Commercial uses for 3d printing

If you need to print large objects but can’t afford Ultimaker’s models, the Anycubic Vyper might better suit your needs – and budget. You’ll get at least 100 microns of layer resolution for $680. You also get about 950 square inches of build area and a built-in accessories drawer. Some reviewers, though, have noted that the Vyper results in excessive initial stringing and uneven build quality.

3D printing continuously evolves. Years ago, rumors spread about the possibility of 3D printers being in every home by now. While that notion proved too ambitious, there are practical implications of 3D printing that can benefit your small business.

3D printing consistently shows its worth, based on its prototyping, design considerations and mass customization. Keep tabs on changes as the industry evolves, and use 3D printing when it’s cost- and time-effective for your company.

Max Freedman and Adam Uzialko contributed to the writing and reporting in this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.

20 Use Cases for 3D Printing

3D printing has progressed so rapidly in recent years that we will soon stop talking about what can be created using additive manufacturing. It will be easier to mention what cannot be done. Yes, this list will continue to grow rapidly. But for now, let's take a look at some examples showing the wide range of 3D printing possibilities. We warn you in advance: the list is far from complete.

Fruit

A gift for impatient parents

Young parents often experience an irresistible desire to acquire all sorts of items, one way or another related to their child, even if not yet born. The Japanese company Fasotec offers future parents models of unborn babies made from images of real fetuses obtained using magnetic resonance imaging. The finished model consists of two materials - a fetal figurine made of white photopolymer, and a transparent material that imitates the shape of the mother's womb. At around $1,275, the fun isn't cheap, but Fasotec already has some competition. So, 3D Babies offers a similar service for only $200, although the size of the finished model is much smaller, and the quality is not quite on the same level.

Although the desire to get such a model may seem a bit strange, there is a perfectly logical explanation. As it turns out, the idea was originally aimed at giving blind parents the opportunity to "look" at the ultrasound of the unborn child.

Weapons

Functional 3D printed receiver from AR-15 without any numbers

The possibility of 3D printing of weapons has seriously alarmed law enforcement agencies around the world. After all, even simple FDM printers allow you to create all-plastic guns. Although such a weapon is primitive, even a disposable pistol with a single cartridge in the hands of a criminal can cost someone a life, and it is impossible to trace such a weapon. However, there are also people who believe that 3D printing of weapons should be allowed. Thus, the US Constitution gives citizens the right to freely carry weapons, although certain restrictions still apply. The non-profit organization Defense Distributed, which released the Liberator plastic pistol into the public domain, went further by unveiling the design of the lower receiver of the AR-15 carbine. AR-15 is actually a civilian counterpart, even a prototype of the M-16 automatic rifle, which is in service with several countries of the world. The lower part of the receiver bears the registration number - this is the only part of the rifle that cannot be purchased as a spare. Thus, the printing of this part can bypass the need to register weapons. Some countries have already banned the 3D printing of weapons, although it is not entirely clear how to apply this ban in practice.

Clothes

One of Snezhana Gross' designs

Some consumables for 3D printing, especially soft photopolymers, are quite suitable for making clothes and even underwear. The bra in the illustration was laser sintered from nylon. This design from Continuum Fashion aims to showcase the possibilities that 3D printing opens up for couturiers. However, don't think this is an experimental model: the company offers finished products for sale on the Shapeways website.

Russian designers did not bypass the new technology either: Snezhana Gross demonstrated casual wear designs integrating functional 3D printed components.

Art

Easy to print. Take a picture - as lucky

Would you like a replica of the Venus de Milo? No problem, just choose the material and printing method. True, marble is not yet on the menu, but sandstone imitators are already available. Gypsum was one of the first materials for 3D printing. A three-dimensional image of the original can be obtained using a regular photo and then converted to 3D. In addition, more and more 3D scanners have recently appeared on the market, including portable hand-held options that can capture images of large objects. It remains a mere trifle - to agree on a stereo photo session with the security of the Louvre.

Although, if you are too lazy to make digital models yourself, you can always download them.

Products

What's for breakfast?

Although giant hot dogs are still far away, 3D printers have already learned how to print minced meat. An example of this is the Foodini culinary printer, a simple and practical device using syringe extrusion. Moreover, printing is possible not only with minced meat, but also with any pasty product - dough, cheese, tomato puree. The only thing that Foodini is not yet capable of is heat treatment. It is to be expected that soon there will be devices that combine 3D printing with refrigeration units and, say, microwave ovens. Then sci-fi tales of "replicators" can come true. One press of a button, and the device will lay out the desired pizza and bake it to the delight of the user. Just one question: do you like thin dough or fluffy?

