Additive manufacturing is one of the most amazing technologies and has become available to the average consumer in the past decade. This technology has been praised by designers and engineers alike as an easy and detailed way to construct your own models in a relatively small amount of time. Furthermore, this technology allows people without the necessary skills to easily operate complex machinery.
3D printing has also helped advance many areas of the technological supply chain, like robotics. These advancements have easily led to an increase in the number of businesses that utilize this type of technology on a daily basis to complete their products. These companies have found that additive manufacturing has helped boost their products while cutting back on many different costs. Even so, many people are unclear about how this technology will continue to grow in the future. Read here to understand the most significant 3D printing trends of 2022 and how this technology continues to evolve.
The Digitalization of the Supply Chain
The most significant 3D printing trends of 2022 are the digitization of the supply chain and the additional manufacturing requests in customization. Previously, customization note was a mere dream, as the production methods involved were extremely costly and an overall waste of time.
With 3D printing playing a more significant role, manufacturing customization has become an easy way for companies to gain increased profits while maintaining the same turnaround times. These companies even enable their customers to send digitized files to easily convey the customization they want for their products. Overall, 3D printing has taken advantage of digital means to gain more opportunities for this type of technology.
Increased Personalization in a Manufacturing Setting
Besides surface customization, personalization in manufacturing has become a hallmark of the 3D printing business model. Many industries use personalized modeling to make their end product, which has helped bring up unique uses that might significantly advance many areas, including medical care and computer repair.
One of the biggest examples of increased personalization in a manufacturing setting utilizing 3D printing is the dental industry. Dentists are constantly utilizing 3D printed models to cast dental implants. Obviously, these dental implants must have an extreme degree of specificity, meaning the modeling process must be exact. Besides dental care, 3D printing has also been used to prep surgeons for complicated procedures. Giving these surgeons a visual aid can help them understand the surgery a bit easier, thus reducing the amount of time they need in an abstract surgical setting before they are ready to complete the task.
Lightning-Fast Innovation
One of the most noticeable trends in 2022 with 3D printing is lightning-fast innovation. As a whole, 3D printing is excellent for file sharing because makers can send files to each other for advice much easier. Not only are they able to share ideas across a digital space, but as this technology grows, we will start to see many people who are much more versed in the topics. Besides its use in the personal world, 3D printing is responsible for a lot of the modern robots used in manufacturing settings. As automation processes begin to modernize , we will start to see a lot more innovation in the 3D printing industry regarding robotics that will carry out automation.
Another area seeing lightning-fast innovation from 3D printing is the automotive industry. Automotive companies redesign their cars every five to ten years, meaning they have a constant modeling process. Before 3D printing, modeling was a very menial task that required a lot of hours to carry out in a good manner. This is no longer the case with 3D printing, as a company can manufacture exact models in a very small amount of time at any scale.
Better Quality Control Statistics
One of the most unexpected trends happening in 2022 with 3D printing is the improvement of quality control statistics. Because 3D printing filament is recyclable, manufacturers will often throw it out during quality checks. Luckily, filament waste can be reused in later models.
Because 3D printing is such an exact manufacturing process, there is less room for error. This leads to better turnaround times and fewer defective products. Experts are developing software options that will help increase the effectiveness of 3D printing manufacturing processes. These software options will ensure the quality of each 3D printed model is excellent, leading to even better quality control statistics.
Additive Manufacturing and Sustainability
As we briefly mentioned before, additive manufacturing is actually a very sustainable method of manufacturing. Any defective 3D printed models can easily be recycled for use in later modeling activities. Besides this, 3D printing will help everyone rely on a simpler supply chain, which will reduce costs by cutting down on the time and money required to transport supplies. Beyond this, as manufacturers are mandated to utilize recyclable plastics—such as the ones used in 3D printing filament due to more of an emphasis put on green policies—it’s more likely for 3D printing to become a major manufacturing method for packaging.
Hi-Tech Filaments for Specialized Projects
One of the most exciting areas of 3D printing is its use of high-tech filaments for specialized products. In recent years, companies have developed methods to 3D print metals and other porous solids to create stronger parts. The most recent generation of printers can work with a variety of metallic filaments utilizing SLS 3D printing, which is a type of printing that uses a laser to center metal filaments together to create a cohesive object. SLS 3D printing is amazing because it produces high-tolerance products that are extremely durable for a reasonable cost.
We hope you have enjoyed our recap of the most significant 3D printing trends of 2022. Knowing these trends will surely give you insight into ways your business can expand and succeed in this new market, which will help you create new opportunities for profit. Be sure to always stay educated on the cutting edge of manufacturing with 3D printing, as this technology is likely to become mainstream very soon.
