The amazing world of 3D printing

The definition of 3D printing sounds like science fiction or a sequence from Harry Potter. 3D printing, also called additive manufacturing, creates three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. Yes, that’s right, a computer file that gets ‘printed’ on chosen material, come out as a solid, 3D product!  

How does 3D printing work?  
The creation of a 3D printed object is an additive process. This means, an object is created by superimposing or stacking up successive layers of material until the object is created. Each of these layers can be seen when we view a cross section of the object. 3D printing enables businesses to produce complex shapes using less manufacturing material than traditional factory production methods. Lots of 3D software tools are available by now, from amateur to industry standard. The print-ready file is prepared for the 3D printer through a process called slicing. The software slices the 3D model into the many layers of material needed to make it. This sliced file is fed into the printer, which prints it layer by layer as a 3D product.  

How is the 3D printing industry growing?  
Once considered only suitable for making prototypes or for academic / research purposes where digital hobbyists work on it, 3D printing is now part of mainstream manufacturing industry. Acumen Research and Consulting prepared a report in 2020 forecasting that global 3D printing market to reach 41 billion dollars by 2026. Not surprising, because the 3D printing technology is not a mere trend anymore. It is moving towards transforming almost all major industry and our entire lifestyle in the near future. 

Where can we see examples of 3D Printing?  
3D printing encompasses many forms of technologies and materials and we can already see it in a number of everyday products. These include:  

• consumer products (eyewear, footwear, design, furniture) 
• industrial products (manufacturing tools, prototypes, functional end-use parts) 
• dental products 
• prosthetics 
• architectural scale models & maquettes 
• reconstructing fossils 
• replicating ancient artefacts 
• reconstructing evidence in forensic pathology 
• movie props 

Jobs in this sector are also predictably booming. 3D printing was once a part of makers’ workshops and hobby centres. Now thousands of qualified professionals are aiming to work in every aspect of it.