Characters

Parts of models used to animate ParaNorman's protagonist

Whether it's a miniature version of a giant robot from a favorite manga, a creepy alien creature from Alien, or a Keanu Reeves action figure (as in a black cape and sunglasses, and with a beard and a sandwich sitting on a bench), 3D printing allows you to create replicas of game and movie characters for the delight of fans. And the fact that such souvenirs can be printed even on household 3D printers opens up great opportunities for those who like to collect such models - after all, not all of them are available for sale. Do you want a model of a rare aircraft? Print it.

And what is most interesting, this application has already had the opposite effect. ParaNorman cartoon characters were still printed. Like the new RoboCop suit. True, inside it was still stuffing from a person. But why stop at simple visualization?

Home Robots

Early Terminator Prototype

The advent of inexpensive Arduino boards made it possible to design a wide variety of electronic devices at home. Here are your own 3D printed robots. You printed the case, inserted the servos and the board, and you have a new au pair. But what about people who do not understand programming or elementary soldering? Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing a project aimed at automating the design and construction of domestic robots. Ideally, the user will only have to set the necessary functions for the future device, after which the system will compile the required design and send it to print. A few hours later, it will be possible to pick up a ready-made device - a robot-spider for wiping chandeliers or a machine for turning pancakes.

Aviation

3D printed part used in Chinese fifth generation fighter aircraft prototypes

The toy airplanes we have already mentioned. What about real ones? There is also a place for additive manufacturing in the aircraft industry, although here one cannot do without expensive industrial plants capable of creating high-quality parts, including all-metal ones. Leading aircraft manufacturers, including Boeing and Lockheed Martin, are already testing laser sintering and melting technologies for the production of ventilation systems, structural components and even jet engine parts. Chinese engineers, on the other hand, set to work on a real scale, creating installations for the additive production of parts weighing up to 300 tons.

Space

Dragon v2 is Space's latest creation

The space industry is not far behind the aviation industry in its interest in 3D printing. NASA has successfully tested titanium rocket engine nozzles, and a few weeks ago, Elon Musk, the head of the private space company SpaceX, held a presentation of the new Dragon v2 orbiter, which also uses engines with 3D printed parts.

Bioprinting

Biopens can help treat fractures

Vessels, tissues, whole organs - several companies are simultaneously developing the production of organic imitators that are completely similar to natural tissues. Although transplantation of 3D printed organs is still far away, work in this direction is underway. In parallel with the production of organic tissues from scratch, methods are also being developed to restore damaged tissues, such as cartilage or bone. Devices called "biopens" are able to apply living cells to damaged areas, promoting their healing.

Prostheses

Titanium orthopedic prostheses with a porous structure for improved osseointegration

What if the tissues cannot be restored? 3D printing can help with prosthetics. Thus, the Swedish company Arcam creates installations for electron-beam melting, which make it possible to create virtually monolithic metal products, including titanium. Titanium orthopedic prostheses have become one of the most sought-after products created on the devices of this company - according to company statistics, their number exceeds thirty thousand copies.

Not only that, 3D printed limbs can compete with high-tech designs with one difference - their cost cannot be compared. How many people can afford a tens of thousands of dollars of prosthetic hands? How about a $50 fully functional prosthesis? And it's possible.

An even more common application of additive manufacturing is in dental prosthetics. If you have recently had a crown or bridge placed, it is possible that they were cast from models created with a stereolithography printer that prints with photopolymer resins.

Musical instruments

3D printed musical instruments

Guitars? Flutes? Drums? Easy. Broke your oboe - print a new one. Of course, professional musicians can argue: plastic guitar? Not seriously. But who said that all tools have to be made of plastic? The same neck can be printed from wood resin, similar in density to natural wood. You can even print a composite carbon fiber core. And as far as simply decorating your favorite harpsichord, 3D printing can work wonders here. It would be fantasy!

Shoes

Luc Fusaro's stylish trainers

Eight-time world sprint champion Usain Bolt is famous for his love of gold. This includes not only medals, but also cars and even shoes. During his contract with renowned manufacturer Puma, Bolt wore signature gold-plated sneakers. And more recently, engineer and designer Luke Fusaro has taken on the development of sports shoes that Usain would like. Its distinctive feature is its golden color. Oh yes - and it's also designed for 3D printing. The use of additive manufacturing has one important bonus, namely the ability to produce shoes that are precisely tailored to the size and contours of the athlete's foot. Such shoes are produced by laser sintering, although this technology has already had a competitor.

Drugs

3D printing can facilitate the production of mixed drugs and help with drug testing on living tissues often in combination with tissue engineering. Thus, the Organovo company directs its efforts to create artificial human liver tissues to test new drugs for toxicity without risk to human health. But the drugs themselves can also be printed by binding the drugs with a gel material. As a result, we get ordinary-looking pills, but with a complex content of drugs, tailored to a particular patient.