David Savastano02.07.23
Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is one of the most interesting manufacturing technologies around, and it is growing right before our eyes, with new developments and markets coming quickly. Chances are you’ve heard a lot abut 3D printing, but might be wondering what you can use it for.
Basically, 3D printing is the building of an object layer by layer. The 3D printer analyzes the computer model of the item, and deposits material layer by layer until it is completed. Its sweet spot at present is prototyping, but 3D printing has been used in numerous applications. One such area is medical, where human organs and prosthetics are produced. Another is healthcare to monitor those previously mentioned organs with devices like gluscose monitors.
It is also a sizable market. Allied Market Research places the 3D printing market at $13.2 billion in 2020, growing to $94 billion by 2030.
Many other iterations of additive manufacturing followed: inventors would come up with a variety of techniques, including SLS, FDM and LAM.
Important terminology includes:
SLA – Stereolithography Apparatus
SLS – Selective Laser Sintering
FDM – Fused Deposition Modeling
LAM – Laser Additive Manufacturing
There are plenty of big players in the 3D printing field. 3D Systems remains a power. Stratasys is a leader in FDM technology. HP and GE are major players.
One of the most important drivers of 3D printing is the ability to customize parts rapidly. We’ll use the example of prosthetics here. Typically, prosthetics take weeks to make, but with 3D printing, that comes down to hours. Hearing aids can be done in-house, saving time.
The automotive market is an interesting use case. Aside from prototyping parts, the ability to use 3D printing to produce rare parts for classic cars has proved to be a strong market.
Housing is another area of interest. 3D printing of homes is now possible using concrete 3D printing. This is an advantage in that it requires no builders.
The shoe segment has been the quickest to adopt 3D printing technology., and not just for prototyping. According to 3Dsourced, shoes and sneakers are being mass produced by 3D printing now, mainly using resin 3D printers; Adidas, Nike, New Balance and Reebok are just some of the companies that are producing sneakers with additive manufacturing.
So what are the main types of 3D printing materials? It begins with polylactic acid, or PLA, a bioplastic with a low melting point used in FDM systems that is typically made from plant starches. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or ABS, is another plastic that is used in FDM, and is ideal for its strength in applications such as automotive parts. Interestingly, it is the material that Lego uses to make its bricks.
Metal is used for 3D printing, for applications such as joints for humans, parts for airplanes or even jewelry, through direct metal laser sintering, or DMLS. Redshift by Autodesk reports that “GE Aviation began printing fuel nozzles for its LEAP jet engine in 2016, ramping up to 30,000 parts in less than three years and printing its 100,000th nozzle in 2021.”
Carbon-based materials such as graphene, graphite and carbon fiber are also used, as are polypropylene, nylon, human cells and wood (actually, PLA and wood powders).
One such example is the collaboration between Optomec and Stratasys, in which a UAV wing 3D printed by Stratasys included circuitry produced by Optomec’s Aerosol Jet technology. There will no doubt be many more examples in the coming years.
Basically, 3D printing is the building of an object layer by layer. The 3D printer analyzes the computer model of the item, and deposits material layer by layer until it is completed. Its sweet spot at present is prototyping, but 3D printing has been used in numerous applications. One such area is medical, where human organs and prosthetics are produced. Another is healthcare to monitor those previously mentioned organs with devices like gluscose monitors.
It is also a sizable market. Allied Market Research places the 3D printing market at $13.2 billion in 2020, growing to $94 billion by 2030.
The History of 3D Printing
3D printing has actually been around longer than most people think. Some academics trace its development back to 1984, when Charles “Chuck” Hull invented stereolithography. Through the use of UV light, Hull could build an object layer by layer. He developed photopolymers that could be printed through this method, and launched his company, 3D Systems, and the SLA-1 3D printer, in 1986.Many other iterations of additive manufacturing followed: inventors would come up with a variety of techniques, including SLS, FDM and LAM.
Important terminology includes:
SLA – Stereolithography Apparatus
SLS – Selective Laser Sintering
FDM – Fused Deposition Modeling
LAM – Laser Additive Manufacturing
There are plenty of big players in the 3D printing field. 3D Systems remains a power. Stratasys is a leader in FDM technology. HP and GE are major players.
Advantages of 3D Printing
Prototyping has been the main use of 3D printing over the years. By taking a computer file, companies can make the initial part to see how it will fit and perhaps how it will run. The time and cost savings from using 3D printing is a huge benefit. The auto industry is one segment where prototyping has played an influential role.One of the most important drivers of 3D printing is the ability to customize parts rapidly. We’ll use the example of prosthetics here. Typically, prosthetics take weeks to make, but with 3D printing, that comes down to hours. Hearing aids can be done in-house, saving time.
Important Markets for 3D Printing
There are many markets for 3D printing. Medical, including dental and prosthetics, is a key area. Dentures are made by 3D printing. Prosthetics can be produced rapidly. Joints and bones are 3D printed using metal 3D. The hearing aid market is completely dominated by 3D printing, which is done using resin materials. Work is being done on bioprinting of organs; one day we will see this become commonplace.The automotive market is an interesting use case. Aside from prototyping parts, the ability to use 3D printing to produce rare parts for classic cars has proved to be a strong market.
Housing is another area of interest. 3D printing of homes is now possible using concrete 3D printing. This is an advantage in that it requires no builders.
The shoe segment has been the quickest to adopt 3D printing technology., and not just for prototyping. According to 3Dsourced, shoes and sneakers are being mass produced by 3D printing now, mainly using resin 3D printers; Adidas, Nike, New Balance and Reebok are just some of the companies that are producing sneakers with additive manufacturing.
Key Materials for 3D Printing
To say that the materials used for 3D printing are varied is putting it mildly; human cells have been used to create human organ tissues. According to MarketsandMarkets, the 3D printing materials segment is expected to grow from $2,850.1 million in 2022 to $8,697.9 million by 2027, at a CAGR of 25% during the forecast period.So what are the main types of 3D printing materials? It begins with polylactic acid, or PLA, a bioplastic with a low melting point used in FDM systems that is typically made from plant starches. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or ABS, is another plastic that is used in FDM, and is ideal for its strength in applications such as automotive parts. Interestingly, it is the material that Lego uses to make its bricks.
Metal is used for 3D printing, for applications such as joints for humans, parts for airplanes or even jewelry, through direct metal laser sintering, or DMLS. Redshift by Autodesk reports that “GE Aviation began printing fuel nozzles for its LEAP jet engine in 2016, ramping up to 30,000 parts in less than three years and printing its 100,000th nozzle in 2021.”
Carbon-based materials such as graphene, graphite and carbon fiber are also used, as are polypropylene, nylon, human cells and wood (actually, PLA and wood powders).
3D Printing and Printed Electronics
Not surprisingly, printed electronics is an area where companies are adopting 3D printing to produce electronics, including printed circuit boards. Optomec, Nano Dimensions and Voltera are just a few of the companies that are producing 3D printers in this field, and a lot of research on the university level is also being conducted in this space.One such example is the collaboration between Optomec and Stratasys, in which a UAV wing 3D printed by Stratasys included circuitry produced by Optomec’s Aerosol Jet technology. There will no doubt be many more examples in the coming years.