1.

Introduction
3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing
technology where a three dimensional object is
created by laying down successive layers of
material. It is also known as Additive
manufacturing. A method of Additive
Manufacturing that adds material to an object
layer by layer to create the final product. It can
print in plastic, metal, nylon, and over a
hundred other materials. A 3D printer is a type
of industrial robot.
There are many uses of 3D Printing e.g.
architecture, construction, industrial design,
engineering, dental and medical industries,
3D Printer
biotech (human tissue replacement), fashion,
footwear, jewelry, education, geographic information systems, food, and many other fields.
The cost of 3D printers has decreased dramatically since about 2010, with machines that used to
cost $20,000 now costing less than $1,000. For instance, as of 2013, several companies and
individuals are selling parts, with prices starting at about 400/US$500.

2. History
The technology for printing physical 3D
objects from digital data was first developed
by Charles Hull in 1984. He named the
technique as Stereo lithography and obtained
a patent for the technique in 1986. In Stereo
lithography layers are added by curing
photopolymers with UV lasers. He also
developed the STL (Stereolithography)
Charles Hull
widely accepted by 3D printing software.
STL is a file format native to the CAD
(Computer Aided Design) software created by 3D Systems. Stereolithography is a "system for
generating three- dimensional objects by creating a cross-sectional pattern of the object to be
formed. STL is also known as Standard Tessellation Language. This file format is supported
by many other software packages. It is widely used for computer-aided manufacturing.
In 1993, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) patented another technology, named "3
Dimensional Printing techniques", which is similar to the inkjet technology used in 2D Printers.
In 1996, three major products, "Genisys" from Stratasys, "Actua 2100" from 3D Systems and
"Z402" from Z Corporation, were introduced. In 2005, Z Corp. launched a breakthrough product,
named Spectrum Z510, which was the first high definition color 3D Printer in the market.

3. General Principal
Principals of 3D printing have three parts.

Modelin
g

Printing

Finishin
g

a) Modeling
3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical representation of any threedimensional surface of an object via specialized software. The product is called a 3D model.
It can be displayed as a two-dimensional image through a process called 3D rendering or
used in a computer simulation of physical phenomena. The model can also be physically
created using 3D printing devices.
Models may be created automatically or manually. The manual modeling process is CAD
(computer aided design) or automatically is 3D scanner.
Computer Aided Design is software used for computer system to help in the creation,
modification, analysis of a design. CAD software is used to increase the productivity of
the designer, improve the quality of design, improve communications through
documentation, and to create a database for manufacturing.

Fig. 1 Bridge on CAD

3D scanning is possible by 3D scanner. 3D scanner is a device that analyses a real-world

object or environment to collect data on its shape and possibly its appearance (e.g.
colour). The collected data can then be used to construct digital three-dimensional
models. It is process of analyzing and collecting digital data on the shape and appearance
of a real object. Based on this data, three-dimensional models of the scanned object can
then be produced.
2

Many different technologies can be used to build

these 3D-scanning devices each technology comes
with its own limitations, advantages and costs.
Many limitations in the kind of objects that can be
digitized are still present, for example, optical
technologies encounter many difficulties with
shiny, mirroring or transparent objects. For
example, 3D printing can be used to construct 3D
models.
Collected 3D data is useful for a wide variety of
applications. These devices are used extensively
by the entertainment industry in the production of
movies and video games. Other common
applications of this technology include industrial
design and architectural engineering.

