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A new century, a new approach
A Blueprint for 3D Printing
An introduction to 3D printing
Making objects layer by layer is more revolutionary than you might think
From the student’s study to the professional designer’s office, from the dental laboratory to the jewelry retailer, from the aerospace factory to the hospital basement, 3D printers have become invaluable business tools. Applications and reasons are as diverse as the users and industries. But what is it about 3D printing that enables these new innovations and opportunities? What links all these applications and users is one underlying ability: to transition 3D information digitally and seamlessly from the virtual world to the real world with nothing but a computer and a 3D printer to go from bytes to bits. This may seem innocuous at first; many modern production technologies are driven by digital data and controlled by computers. But let’s consider this in the context of how we have historically manufactured products. The modern manufacturing world is a plethora of different technologies, processes and tools, but they can be largely categorized into three families. For as long as humans have wielded tools, we have had three methods at our disposal to manipulate our environment and “make things.” We have either removed material, joined materials, or reformed them to achieve a desired shape.
Whilst the discrete methods of how we do this are many, from backward impact extrusion to reaction injection molding, they all fit into one of these three categories. Making objects additively, layer by layer, is an entirely new manufacturing methodology distinct from subtractive, fabricative, or formative processes. This presents a number of unique opportunities for how parts can be produced, and in turn, how supply chains operate, businesses sell, and manufacturers invest. Because 3D printing uses a layer-by-layer, particle-by-particle approach to manufacturing, it is able to make complicated shapes that are unimaginable using traditional process such as molding, machining, or casting. Unlike these traditional processes, complexity with 3D printing is also dislocated from cost, making it a highly efficient way of making intricate shapes. Couple this capability with the fact that 3D printing is entirely digital, and this dissolves the traditional relationship between part cost and production volume. We now have a process that is highly suited to low volume production applications where traditional tooling investment can be difficult to justify.
