Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing is steadily evolving from a novel idea into a true pillar of product design and creation. This is a revolutionary technique through which full, three-dimensional objects are produced from digital files by the gradual layers and in specific locations. Looking into the future, the application of 3D printing technology is expected to revolutionalize manufacturing industries in the future as the technology expands.
From RP to End Use Parts
Originally, 3D printing was introduced to the manufacturing context at the early stage of the 1980s mostly in prototyping. What was important is that engineers are now able to use Rapid prototyping to build 3D models as physical form of the CAD designs enabling rapid idea evaluation without going through the time and cost of prototype tooling. While 3D metal printing materials and machinery developed, companies shifted to fabricating end use production part. This superiority forms new options of increased design freedom and assures, that the needed geometry cannot be produced by any subtractive method.
Autonomic and aerospace industries have applied the technology but everyone from prosthetics to fashion designer use 3D printing. With extended technology development and cost reduction it becomes more and more apparent that 3D printed parts are becoming integrated into a large number of finished products made by various manufacturers. Some are also applying it in making manufacturing tools like jig, fixtures, and injection molds at comparatively less costly price.
Automated and Distributed Production
Further into the future, developments in software will undoubtedly be staggering as the use of 3D printing grows and it is incorporated directly into production processes at ever faster rates. The cost of printer hardware and the materials that it uses is also changing to cope with mid- to high- volume production. An interesting application is integration of 3D printing with robotics to allow the process to be operated automatically, independently of the print farm. Mass production goods which are shaped by unique multiple head extrusion machinery can be produced continuously thus eliminating the need for many workers. These automated workcells also can include inline quality check cell for part validation and correction procedures to adapt the print setting for correction during build.
Another breakthrough solution involves distributed manufacturing capabilities, which are made possible by networked digital designs and the inherent versatility of end-products. Some industries can have 3D printed components manufactured and delivered from other areas full and split second supply chains for shorter throughput and transportation expenses. The decentralization of production also gives new opportunities still to small business and entrepreneurial makers, who are now production as micro-manufacturers. Friday, 2018, found that as compact desk-side printers evolve to give commercial quality prints, seemingly anyone could incorporate to become a professional manufacturer.
New Design Paradigms
While 3D printing is being used more a more across industries, design specification are also changing to take advantage of the specific geometry and material possibilities. One can put into the list of applications lightweighting in vehicles through application of lattice structures and topology optimization of components, integration of sub-assemblies into single parts and even customization of consumer products. Architectures contained in product designs are rapidly growing only making producible through 3D printing hence requiring designers to adopt an additive architecture approach.
However, the ability to easily alter and maintain a virtual document severs production from physical tools or molds, which traditionally expressed design purpose. Designers can make many modifications from any linked platform for quick design improvements with no added expense. By developing new iterations on actual use data, the developmental cycles shorten significantly in the level of prototyping as well as production. With one-off manufacturing as in the case of spare and replacement parts, matters are made easier by storing the designs electronically and manufacturing as necessary.
The Future of Manufacturing
Originally developed as a tool for rapid prototyping, 3D printing is rapidly broadening the manufacturing capabilities of products at every stage of development. Subsequent developments in the hardware technology will enhance the printing velocity and part resolution to offer end use functionality. Sophisticated software automation will help make operations of industrial systems easier as well as widen production decentralization opportunities. While increasing design freedom from conceptualization to part production in future decades, another means where additive techniques can disrupt mainstream manufacturing, where an increasing proportion of manufacturing is transferring to 3D techniques. While current applications employ the engineering grade materials with the focus on limited high-speed and high-precision short-run production in additive manufacturing from digital models, the full disruptive potential of 3D printing to transform industries will only be realized with extended capacities for reliable mid- to high-volume direct digital manufacturing.