Fig. 2 3D scanner

b) Printing
Before printing a 3D model from an STL file, it must first be processed by a piece of
software called a "slicer" which converts the model into a series of thin layers and produces a
G-code file containing instructions tailored to a specific printer. G-code which has many
variants is the common name for the most widely used numerical control (NC) programming
language. It is used mainly in computer-aided manufacturing for controlling automated
machine tools. G-code is sometimes called G programming language.
The 3D printer follows the G-code instructions to lay down successive layers of liquid,
powder, paper or sheet material to build the model from a series of cross sections. These
layers, which correspond to the virtual cross sections from the CAD model, are joined or
automatically fused to create the final shape. The primary advantage of this technique is its
ability to create almost any shape or geometric feature.
Printer resolution describes layer thickness and X-Y resolution in dots per inch (DPI) or
micrometers (m). Typical layer thickness is around 100 m (250 DPI), although some
machines such as the Objet Connex series and 3D Systems ProJet series can print layers as
thin as 16 m (1,600 DPI). X-Y resolution is comparable to that of laser printers. The
particles (3D dots) are around 50 to 100 m (510 to 250 DPI) in diameter.
Construction of a model with contemporary methods can take anywhere from several hours
to several days, depending on the method used and the size and complexity of the model.
Additive systems can typically reduce this time to a few hours, although it varies widely
depending on the type of machine used and the size and number of models being produced
simultaneously.

Traditional techniques like injection moulding can be less expensive for manufacturing
polymer products in high quantities, but additive manufacturing can be faster, more flexible
and less expensive when producing relatively small quantities of parts. 3D printers give
designers and concept development teams the ability to produce parts and concept models
using a desktop size printer.

c) Finishing
Though the printer-produced resolution is sufficient for many applications, printing a slightly
oversized version of the desired object in standard resolution and then removing material
with a higher-resolution subtractive process can achieve greater precision.
Some additive manufacturing techniques are capable of using multiple materials in the course
of constructing parts. Some are able to print in multiple colors and color combinations
simultaneously. Some also utilize supports when building. Supports are removable or
dissolvable upon completion of the print, and are used to support overhanging features during
construction.

Fig. 3 Process of 3D printing

How 3D printing works in block diagram:-

Fig. 4

It is a block diagram for 3D printing working. In this we show on no.1 original object to coffee
mug. First we have modeling by scanning or CAD. In this no.2 object digitized in CAD. After
that we have printing by printer but before use printer make STL file for slices.

4. Processes
Several different 3D printing processes have been invented since the late 1970s. The printers
were originally large, expensive, and highly limited in what they could produce. A large number
of additive processes are now available. The main differences between processes are in the way
layers are deposited to create parts and in the materials that are used. Some methods melt or
soften material to produce the layers, e.g. selective laser melting (SLM), selective laser sintering
(SLS), fused deposition modeling (FDM), while others cure liquid materials using different
sophisticated technologies, e.g. Stereolithography (SLA).
Each method has its own advantages and drawbacks, which is why some companies
consequently offer a choice between powder and polymer for the material used to build the
object. Other companies sometimes use standard, off-the-shelf business paper as the build
material to produce a durable prototype. The main considerations in choosing a machine are
generally speed, cost of the 3D printer, cost of the printed prototype, cost and choice of
materials, and color capabilities.
Printers that work directly with metals are expensive. In some cases, however, less expensive
printers can be used to make a mould, which is then used to make metal parts.
Technologies
Fused deposition
modeling (FDM)
Robocasting
Electron Beam
Freeform Fabrication
(EBF3)
Direct metal laser
sintering (DMLS)
Electron-beam
melting (EBM)
Selective laser
melting (SLM)
Selective heat
sintering (SHS)
Selective laser
sintering (SLS)
Plaster-based 3D
printing (PP)
Laminated object

Materials
Thermoplastics (e.g. PLA, ABS), HDPE, eutectic metals,
edible materials, Rubber (Sugru), Modeling clay,
Plasticine, RTV silicone, Metal clay
Ceramic Materials, Metal alloy, cermet, metal matrix
composite, ceramic matrix composite
Almost any metal alloy

Almost any metal alloy

Almost any metal alloy including Titanium alloys
Titanium alloys, Cobalt Chrome alloys, Stainless Steel,
Aluminium
Thermoplastic powder
Thermoplastics, metal powders, ceramic powders
Plaster
Paper, metal foil, plastic film
6

manufacturing
(LOM)
Stereolithography
(SLA)

