3D Printing Technology: What Does The Future Hold?

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is a process for making a physical object from a three-dimensional model, typically by laying down many successive thin layers of a material. This manufacturing process has been around for over 30 years, and in the last 5 years it has risen in popularity. While there is definitely “hype” surrounding the technology, there is also a lot that this technology is capable of—it is a driving force in hardware product development and the maker movement.

Below are two TED Talk videos that explain 3D printing and what the future may hold for this technology.

What is 3D Printing was 100x Faster? By Joseph DeSimone

In this TED Talk Joseph DeSimone talks about his inspiration for a new 3D printing method that was inspired by Hollywood, or more specifically Terminator 2.

“Now, we were inspired by the “Terminator 2” scene for T-1000, and we thought, why couldn’t a 3D printer operate in this fashion, where you have an object arise out of a puddle in essentially real time with essentially no waste to make a great object? Could we be inspired by Hollywood and come up with ways to actually try to get this to work? And that was our challenge. And our approach would be, if we could do this, then we could fundamentally address the three issues holding back 3D printing from being a manufacturing process.”

What’s Next in 3D Printing? By Avi Reichental

3D printing technology is changing the face of medicine—personalized medical devices are transforming an industry. “3D printing is changing personalized medical devices as we know them, from new, beautiful, ventilated scoliosis braces to millions of dental restorations and to beautiful braces for amputees, another opportunity to emotionally reconnect with your symmetry.”

With the elimination of complexity restraints, 3D printing is opening the doors to designs that have just not been possible before with other manufacturing methods. While 3D printing will not be the end of manufacturing as we know it, it is shaping the industry to meet today’s demands.