Current and Future Trends of 3D Printing Technology

3D Printing technology has become an important part of many industries today. For example, many automobile manufacturers have a silent line of large 3D Printers running to make design prototypes under their offices. Small and medium design firms are getting their own desktop 3D printer that can fit along with other office equipment neatly, thus doing away with their need of outsourcing prototype-making work to other firms. The cost of a 3D Printer is still too high to become a part of a regular household, but it can lowered to such an extent as to make it a worthwhile expenditure for even smaller design firms.

 Current trends in 3D Printing technology

 Modern 3D Printers have become so small, streamlined, and efficient that it can be difficult to distinguish them from a photocopier in an office. This progress has resulted in the launch of 3D Printers that can fit into an office or even a desk, and it has happened very fast. Just a few decades ago, rapid prototyping technology had just taken off with the first machine that built a three-dimensional model based on a digital model file. Modern 3D Printing technology, despite its leaps, mostly uses the same technology where a printer head creates layer upon layer to form the final model. The printer head sprays the material over the base first, after which it applies adhesive over the layer so that the subsequent layer sticks to the previous one. Each layer has a different shape, and the gradual addition of every layer ultimately forms the three-dimensional model.

 At present, 3D printing technology is mostly used by designers in various industries. In small and medium sized companies, designers often use a small printer to create prototype models for showing their customers or for testing and viewing the design in real life. A real model can help the designer get a better idea about the usefulness of the design. It can also help customers understand the design of a product and provide their input or approval before the final product is made, because some customers might not fully understand the designers idea by looking at two-dimensional pictures or a virtual model. To put it simply, 3D printing technology has already become very important for companies in several industries today. However, this technology is growing at such a rapid pace that it comes as no surprise that other companies are also seeing uses with it.

 Future trends in 3D printing technology

 The cost of 3D printers has already reduced from six figures to four or five figures in two decades, and this trend is expected to continue for the future. The low costs of these printers have already sparked interest in colleges and other academic institutes. In fact, some universities already use printers as a powerful teaching tool in various subjects.

 It must be noted that 3D printing technology is just one facet of rapid prototyping technology. However, what sets 3D printing apart from other technology is that it has been more successful, and evolved at a faster pace than others have evolved.