INDUSTRIES THAT USE 3D PRINTING
Explore application of 3D printing in a range of sectors!
Emergency equipment - Covid 19
Masks, Face Shields, Ventilator components; 3D printing sector has stepped to mass manufacture such emergency equipment. With very short lead times and ease of production, 3D printing has proven to be the technology helping to save the world in this unprecedented crisis. With big manufacturing companies (using traditional old methods of manufacturing) not being able to match the high demand, anyone with a 3D printer (even from home) can help!
Education
Ever felt your education system is a lot of theory and not practical? 3D printing has changed this. Imagine building your own working engine while you learn the theory at college. Imagine building a drone for your final year project. Imagine building a real physical object from what you designed on computer during your CAD class. Imagine making your mobile phone cover with your name on it, or a personalized pen. 3D Printing can convert anything you imagine into reality. Now it is possible!
Space
NASA sent a Ratchet Tool from NASA earth station to International Space Station (ISS) in just 2 Hours! How? They uploaded the design file wireless to a 3D printer on the ISS and it 3D printed it. The complete process in 2 hours. No more of making things on earth and sending rockets, now we can make things in space. Imagine the possibilities and benefits of having a 3D printer on Mars. (of course when we are there)
Automotive
The automotive sector is utilizing 3D printing technology for various applications; to make low cost prototypes of components used in our cars, to make fixtures (a device that holds something in place, usually used in a manufacturing environment), and even to make final components!
Construction
A complete concrete house built in less than 1 day, for under $10,000, can survive all weather conditions and can last for 175 years. A 3D printing company Apis Cor has made this possible. Affordable housing even at remote locations is now possible. Imagine using this technology to build temporary cheap housing within days during the COVID crisis, or constructing buildings when we are at Mars!
Aerospace
On January 25 2020, Boeing completed its first flight with an engine that had over 300 3D printed parts! In fact, Guinness Book of World Records recognized it as the most powerful commercial aircraft jet engine. 3D printing can make higher accuracy parts with new materials, making it a great technology for the Aerospace sector. read more
Biology
The waiting list for transplants is way more than the availability of organs such as kidneys, heart etc. Many people cannot survive this wait. What if we could 3D print these organs? 3D Bio-printing has made this possible. Imagine having 3D printers in every hospital; printing organs as soon as there is a requirement. That day is not so far away!
Food
We’ve all had Hershey’s chocolates. Gone are the old boring shaped chocolates, the company is now 3D printing complex interesting designs! A chocolate in the shape of your face? Why not. Have a look at the FOODINI 3D printer that can make pizzas, burgers and so much more for you. The future will have 3D printers instead of chefs and people will own personal food printers instead of cooking!
Jewelry
We can 3D print with metals; why not take the Jewelry sector to the next level? Customized designs, complex and intricate features, and jewelry that just fits you! 3D printing makes all of this possible.
Footwear
Shoes designed only to fit your feet perfectly? One pair of shoes for both running and weight training? Technology to improve shoe performance massively? 3D printing in the Footwear sector is making all this a reality. Watch how Under Armour is using 3D printing to make the perfect footwear!
Material Science
A novel material that can change shape automatically and wirelessly; watch the video to see how very small pieces of 3D printed material can be used as robots to deliver drugs in the body and much more. For material scientists, the limits have extended!
Entertainment
A life-sized 3D printed Star Wars Stormtrooper suit! Need not say more.