Will 3D Printing, Changing The World Ever Rule the World?
Will 3D Printing, Changing The World Ever Rule the World?
In simple language 3D printing is the technique of printing that let you turn ideas in your mind into 3D objects that you can hold in your hand. This implies that it is not 2D images or inkjet and LaserJet via printer, but it’s a 3D printer which is amazingly superb once you understand the fundamentals.1
Most 3D printers create models with plastic types of material, though sometimes other materials such as iron or concrete or living cells are also used. A plastic or metallic thread rolled and coiled is fed into the motor. The thread also called filament from a large coil, melts the plastic and hot liquid flows out of the nozzle and gets deposited. As soon as the liquid is cooled and hardened, computer controlled motors move the nozzle back and forth building up layers of plastic to create 3d model of innumerable or exact geometric shapes that are desired. Extruder is the most part of the 3D printer which is called as print head. This includes the nozzle, the heater and motor to push filament through the nozzle.1
The application of 3D printed object seems immense and has been used in all walks of life.
In the preschool, most the toys and learning materials provided are 3 D printed objects. Similarly, in universities too immaterial of the subjects, 3D models are used to better visualize the concepts to the students rather than just 2D Charts. 1
In a more matured context, 3D printing is an additive manufacturing, though not the realistic manufacturing process. Thus 3D printing is a process of building one layer at a time (either with same kinds of materials or different materials) with a wide range of 3D technologies which has both benefits and limitations too, and each layer being able to print its parts from different materials. 2
Besides, the educational institutes’ applications, 3D printing objects are widely used in healthcare industries and are expected to revolutionize the healthcare industries to make dental implants and custom prosthetics. Recently published reviews describe the use of 3D printing to produce bones, ears, exoskeletons, windpipes, a jaw bone, eyeglasses, cell cultures, stem cells, blood vessels, vascular networks, tissues, and organs, as well as novel dosage forms and drug delivery devices. 3
In manufacturing industries such as a car or any heavy duty appliance, the end product to be manufactured requires amalgam of metals or different kinds of metallic parts assembled which is obviously not feasible in 3D printing as it involves one particular textures of plastic or any other. The cost of product in additive manufacturing or 3D Printing is low, so we can produce any objects faster, and the waste is almost negligible.
In 3D printing, parts can be produced in any geometrical shapes. The other examples of 3D prints are plant pots, castles, toys, stationery cases, containers, cloth hanger, wardrobe accessories, shapes of different flowers and animals.
3D printing is specifically for artists, designers and makers states Stephen Hawkens in his book. He sensibly argues that 3D printing will mature into a mature technology that will be a part of artists’ toolkits. Yet the concerns are of the originality and intellectual property, who owns this process or even the files as 2D file formats can be converted into 3D print format so easily.
i.e. Since the real arts are created by the original arts and copying the 2D and making it 3D is a plagiarism and infringement of original arts. Since to make the original art took long hours and artists’ sheer dedication and discipline, it is absolutely wrong to copy such arts and convert them into 3D.
He interrogates with deep contemplation, the current status quo with great wisdom of what will happen to the integrity and intellectual property of an artist or a designer, when it’s possible to just press a button and print a 3D digital output. Nevertheless, for the visual Arts such as artists, designers and makers, 3D printing has huge potential and the business venture for them is immense and the 3D printing trade is sure to flourish in coming future decade or more. 4
The entire process of 3D printing can be summarized as follows:
(i) Produce a 3D model digital file which is vector graphics format file. This can be done by using CAD software
(ii) The STL creation: the 3D digital model file is converted to STL (Stereo lithography reference as Standard Triangle Language File). The STL file is imported to Slicer Program software which is needed to interpret the file into 3D printer. The Slicer Program also allows printing operator to do the right calculations, and converts to g-code to control automated machines like CNC machines and 3D printers. The operator will set the desired parameters to print the 3D model.
(iii) Printing : Each of the 3D printing technologies additively manufacture different parts different.
Conclusively, from business perspectives, 3D printing businesses are in huge demand and have vast financial potential as it cuts costs and avoids wastage.
Reference:
(1) Inside Page 4–3D printer, 3D printing projects — First American Edition, 2017 — DK [Penguin Random House]
(2) 3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4189697/
{“3D printing… dosage forms”}
(3) 4 3D printing for Artists, Designers and Makers — Stephen Hoskins (Inside Page 157 -9)
(4) Inside Page. 14–16 (“Additive 3D Printing…. Part 1 of this book”) –The 3D Printing Handbok — Technologies, Design and applications by Ben Redwood, Filemon, Brian Garrel (Edition 2017
