How 3D Printing Is Making The World A Better Place

In recent years, many scientific and technological advancements have had a monumental impact globally. One of the most significant innovations has been in the field of 3D printing. This technology creates tangible and real 3D items in real-time using data from digital designs. Today, there are several types of 3D printing solutions, including plastic, metal, ceramic, and others (including food!). Each type of material has its own way of printing. The impact of 3D printing is enormous, and this technology has the capability to bring a revolution in our society. It is safe to say the 3D printing is making the world a better place.

Although 3D printing has had the most significant effect in the manufacturing sector, it is also used in environmental, medical and health care, government agencies, military, automotive, aerospace, research, education, etc. In the times to come, 3D printing will increasingly be used in the manufacturing industry. In a few decades, we will be able to see on the shelves of stores a wide range of products printed in 3D, which we cannot even imagine today.

3D printing is making the world a better place and here are some of the ways 3D printing is changing the industry, economy, and culture across the world.

LOCALIZING PRODUCTION SECTOR

Since the late 20th century, outsourcing has become an essential driver of change in production. Large companies often cut costs by establishing factories in several companies to produce all subcomponents of the final product. With the help of 3D printing, an establishment can build an entire car in one location. Since 3D printing requires few employees, labor laws can be less restrictive than traditional production where the labor force is large. As technology develops, it will be cheaper and more straightforward for businesses to produce products closer to home.

It will mean a significant restructuring of the countries’ economies whose financial system depends on them providing cheap labor. They will have to look for new ways to produce economic value to sustain their GDP.

REVOLUTIONARY MEDICAL SOLUTIONS

From prosthetics to surgery to pharmaceuticals, 3D printing can revolutionize the medical world. 3D printers are already being used for manufacturing prosthetics. Some companies and non-profits are 3D printing prosthetics for amputees in war zones for less than $100. 3D printing has the potential to make prosthetics available to everyone. It will change the lives of people in need of prosthetics around the world. Not only that, but 3D also printed replicas of organs are incredible resources to help surgeons prepare for different procedures.

Bioprinting has achieved great success in 3D printing. It uses “ink” made from human cells and tissues. Many technologists and medical specialists predict that by 2025, internal organs with 3D printed parts will be used in surgery. 3D printing is already being used to restore damaged bones and cartilages, and in 2014 surgeons used 3D printed solutions to repair the damaged face of a man after a car accident. Pills with 3D printing have already become a reality. 3D printed drugs can become an affordable and convenient way to circulate vital medicines around the world.

ULTIMATE CREATIVE FREEDOM

With the growing accessibility of 3D printing, creatives and makers have found an easier way to bring their ideas to life. 3D printers already make it simpler for designers to test their prototypes. Artists can express their creativity in three-dimensions and leverage the flexibility of different filaments and 3D technologies to produce masterpieces of art.

3D PRINTED HOUSES

The global real estate crisis is affecting billion across the world. With the help of 3D printing technology, small homes can be printed on-site in less than 24 hours. These houses and buildings can not only be built in record time but can also use recycled material. This innovative use of construction waste, cement, and binders make this approach inexpensive and environmentally friendly. Families from low-income communities will greatly benefit from 3D printing in the prevalent housing crisis.

3D PRINTED FOOD

3D printing of food products has many potential advantages. It can be both healthy and beneficial for the environment. 3D printed food uses alternative ingredients like algae proteins, beet leaves, etc., into delicious goods. It also allows for the personalization of dishes, allowing them to be adapted to your personal needs and likings.

3D PRINTING AND EDUCATION

Many teachers today use 3D printers in their classrooms, and research shows that the majority of teachers want to increase the use of these aids in the classrooms. Teachers can use 3D printing technology to help students develop their skills. In addition, the use of 3D printing can improve learning in various subjects such as science, math, etc. Educators can use 3D printing to print replicas of fossils, bones, historical artifacts, and other models. These 3D replicas can give students a better idea of how they look and feel like in reality. Physics and engineering classes can benefit momentously from the incorporation to develop children’s creativity and design skills.

3D PRINTING CAN SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT

3D printing technology has emerged as one of the frontrunners in environmentally friendly manufacturing solutions. As it will facilitate the local production of goods, it will significantly decrease fuel costs. It can help reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and perhaps even prevent the worsening of climate change. 3D printing will allow us to speed up the recycling process. Plastic, metal, and paper can be recycled as the filaments used in these printers, which uses a smaller amount of energy than traditional approaches.

In addition, 3D printing will naturally produce less amount of waste than traditional production; 3D printing or additive manufacturing creates objects by superimposing layers of materials in previously blank spaces. Conventional production is a subtractive process in which a maker starts with a piece of raw material and scrapes it to make manufactured goods. The latter is obviously more wasteful, and the use of 3D printing eliminates the latter aspect.

Lastly, 3D printing technology can help in understanding the progression of environmental degradation. This can help scientists devise solutions that stand a better chance of combating the effects of global warming and climate change. Indeed, 3D printing is making the world a better place.