THE FUTURE OF 3D PRINTING
3D printing is one of the developing technologies in the field of mechanical engineering. The fact that this technology has grown a lot over the past few years is undeniable. 3D printing is slowly making its way into the advanced technologies and has already captured an irresistible place in the field of manufacturing. What can be done with the 3D printing isn’t a science fiction anymore, it is a reality. The usage of 3D printers is increasing at a rapid pace all over the industries. Several industries including health care, automotive, aerospace and defence have been experiencing impactful productions and rise in business transformations within the key areas of their business with the help of these additive technologies and 3D printing. For instance, in the field of aerospace engineering, minute and important parts are manufactured with the help of this technology.
This technology allows the engineer to trim the weight, reduce the number of components to be attached and eases the assembling process. These technologies give the engineer necessary freedom and flexibility in creating their products and also maintain the rate of production at the same time.
In a recent survey, it is found that the number of companies utilizing 3D printing as well as the variety of applications rocketed dramatically; the percentage of companies using additive to manufacture production parts rose from 27% to 52%, bridge production increased from 23% to 39%, and repair went from 14% to 38%.
In the past two years, automotive, transportation and heavy equipment industries have been the most frequent users of the technology. And in the future, almost all industries will depend on the aid of 3D printing technology.
The future of 3D printing is bright and is an increasingly important pillar in the manufacturing renaissance. With the increased usage of the technology, conversations about additive manufacturing are a lot more tangible than they were just two years ago. Before, we were debating whether there is a financial or technological case to convert from traditional, high volume processes to an additive printer. Now, there are growing numbers of use-cases and demonstrable business benefits proving that additive can be used as a mainstream manufacturing technology. What can be done with 3D printing isn’t theoretical anymore; it’s fact.
Producing a part on-demand with 3D printing enables manufacturers to print parts as needed instead of pulling the part from a supply warehouse. On-demand production will help companies realize huge reductions in inventory and storage costs. In the automotive industry, for example, spare parts inventory could be reduced by 90% with 3D printing, according to a report from MIT.
Today, we’re moving from a capability conversation to capacity conversation. But in the future, 3D printing will be able to support all facets of new product introduction (NPI) where scaling volume to achieve price points will become decreasingly important.
Written By,
Mr .Vivien Wilfred S -19BME009