Photopolymer

i.
Fused deposition modeling
Fused deposition modeling (FDM) was developed by S. Scott Crump in the late 1980s and was
commercialized in 1990 by Stratasys. It is an additive manufacturing technology commonly used
for modeling, prototyping, and production applications.
In fused deposition modeling the model or part is
produced by extruding small beads of material
which harden immediately to form layers. A
thermoplastic filament or metal wire that is wound
on a coil is unreeled to supply material to an
extrusion nozzle head. The nozzle head heats the
material and turns the flow on and off. Typically
stepper motors or servo motors are employed to
move the extrusion head and adjust the flow. The
head can be moved in both horizontal and vertical
Fig. 5 FDM
directions, and control of the mechanism is typically
1. Nozzle ejecting molten plastic
2. Deposited material
done by a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
3. Controlled movable table
software package running on a microcontroller.
In this various polymers are used, including Thermoplastic, eutectic metals, edible materials,
Rubber (Sugru), Modeling clay, Plasticine, RTV silicone, Metal clay (including Precious Metal
Clay)
ii.
Laminated object manufacturing
In some printers, paper can be used as the build
material, resulting in a lower cost to print. During
the 1990s some companies marketed printers that cut
cross sections out of special adhesive coated paper
using a carbon dioxide laser and then laminated
them together.
Laminated object manufacturing (LOM) is a rapid
prototyping system developed by Helisys Inc. It
layers of paper, plastic, or metal laminates are
successively glued together and cut to shape with a
knife or laser cutter. Objects printed with this
technique may be additionally modified by
machining or drilling after printing. Typical layer
resolution for this process is defined by the material
feedstock and usually ranges in thickness from one
7

Fig.6
1.Foil supply
3. Laser beam
5. Laser unit.

2. Heated roller.
4.Scanning prism
6. Layers.

7. Moving platform

to a few sheets of copy paper.

8. Waste

iii.
Stereolithography(SLA)
Stereolithography was patented in 1986 by Chuck Hull. Photo polymerization is primarily used
in Stereolithography (SLA) to produce a solid part from a liquid. Stereolithography is currently
the most widely used process in the rapid prototyping and manufacturing (RP&M) field. It
translates computer aided designs (CAD) into solid objects through a combination of laser,
photochemistry and software technologies.
Stereolithography is an additive manufacturing process which employs a vat of liquid ultraviolet
curable photopolymer "resin" and an ultraviolet laser to build parts' layers one at a time. For each
layer, the laser beam traces a cross-section of the part pattern on the surface of the liquid resin.

After the pattern has been traced, the SLA's elevator

platform descends by a distance equal to the
thickness of a single layer, typically 0.05 mm to
0.15 mm (0.002" to 0.006"). Then, a resin-filled
blade sweeps across the cross section of the part, recoating it with fresh material. On this new liquid
surface, the subsequent layer pattern is traced,
joining the previous layer. A complete 3-D part is
formed by this process. After being built, parts are
immersed in a chemical bath in order to be cleaned
of excess resin and are subsequently cured in an
ultraviolet oven.
Stereolithography requires the use of supporting
structures which serve to attach the part to the
elevator platform, prevent deflection due to gravity

Fig. 7 Stereolithography apparatus

and hold the cross sections in place so that they resist lateral pressure from the re-coater blade.
Supports are generated automatically during the preparation of 3D Computer Aided Design
models for use on the stereolithography machine, although they may be manipulated manually.
Supports must be removed from the finished product manually, unlike in other, less costly, rapid
prototyping technologies.

iv. Nano scale 3D printing

3D printing techniques can be employed to construct nanoscale-size objects. Such printed objects
are typically grown on a solid substrate, e.g. silicon wafer, to which they adhere after printing as
they're too small and fragile to be manipulated post-construction. While 2D nanostructures are
usually created by depositing material through some sort of static stencil mask, 3D
nanostructures can be printed by physically moving a stencil mask during the material deposition
process. Programmable-height nanostructures with widths as small as 10nm have been produced
by metallic physical vapor deposition through a piezo-actuator controlled stencil mask having a
milled nanopore in a silicon nitride membrane.

