3D printing started in 1984 when Charles Hull patented stereolithography (SLA) a form of 3D printing. This form of 3D printing, converts liquid materials to solid materials, layer by layer, by curing them using a light source in a process called photopolymerization. This form of 3D printing was only used in the manufacturing industry to test new product and designs. However, in the late 90s and early 2000s, this technology started to spread and was used in other fields, such as medicine where researchers were able to engineer and print a working kidney (H. Bensoussan, 2016).
3D printing was still in the hands of a few who could afford this type of machinery at the time, nonetheless as the patent from Charles Hull expired more companies started to find ways to use 3D printing (Formlabs, 2017). As a result, a new form of 3D printing was created; fused deposition modeling (FDM), where a melted material is ejected by a needle at the precise place creating layer by layer the desired solid object. This new form of 3D printing allowed the introduction of desktop models which made it possible to take a technology that was only used at the industrial level to any household. From that point onwards, 3D printing has been gaining a lot of media coverage as well as more interest by people leading to a big open source community dedicated to improving 3D printing (D. Goldberg, 2014).
Today, 3D printing has evolved to an extent which seemed to be unreachable at the beginning. 3D printers can use silver or gold to create jewelry, cells to create organs or blood vessel, cement to create houses and even use edible materials to create new dishes. As the technology evolves the quality of the outcomes increases and the cost decrease, making it more attractive for manufacturing companies as well as other small businesses. First of all, 3D printer gives the option to create prototypes at fast at a relatively low cost, allowing companies to easily test products. Secondly, these printing techniques reduce the waste produced when manufacturing a product, which would also lower the cost of production (A. Pîrjan & D. Petroşanu, 2013).
However, the 3D printer will not only affect the way that companies manufacture products, but it will revolutionize the way they sell those products. Nowadays, companies have to manufacture, pack and send the product to the retailer or directly to the customer, however with 3D printers it would be possible for companies to give their customer the option to print the product themselves since the printer works using a computer file. This system would reduce the cost for the company as well as reduce the price for the customer while at the same time making the process much faster for both sides (M. Schooff, 2017).
As seen above, 3D printing is evolving rapidly and seems to be changing the way we create. Even though the technology is still not used by most people, is only a matter of time until we see mainstream adoption. As the price of 3D printers lower and the quality increases more people will be interested in buying them, which will encourage companies to create more uses for them.
A. Pîrjan, and D. Petroşanu, (2013). “The Impact of 3d Printing Technology On The Society And Economy”. Journal of Information Systems and Operations Management, [online] 7(2), pp.360-370. Available at: http://ftp://ftp.repec.org/opt/ReDIF/RePEc/rau/jisomg/Wi13/JISOM-WI13-A19.pdf [Accessed 10 Oct. 2017].
D. Goldberg, (2014). “History of 3D Printing: It’s Older Than You Think. [online] Redshift”. Available at: https://www.autodesk.com/redshift/history-of-3d-printing/ [Accessed 10 Oct. 2017].
Formlabs (2017). “The Ultimate Guide to Stereolithography (SLA) 3D Printing”. [online] Formlabs.com. Available at: https://formlabs.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-stereolithography-sla-3d-printing/ [Accessed 10 Oct. 2017].
H. Bensoussan, (2016). “The History of 3D Printing: From the 80s to Today”. [online] Sculpteo. Available at: https://www.sculpteo.com/blog/2016/12/14/the-history-of-3d-printing-3d-printing-technologies-from-the-80s-to-today/ [Accessed 10 Oct. 2017].
M. Schooff, (2017). “3D Printing: Industry Impact Considerations For 2017”. [online] Digitalist Magazine. Available at: http://www.digitalistmag.com/digital-supply-networks/2016/11/28/3d-printing-industry-impact-considerations-2017-04701333 [Accessed 10 Oct. 2017].
Hi Rodrigo,
I think this is a great introduction to 3D Printing and it’s capabilities.
It is interesting to note the key difference between traditional manufacturing practices and manufacturing with 3D Printing: Traditional processes are a form of subtractive manufacturing, while 3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing.
Subtractive manufacturing relies upon the removal of material to create something, much like how blacksmith hammered away at heated metal to create a product. Today, a CNC (computer numerical controlled) machine cuts and drills and otherwise removes material from a larger initial block of material to create a product, much like carving a statue from stone. Other manufacturing techniques exist as well, but they all essentially whittle down raw material into a product. Additive manufacturing, on the other hand, creates something by adding material to the object, and no where it’s not needed. This results in huge savings of raw materials, reducing cost and environmental impact.
And you are right, personal use of 3D Printers is not far away. I have taken interviews of the co-founders of various 3D Printing Startups in my home country India, and many, such as Fractal Works, are working towards developing home use 3D Printers, which are cheap, easy to install and use, and don’t take up too much space or energy. With the exponential growth of this field, it is indeed a possibility for 3D printers to be as ubiquitous as normal printers in 20-30 years. Wouldn’t it be interesting to print out a meal instead of cooking it? Or customize and print a pair of shoes unique to you? Or even print out a replacement part for your broken washing manchine?
The implications are vast and endless.