Explainer: What is 3D printing and what’s it for?

In the past few years we’ve heard much about “3D printing” and the many uses of this emerging technology.

But how does 3D printing work? How is it different from other manufacturing processes? And what else can the technology be used for?

Additive vs subtractive manufacturing

Making things usually involves a subtractive process: you start with a block of material – aluminium for instance – which you then machine (i.e. remove material) until you get the shape and size you’re after.

But 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, does the process in reverse. Instead of removing material, the “printer” dispenses it. The technology gradually deposits the material via a controlled nozzle, layer by layer, building up to a fully formed product.

The material used can either be plastic (usually ABS), or a metal. The process is typically based on a computer-designed model of the object or machine part in question, and can produce relatively complex shapes (see video below).

An expanding market

The technology was developed in the mid-1980s by Chuck Hull, co-founder of 3D Systems, although the term “3D printing” was first used about a decade later.

At first, the process was used for small-scale parts manufacturing and to produce prototypes but the process has since expanded to larger parts and the process is becoming more mainstream.

Today, the market for 3D printers is worth about US$1.7 billion with a predicted growth to US$3.7 billion by 2015.

The price tag for individual printers can vary greatly – depending on the size and “printing” quality you’re after. For instance, the MakerBot Replicator 2 (see video below) retails at around US$2,200 – a pretty hefty price tag for mass retail. A cheaper system, The Cube, made by 3D Systems, is selling for US$1,299.

{qtube vid:=AKTSdW7-H3Q}

Many industries, many uses

3D printing has many uses and can be found across a range of industries:

Health and medicine

3D printing has the potential to truly transform fields such as health care. In recent years, the technology has been used to make medical parts including custom hearing aids and braces.

The method has also been used to reproduce body parts, including ears, hips and even organs, in exact proportions to fit the patient. This may potentially eliminate the need for organ donors and provide doctors with on-demand human tissue.

In a world’s first, in Feburary 2012, surgeons successfully implanted an entire titanium jaw, made with 3D printing, in an elderly woman.

Surgeon Anthony Atala gave a great TED talk last year on how 3D printing may be used to make a human kidney (see video below).

{qtube vid:=9RMx31GnNXY}

Architecture

A Dutch architecture firm designed the “KamerMaker” a 3D printer which is able to print objects large enough to construct a room (see video below). The KamerMaker is capable of printing objects as large as 2m x 2m x 3.4m – large enough for industrial structures.

The implications of 3D printing in architecture are endless: architects could use the technology to design and print objects on-site as needed. The technology could also be used to print out structures that can be used for temporary shelters.

In disaster-stricken zones, portable 3D printers could allow faster setup and more adequate shelter, as design and alterations can be made on-site.

In his documentary “The Man Who Prints Houses” Italian engineer Enrico Dini tells the tale of trying to make the world’s largest 3D printer (the “D-shape”).

High-end manufacturing

Several aerospace companies have shown an interested in 3D printing. In September 2012, Airbus announced it was partnering with South-African based company Aerosud to make a large 3D printer that will use powdered titanium to make aircraft components.

Ultimately, Airbus would like to make a 3D printer that is large enough to make planes from the ground up – a hangar-size printer as large as 80m x 80m.

Also in September Ferra Engineering landed a A$200 million contract with Lockheed Martin to make titanium parts for the F-35 joint strike fighter using 3D printing. It’s a world first and great news for the Australian manufacturing sector.

Made In Space is a US company experimenting with zero-gravity 3D printing. The process could potentially allow astronauts to print objects as required in space, saving valuable weight at launch.

NASA has been looking at 3D printing for some time now, and considering the technology for long missions where astronauts could create their own equipment during the trip.

{qtube vid:=8mc8exECgN8}

NASA has been looking into 3D printing for future spacecraft.

Earlier this year, Swinburne University developed a 3D printer the size of a small room, allowing for large parts to be made. The 3D printer allows users to print objects using a number of materials including steel, cobalt and chromium.

3D printing also reduces the time and costs involved in manufacturing. Material scrap rate is virtually nullified and parts are made in a single build, which reduces the need for excessive tooling and machining. Rapid prototyping with such efficiency would allow more effective design experimentation and verification.

Story continues on page 2. Please click below.