5. 3D Printers
3D printers are a very important for 3D printing technology. It has many types.
a. Industrial Use
b. Consumer Use
c. Large 3D Printers
a. Industrial Use
As of October 2012, Stratasys now sells additive manufacturing systems that range from
$2,000 to $500,000 in price and are employed in several industries: aerospace, architecture,
automotive, defense, and dental, among many others. For example, General Electric uses the
high-end model to build parts for turbines.
b. Consumer Use
Several projects and companies are making efforts to develop affordable 3D printers for
home desktop use. Much of this work has been driven by and targeted at enthusiast/early
adopter communities, with additional ties to the academic and hacker communities.
RepRap (British initiative to develop a 3D printer) is one of the longest running projects
in the desktop category. The RepRap project aims to produce a free and open source
hardware (FOSH) 3D printer, whose full specifications are released under the GNU General
Public License, and which is capable of replicating itself by printing many of its own
(plastic) parts to create more machines. RepRap have already been shown to be able to print
circuit boards and metal parts.

Fig. 8 RepRap version 2.0 (Mende)

i.

Fig. 9 MakerBot Cupcake CNC

3D printing pen
9

The 3D Doodler is a 3D printing pen developed by Peter Dilworth and Maxwell Bogue of
WobbleWorks LLC. 3Doodler is the worlds first and only 3D Printing Pen. Using ABS
plastic (the material used by many 3D printers), 3Doodler draws in the air or on surfaces. Its
compact and easy to use, and requires no software or computers. You just plug it into a

Fig. 10 Home Interior pieces

power socket and can start drawing anything within minutes. As 3Doodler draws, it extrudes
heated plastic, which quickly cools and solidifies into a strong stable structure.
3D printing pen raised $2.3 million on Kickstarter with the pens selling at $99. This pen is
available in India by amazon.

Fig. 11 A mini Eiffel Tower

Fig. 12 3-Dimensional Pen

c. Large 3D printers
Large 3D printers have been developed for industrial, education, and demonstrative uses. A
large delta-style 3D printer was build in 2014 by SeeMeCNC. The printer is capable of
10

making an object with diameter of up to 4 feet (1.2 m) and up to 10 feet (3.0 m) in height. It
also uses plastic pellets as the raw material instead of the typical plastic filaments used in
other 3D printers.

Fig. 13 Large scale industrial 3D printing

Another type of large printer is Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM). The goal is to
develop printers that can produce a large object in high speed. A BAAM machine of
Cincinnati Incorporated can produce an object at the speeds 200-500 times faster than typical
3D printers available in 2014. Another BAAM machine is being developed by Lockheed
Martin with an aim to print long objects of up to 100 feet (30 m) to be used in aerospace
industries

6. Efficiency
The current slow print speed of 3D printers limits their use for mass production. To reduce this
overhead, several fused filament machines now offer multiple extruder heads. These can be used
to print in multiple colours, with different polymers, or to make multiple prints simultaneously.
This increases their overall print speed during multiple instance production, while requiring less
capital cost than duplicate machines since they can share a single controller.

7. Cost
The cost of 3D printers has decreased dramatically since about 2010, with machines that used to
cost $20,000 now costing less than $1,000. For instance, as of 2013, several companies and
individuals are selling parts to build various RepRap designs, with prices starting at about
400/US$500. The open source Fab@Home project has developed printers for general use with
anything that can be squirted through a nozzle, from chocolate to silicone sealant and chemical
reactants. Printers following the project's designs have been available from suppliers in kits or in
pre-assembled form since 2012 at prices in the US$2000 range. The Kickstarter funded Peachy
Printer is designed to cost $100 and several other new 3D printers are aimed at the small,
inexpensive market including the mUVe3D and Lumifold. Rapide 3D has designed a

11

professional grade crowd sourced 3D-printer costing $1499 which has no fumes nor constant
rattle during use.
The 3Doodler, "3D printing pen", raised $2.3 million on Kickstarter with the pens selling at $99,
though the 3D Doodler has been criticised for being more of a crafting pen than a 3D printer.

