Nowadays, we hear a lot about 3D printing. I am sure you will have this question in mind about the future impact of 3D printing. Here is the answer to the question how will 3D printing impact the future?
3D Printing or Additive Manufacturing has the potential to revolutionize the manufacturing industry. It is becoming popular day by day and becoming more accessible to many people. In the future, it will democratize the production of goods ranging from the food supply, medical supply to even houses. In fact, many have successfully built houses with the technology of 3D Printing. It can produce things more efficiently and in a cost-effective manner. It will enhance local production of goods which can only be imported before.
3D Printing is on the rise and has not become widely available yet but it is gaining familiarity every day. Once it is widely available it has the potential to change the way manufacturing works. As this technology spreads, it could help connect marginalized and difficult-to-reach populations with essential products. All in all, this emerging technology has the potential to revolutionize our societies, and transform the development sector. In order for this to happen, we need to ensure that this emerging technology gets into the hands of development practitioners and stakeholders around the world.
Along with the internet of things (IoT) and AI, 3DP could enable truly digital manufacturing. Data from the IoT could drive digital manufacturing processes, AI could convert the data into information for decision-making, and 3D printers will make parts from digital design files. In one potential scenario, as 3DP adoption grows, an aggressive scaling of decentralized manufacturing may occur in automotive, aerospace, and other areas.
According to the predictions, Additive Manufacturing (AM) is estimated to touch $10 billion by 2021. This forecast is based on the current developments in the AM industry which is focused on building highly advanced machines that are larger, faster, and better in every way. The transformative power of 3D printing will be harnessed by identifying applications that can leverage AM technology. In the future, machines and software will embrace an application-driven approach to meet customer’s demands. By 2021, 20% of global consumer goods businesses are expected to use 3D printing to meet the demand for tailor-made products. The innovation in 3D printing will allow manufacturing companies to exploit existing technologies instead of awaiting a mature 3DP technology.
Every day, companies are finding new ways to incorporate the technology into their production, with applications ranging from tooling to spare/replacement parts and some end-use components. From automotive to consumer goods, companies across industries are becoming aware of the advantages 3D printing offers for production. According to Sculpteo’s 2019 State of 3D Printing report, 51% of companies are actively using 3D printing for production. There are, of course, well-publicized cases. For example, large automotive companies like Ford, Volkswagen, and BMW are already producing 3D-printed parts for their vehicles. Late last year, BMW announced that it had fitted its one-millionth 3D-printed part for its BMW i8 Roadster. While the overall volume of parts being printed in these cases is small relative to mass manufacturing volumes, the number, as well as the range of parts produced with 3D printing, are only set to increase.
3D printing is already playing a huge role in the dental industry, producing crowns, surgical guides, and the majority of dental aligner molds. But the technology has the potential to become a dominant technology in this sector. A report by SmarTech Analysis indicates that 3D printer sales within the dental industry will exceed sales of machining hardware by 2025, and the technology will become the leading production method for dental restorations and devices worldwide by 2027. Driving this paradigm shift in the evolution of resin-based 3D printing technologies like SLA, DLP, and material jetting. Resin-based 3D printers can produce custom dental devices with excellent surface quality and fine feature detail at a fast speed. The dental industry can benefit from these capabilities, as dentists can provide services faster and cheaper.
The next step for both the technology and the industry will be to maintain this momentum and work towards enabling more applications on a larger scale.
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