Future Aspects of 3D Printing

3D printing technologies allow you to create 3D parts from computer-aided design (CAD) models by sequentially adding material layer by layer until a physical part is created.

Although 3D printing technologies have been around since the 1980s, recent advances in hardware, materials, and software have made 3D printing available to a wider range of businesses, allowing more and more companies to use tools previously limited to a few high-tech industries.

Today, professional low-cost desktop and desktop 3D printers are accelerating innovation and supporting businesses in a variety of industries, including engineering, manufacturing, dentistry, healthcare, education, entertainment, jewelry, and audiology.

Prosthesis manufacturer Mercuris said that by combining 3D printing software with 3D modeling software, the company was able to reduce prosthetic manufacturing costs by 75%. With product options on offer for as little as $ 50, 3D printing provides low-cost prostheses for families who might not otherwise be able to afford these essentials. For kids who need prostheses that adapt as they grow, 3D printing is a great alternative to spending thousands of dollars every odd year on a new prosthetic hand.

As work continues in this area, the best news about 3D printed prostheses is that they are constantly being improved. More and more 3D printers are becoming compatible with more durable materials. This will keep your 3D printed dentures affordable and last longer.

One of the most exciting advances in healthcare today is bio printing. Bio printing is an extension of traditional 3D printing in which users produce living tissue, bones, blood vessels, and possibly entire organs for use in medical procedures. Bio printers work in the same way as 3D printers, except that instead of printing on hard materials such as ceramics, they apply layers of biomaterial that are soft enough to reproduce tissue or blood vessels.

Recent experiments at Rice University have produced a 3D bioprinter that can print vessels less than a third of a millimeter wide in biocompatible hydrogels. As a result of the experiment, a group of researchers created a model of a human lung that can saturate the blood with oxygen. This experiment used a 3D bio printing technique called stereolithography. In addition to bio printing human lungs, experiments have been carried out in which researchers have successfully done bio printing of bones, human skin, cartilage and blood vessels.

While each experiment is an exciting step in the right direction, the researchers say they still have a long way to go before they 3D print a functioning organ for human transplantation. It goes without saying that modeling the cellular complexities of the human body can take years of testing before methods are refined and approved by regulatory agencies.

However, the 3D bio printing market will reach $ 4.1 billion by 2026, representing significant growth in the sector, according to Grand View Research. With this in mind, it is interesting to live in a time when advances in technology can help those in need.