8. Application
a) Manufacturing application
i) Distributed manufacturing
Additive manufacturing in combination with cloud computing technologies allows
decentralized and geographically independent distributed production. Distributed
manufacturing as such is carried out by some enterprises; there is also a service to put
people needing 3D printing in contact with owners of printers.
Some companies offer on-line 3D printing services to both commercial and private
customers, working from 3D designs uploaded to the company website. 3D-printed
designs are either shipped to the customer or picked up from the service provider.
ii) Raped manufacturing
Advances in RP technology have introduced materials that are appropriate for final
manufacture, which has in turn introduced the possibility of directly manufacturing
finished components. One advantage of 3D printing for rapid manufacturing lies in
the relatively inexpensive production of small numbers of parts.
Rapid manufacturing is a new method of manufacturing and many of its processes
remain unproven. 3D printing is now entering the field of rapid manufacturing and
was identified as a "next level" technology by many experts in a 2009 report.

b) Industrial application
i) Apparel
3D printing has spread into the world of clothing with fashion designers
experimenting with 3D-printed shoes, and dresses. In commercial production Nike is
using 3D printing to prototype and manufactures the 2012 Vapor Laser Talon football
shoe for players of American football, and New Balance is 3D manufacturing customfit shoes for athletes.

12

Fig. 14 Nike Debuts First Football shoes

Fig. 15 Bow tie

ii) Automobile
An American company, Local Motors is working with Oak Ridge National
Laboratory and Cincinnati Incorporated to develop large-scale additive manufacturing
processes suitable for printing an entire car body. The company plans to print the
vehicle live in front of an audience at the International Manufacturing Technology
Show. "Produced from a new fiber-reinforced thermoplastic strong enough for use in
an automotive application, the chassis and body without drivetrain, wheels and brakes
weighs a scant 450 pounds and the completed car is comprised of just 40 components,
a number that gets smaller with every revision.

Fig. 16 Local motors 3D printed car body

iii) Construction

13

An additional use being developed is building printing, or using 3D printing to build

buildings. This could allow faster construction for lower costs, and has been
investigated for construction of off-Earth habitats. For example, A Chinese Company
has become the first to construct multiple buildings using 3D printers that extrude
recycled building materials at breakneck speed.

Fig. 17 3D printed House

Fig. 18 printed houses using a large 3-D printer

Using four huge 3D printers, Yingchuang New Materials Inc. was able to print the
shells of 10 one-room structures in 24 hours and at a cost of only about $5,000 per
building. The buildings had to harden at the factory and then be transported and
assembled on site. The 3D printed buildings will be used as offices at a Shanghai
industrial park.

iv) Firearms
In 2012, the US-based group Defense Distributed disclosed plans to
"[design] a working plastic gun that could be downloaded and
reproduced by anybody with a 3D printer. Defense Distributed has
also designed a 3D printable AR-15 type rifle lower receiver
(capable of lasting more than 650 rounds) and a 30 round M16
magazine.

14

Fig. 19 3D-printed gun

In 2014, a man from Japan became the first person in the world to
be imprisoned for making 3D printed firearms. Yoshitomo Imura
posted videos and blueprints of the gun online and was sentenced
to jail for two years. Police found at least two guns in his household
that were capable of firing bullets.

v) Medical
3D printing has been used to print patient specific implant and
device for medical use.

Successful operations include a

titanium pelvis implanted into a
British patient, titanium lower jaw
transplanted to a Dutch patient,
and a plastic tracheal splint for an
American infant. The hearing aid
and dental industries are expected
to be the biggest area of future
development using the custom 3D
printing technology.
In March 2014, surgeons in Swansea used 3D printed parts to
rebuild the face of a motorcyclist who had been seriously injured in
a road accident. Research is also being conducted on methods to
bio-print replacements for lost tissue due to arthritis and cancer.
In October 2014, a five-year-old girl born without fully formed
fingers on her left hand became the first child in the UK to have a
prosthetic hand made with 3D printing technology. Her hand was
designed by US-based E-nable, an open source design organization
which uses a network of volunteers to design and make prosthetics
mainly for children. The prosthetic hand was based on a plaster cast
made by her parents.

