5 Ways 3D printing technology is employed today.

After many years of hype, 3D printing has become a reality and is being used to create and produce equipment in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

3D printing is typically turning digital blueprints into 3D solid objects by layering additive materials on top of each other. Organizations can use it during the design phase to create small-scale prototypes. Others might employ it to design tools or features for architects, while some might choose to manage the entire design process using 3D printing.

While the abilities are impressive, the capabilities of 3D printing have made it more accessible and commonplace in recent decades; however, this 3D printing process dates back to the 1980s, when the first additive manufacturing device was invented.

Here are some of the most inventive 3D printing techniques that have been used so far.

Healthcare

Healthcare is changing with 3D printing. Numerous applications are being developed throughout the UK to react to the issues surrounding the COVID-19 virus outbreak quickly.

Ricoh 3D, a Telford-based company, has announced that it would provide NHS employees with 40,000 3D printed face shields per week to ensure they are safe from COVID-19.

The company claims that the 3D printed shields are a reusable solution, which will cut the long-term cost.

"We have seen reports of nurses' faces being damaged and cut by their protective equipment," Mark Dickin, additive manufacturing and moulding expert for Ricoh 3D, said. "Our frontline employees are fighting enough without dealing with facial swelling and soreness after a 12-hour shift."

Other 3D-printing firms that assist public health organizations include startups like Edumaker and Tocabot, which have set out to remedy the shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health workers.

On the other side of the scale, the huge enterprise IBM disclosed an employee-driven program to design 3D printed face visors to be used by health service personnel. In the beginning, 20 bills were distributed to health professionals at the University Hospital Southampton, and more than 300 visors were created and distributed in the following months.

The visors consist of three elements: a 3D printed frame, an acetate sheet, and an elastic strap to secure the structure. At first, IBM staff were using their equipment for development, but they've now requested crowdfunding through GoFundMe to make the visors mass-produced.

The NHS started testing 3D-printed bionic hands for kids in collaboration with a Bristol-based company called Open Bionics in 2017.

The utilization of 3D printing for prosthetics results in less weighty designs, as well as lower prices from the typical cost as high as PS60,000 to PS5,000 when using a 3D printer.

3D printing is also utilized to assist surgeons while contemplating the transplant procedure. A 3D model could be used in the pre-planning stage of complicated surgery. The Guy's Hospital and the St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trusts were among the first to implement this method with Stratasys' multi-material 3D printing technology.

Aerospace

UK company SYS Systems has been offering 3D printing solutions to several industries beginning with Aerospace.

Utilizing a technique called Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), It creates sturdy and robust thermoplastic 3D models that have characteristics that prevent fire. This is crucial to ensure Aerospace security.

As per SYS Systems, the FDM technology is temperatures and UV, chemical, and environmental-resistant thermoplastics that do not absorb moisture.

Aviation

3D printing has created numerous opportunities for manufacturing and aviation industries, with several big companies employing 3D printing to benefit.

The technology has created an application in the manufacturing of aircraft. For instance, Finnair has employed 3D printing to manufacture small-batch batches to produce its Airbus A320 aircraft.

The airline has embedded 3D printed spacer panel components inside its cabins to create overhead storage spaces and lattices within the panels.

German industrial manufacturing company Siemens announced investing PS27 million to build the largest 3D printing plant in Worcester in collaboration with Material Solutions. The facility is expected to explore 3D printing for aviation and create over 50 jobs if Siemens embraces the growing demand for additive manufacturing.

Engineering

3D printing has had an immense influence on the engineering field in a variety of ways.

British Formula One motor racing company Williams F1 uses 3D printing to design certain parts for its race cars and create pieces for models to test in wind tunnels. This technology speeds up the process of the development of features, as well as the capability of providing more rapid feedback on how functions.

"We use the polymer 3D printers for both production and prototyping. So most of our work involves tests in the wind tunnel. Therefore, we're creating parts bolted with our 40% model. Then they are taken to the wind tunnel to test if they're functioning.

"Other components we'll design suitably and properly to allow engineers to determine whether the design they've created is exactly what they intended in their CAD system." Richard Brady, Team Leader ADM for Williams F1, told Techworld.

BT also started testing 3D printing in 2017 to turn engineering concepts into reality in a matter of minutes. The company has noticed decreased costs for prototyping tools like the cable threading needle, making it simpler to create new circuits for an outdoor cabinet and the vibrating bullet that delivers fibre to homes.

Architecture

3D printing has revolutionized architecture. It is possible that 3D-printed houses were becoming the norm within the next few years. In Amsterdam, the architectural company Dus Architects developed a '3D print canal house during a three-year investigation and designing project.

The canal house features every room designed separately before being stacked and assembled to make the house. The KamerMaker 20-foot 3D printer is the device that was used to create the home.

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