The world of 3D printing has the possibility of creating a newer, better future. From increasing the effectiveness of foreign aid to creating a more sustainable future. The possibilities presented to us by 3D printers have allowed us to imagine a better future. Unfortunately, the majority of objects that can be created are subject to the size of each respective 3D printer. Therefore, we can only print to a minimal extent. Alternatively, 2016 has seen an incredible advancement in the 3D printing sector. Below, we have curated a list of six innovations that will change the future of business and production.
A problem that has remained within the 3D printing community is the sluggish process of completing a task. This is due to the layer-by-layer processing many printers use to complete a job. For the consumer, this is an obvious disadvantage as it takes many hours to finish a simple task. Joseph DeSimone, CEO of Carbon3D desires to change that with his new technology which is anywhere from 25 to 1000 times faster than other printers on the market. His company has acquired funds from venture capitalists ranging from Google to Ford Motor Company.
3D printing systems utilize different materials to make up their proprietary processing systems. Hewlett Packard has recently created a technology that creates a superior product. The company states, “reinvent how you prototype and produce functional parts.” With the new MJF technology, HP printers complete jobs at a rate of 30 million drops per second across each inch of workable space while minimizing costs of each part of the printer. Boasting a speed improvement of 3x at half the cost, the future of 3D printing looks promising for the average consumer.
Although it may sound too good to be true, the ability to utilize 3D printing in the palm of your hand will be available in the future. Not too long ago, the idea of creating utility objects from a printer echoed sentiments from a 1970s science fiction movie. Maxwell Bogue and Peter Dilworth, founders of 3Doodler sought to capitalize on the 3D printing technology by creating a pen that mimics what each large printer does. The company has been in business since 2012 however, the pen known as 3Doodler Start will be available on September 30 of this year.
The future of medicine will be forever changed by the success of a recent experiment in 3D printers. For the first time in history, complex cardiac and vascular cell structures were successfully printed in a weightless environment. The process incorporated the use of human stem cells and a space hardened 3D bioprinter prototype. The success of this job breeds a new excitement in the world of medicine due to the replication of living cell tissue. In the future, we may have the ability to replicate human organs or blood vessels that will aid in the fight against illness like heart disease and cancer.
Most people assume 3D printers are meant for rigid structures and materials. Tangible Media Group, an MIT group, has created software and a new technique for printing hair-like substances. Although the experiment generated fur, the implications for the experiment go beyond the findings. The software grants the ability to create bristles as hard as a toothbrush to a soft piece of synthetic hair. The group plans to continue the study with hopes of finding methods to reproduce velcro-like substances. The founder, Jifei Ou, states the ultimate desire for the group is to expand the ability of 3D printing technology.
3D printer technology is not exclusive to the scientific and medical fields. Criminal justice has begun their endeavor into the utility of the 3D printer and has garnered interesting findings. In early June, a Michigan police department inquired Michigan State University's computer science department about the possibility of printing a finger replica of a deceased man. In an effort to unlock the man's phone, the police believe access to his phone is the missing link in his case. The computer science department was able to reverse engineer the finger of the deceased and successfully create a replica of the man's finger.
The future of 3D printing is unknown. As we continue to make technological progress, we can be sure to expect powerful and amazing innovations from this technology.
