There has been a lot of build-up and countless news stories breaking each week regarding that of 3d printing. This technology is constantly surprising with its stream of advancements and boundless potential.
Here’s one thing you might not have known, 3d printing and the 3d printer has been around 25-30 years to be exact. In the earlier years of 3d printers they were exclusively used by designers. It was mainly used in the process of rapid prototyping, and in the area of product concept development.
The rise in popularity of this technology has vastly improved and is helping a large range of professions such as, architecture, engineering, consumer products, medical, and aerospace. This technology makes designs easier to have drawn up on a computer screen, and then the data of that drawing sent to a connected 3d printer to produce a small scale replica.
The 3d printing process works by layering of various materials that include, plastics and metals, which are of powder consistency. The layers of material are fused together with laser and heat. Any excess powder that has settled on top of the project can be removed.
In the past developing and design could have taken weeks and even months in some cases. This has changed and now projects and objects are created and developed at lightening speeds producing high results each time.
Products can be custom and designed to exact specification at the customer’s request with a few pushes of button and a couple hours later the project completed.
Watch this video of 3D printed shoes worn down the catwalk at Paris Fashion Week…
This is an era of digital manufacturing where customer’s demand for quality products, and better designs, are at an all-time high. 3d printing technology has proved to be the technology to keep up with the pace and produce “the goods” each time.