3D printing is becoming more common as each year passes. This makes a lot of sense, considering that 93% of companies that utilize 3D printing are able to gain an advantage over their competitors. That’s because 3D printing allows a business to have faster production cycles and bring products to market quicker.
3D is also used by private individuals who are looking to cut out the middle man and make their own tools and supplies. And while many incredible things are happening right now, when we look into the 3D printing future we see even more amazing things.
Interested in learning what incredible breakthroughs are likely to come next for 3D printing? Continue reading and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know.
Architecture
As 3D printing technology progresses, we’ll soon be seeing entire homes, human-sized and comfortably livable, being printed. The big technology here is going to be concrete printing. To do this, large nozzles essentially squirt out the house, going layer by layer.
Many altruists see this as a game-changer for developing countries around the world. When homes are relatively quick and easy to produce, emergency relief efforts will benefit greatly. Plus, it will be a lot easier to provide shelters for the homeless.
Architects will also be able to be more creative and will literally be able to build whatever they can dream up. Besides the windows and some other little pieces, people will be able to completely craft incredibly designed homes straight from a 3D printer.
Also, when it comes to making scale models, 3D printers will be able to streamline the process. This will help architects of major buildings move quicker and be able to tinker and change things until they’re just right.
Medicine
Perhaps the craziest and coolest thing about the future of 3D printing has to do with what it can do for the field of medicine. 3D printers can manufacture organic materials with precision. Today, those materials include human skin and tissue.
Soon enough, we’ll be hearing about entire organs made entirely through 3D printing. Currently, most of this kind of organic material is for research purposes. But don’t be shocked when these advances are put to practical use in a couple of years.
Another major advancement in 3D printing will be what it can do for drugs. While 3D printers aren’t’ expected to be actually making drugs anytime soon, they can be used for the devices that help to make the drugs.
When these devices become mainstream, producing hard-to-find medicines will be much each to do. Another huge benefit to this is that it will bring about more cost-efficient ways to make drugs.
Today, there’s no real financial incentive to make small batches of drugs that don’t cost a lot. But that changes when you have machinery that can make these drugs at a very low cost.
There are currently many doctors who are using 3D printing to make customized prosthetics. Designs are expected to get much more detailed over time. Soon enough, we’ll start seeing customized prosthetics.
Art and Fashion
Although 3D printing has mostly been used for manufacturing practical goods, that’s all changing as the machines become more widely available. A manufacturer, as well as an artist, can use a handheld 3d scanner in order to scan an object and then print in later.
Artists are able to make sculptures and other fascination works thanks to these new tools.
Fashion designers are also starting to get into 3D printing. Some are printing right onto fabric or they’re creating flexible materials in order to get rid of the need for seams.
But 3D printing can do even more for fashion. This is especially true in footwear as these materials will be especially easy to manufacture.
Food
That’s right. Believe it or not, scientists are currently working on 3D printed food as we speak. While that might not sound appealing at first, it’s important to think about the positive implications it could mean.
If we could start printing food, we could greatly reduce our carbon footprint. No longer would farmers have to take up thousands of acres of land to grow crops. Imagine a world where you go to the grocery store to buy some powder, put it in your own 3D printer, and then have whatever meal you want, right at home.
Environmental
Speaking about reducing our carbon footprint, scientists are currently trying to figure out ways to turn carbon dioxide into concrete by way of 3D printing. And if we could figure out how to take garbage and turn it into new products, we could greatly reduce the amount of waste in the world.
And researchers are even trying to see how they can make the process of 3D printing itself more efficient.
The Importance of a Brighter 3D Printing Future
3D printing may sound like science fiction but it’s actually very real. And it’s going on right now! And by encouraging the sciences and getting excited about our 3D printing future, we could end up fixing a lot of the world’s problems.
Just like all technology, 3D printing is only as helpful as we make it. So even though the process might make manufacturing things easier, we’ll still need to be creative as ever to really make the most of it.
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