fighter jet flew with 3D printed components in 2015 and more air forces around the world including the Israeli Air Force and the US Air Force have begun to utilize 3D printed spare parts.
Communication
Manufacturers in the communication landscape are using additive layers offered by 3D printing technology to create devices which act as couplers and waveguides. Manufacturers could not achieve the complex shape of these gadgets using traditional fabrication techniques. For example, professional grade printers are being used to create structures with minimum feature size to increase accuracy. In fact, the first 3D printed vocal percussion was created in 2016 as a waveform, and it can play four vocalized emotions along with the sound wave by laser.
Art and Jewelry
Academicians began to research on the possible application of 3D prints in arts in 2005. Over time, academic journals and mass media began to report on the possible artistic use of prints and listed printing technology as one of the top 100 most influential designs of the year. At the 2013 3DPrintshow in London, several artists showcased how 3D prints can modify art processes and aesthetics. In fact, designers and engineers at Glass Lab and MIT’s Mediated Matter Group joined forces in 2015 to create an additive 3D printer that uses glass to print. You can use this printer to publish photographic and structural prints and arts printed on it can be found in some museum collections. With 3D printing technology, artists don’t have to use molding techniques, which is often too invasive and expensive to perform to replicate real objects.