PRINTING in a Material World
3D printing is no longer a one-material industry . Materials used in additive manufacturing — and the technologies that employ them — are continuously evolving to meet the unique needs of manufacturers and consumers .
Plastics Plastics in various forms are still the most popular material for 3D printing . Suitable for prototyping or for finished products like toys , spare parts , and models , plastics offer design flexibility at an affordable price .
Metals Metals create strong , versatile products through different printing processes like sintering , melting , and wax molding . Titanium , stainless steel , bronze , copper , and brass offer cheaper alternatives to silver and gold in jewelry-making , home décor , and parts manufacturing .
Ceramics 3D objects made with ceramic materials are recyclable , heat resistant , and safe for food , making them the material of choice for tableware and other household items .
Paper Another safe and environmentally sound material for 3D printing is standard A4 copier paper , which can create artful objects in amazing detail .
Wood Wood printing allows for complex design of objects that don ’ t need high functionality , such as architectural models .
CASE STUDIES
New Dimensions in Healthcare
A driving force in the growth of 3D printing is healthcare applications , which are expected to represent $ 3.8 billion in sales by 2022 . As the cost of 3D printing decreases and its capabilities increase , the technology will change the way we treat , manage , and prevent diseases and injuries in the future . As leaders in 3D printing ramp up research and development around healthcare , a multitude of medical applications are already emerging .
ÎÎPROSTHETICS . Manufacturing prosthetics is a time-consuming and expensive undertaking that sometimes produces clumsy , ill-fitting limbs , with modifications to a design requiring an entirely new mold . Thanks to 3D printing , prosthetics are inexpensive , easily customized to the exact form of the patient , and seamlessly altered for changing factors — such as growth of a child .
ÎÎORGANS . Printing materials made from living cell structures , or bio-ink , will provide the medical community with an alternative to waiting for live organ donation . Research and development centered around the printing of solid organs — like livers , kidneys , and hearts — shows great promise , particularly in the ability of the artificial organ to mimic the real organ ’ s biology and mechanics .
ÎÎSYNTHETIC SKIN . A 3D printer that builds skin cells directly onto a patient ’ s wound is already being used by the US Army on wounded soldiers . Its applications are expected to expand into skin cancer treatment and surgical healing .
ÎÎBONE AND CARTILAGE . Exciting advancements in the area of bone and cartilage replacement offer hope for the fully-customized repair of birth defects and broken bones .
ÎÎSURGICAL TOOLS . Scalpels , clamps , hemostats , and forceps are all medical instruments successfully generated with 3D printing technology . Vastly cheaper than stainless steel , they come out of the printer already sterilized .
ÎÎPHARMACEUTICALS . The first pill manufactured by 3D printing was approved by the FDA in August 2015 . In the future , pharmaceutical companies may not sell actual pills , but rather sell the recipe or design for a personalized dosage , which would then be printed closer to home .
Food Food customization is a fast-growing segment of 3D printing and already quite strong in the chocolate and candy-making industries . Recently , there have been successful trials with foods like pasta and meat .
Bio Printing Doctors and scientists have been printing with living tissue for several years , and advancements in the area of human organ transplants is especially promising .
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