15

3D Printed prosthetics have been

used in rehabilitation of crippled
animals. In 2013, a 3D printed foot
let a crippled duckling walk again. In
2014 a chihuahua born without front
legs was fitted with a harness and
wheels created with a 3D printer. 3D
printed hermit crab shells let hermit
crabs inhabit a new style home.

Fig.20 prosthetic leg

3d printed medical cast

could help bones to heal
up to 40 per cent faster.
The black cast, known as
the Osteoid, uses an
ultrasound system which
makes bones heal more
quickly. It is filled with
ventilation holes which
the designer says mean it
does not smell or itchunlike traditional casts.
Fig.21 3D printed medical cast

As of 2012, 3D bio-printing technology has been studied by

biotechnology firms and academia for possible use in tissue
engineering applications in which organs and body parts are built
using inkjet techniques. In this process, layers of living cells are
deposited onto a gel medium or sugar matrix and slowly built up to
form three-dimensional structures including vascular systems. The
first production system for 3D tissue printing was delivered in 2009,
based on NovoGen bioprinting technology. Several terms have been
used to refer to this field of research: organ printing, bio-printing,
body part printing, and computer-aided tissue engineering, among
others. The possibility of using 3D tissue printing to create soft
tissue architectures for reconstructive surgery is also being
explored.
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c) Sociocultural application
i) Art
In 2005, academic journals had begun to report on the possible artistic applications of
3D printing technology. By 2007 the mass media followed with an article in the Wall.
Street Journal and Time Magazine, listing 3D printed design among their 100 most
influential designs of the year. During the 2011 London Design Festival, an
installation, curated by Murray Moss and focused on 3D Printing, was held in the
Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A).
An example of 3D printed limited
edition jewellery. This necklace is made
of glassfiber-filled dyed nylon. It has
rotating linkages that were produced in
the same manufacturing step as the
other parts.

Fig.22 3D necklace

The MakerBot team joined forces with

artists to democratize famous works of
art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
These 3D designs are now on
Thingiverse and ready to be 3D
printed. For example, the marble lion
statue pictured above dates from 400
B.C. and is now available in digital
form on Thingiverse.

Fig.23 3D printed lion

The use of 3D scanning technologies allows the replication of real objects without the
use of molding techniques that in many cases can be more expensive, more difficult,
or too invasive to be performed, particularly for precious or delicate cultural heritage
artifacts where direct contact with the moulding substances could harm the original
object's surface.
ii) Domestic Use
As of 2012, domestic 3D printing was mainly practised by hobbyists and enthusiasts,
and was little used for practical household applications. A working clock was made
and gears were printed for home woodworking machines among other purposes. 3D
17

printing was also used for ornamental objects. Web sites associated with home 3D
printing tended to include backscratchers, coat hooks, doorknobs etc.
The open source Fab@Home project has developed printers for general use. They
have been used in research environments to produce chemical compounds with 3D

Fig.24 3D printing Domestic application

printing technology, including new ones, initially without immediate application as

proof of principle. The developers of the chemical application envisage both
industrial and domestic use for this technology, including enabling users in remote
locations to be able to produce their own medicine or household chemicals.
iii) Education And Research
3D printing is the latest technology making inroads into the classroom 3D printing
allows students to create prototypes of items without the use of expensive tooling
required in subtractive methods. Students design and produce actual models they can
hold. The classroom environment allows students to learn and employ new
applications for 3D printing.

18

Fig.25 3D printing revolutionizing classroom

Students discover the capabilities with 3D printing. Engineering and design principles
are explored as well as architectural planning. Students recreate duplicates of museum
items such as fossils and historical artefacts for study in the classroom without
possibly damaging sensitive collections. Other students interested in graphic
designing can construct models with complex working parts. 3D printing gives
students a new perspective with topographic maps. Science students can study crosssections of internal organs of the human body and other biological specimens. And
chemistry students can explore 3D models of molecules and the relationship within
chemical compounds.
Future applications for 3D printing might include creating open-source scientific
equipment.
iv) Environmental Use
In Bahrain, large-scale 3D printing using a sandstone-like material has been used to
create unique coral-shaped structures, which encourage coral polyps to colonise and
regenerate damaged reefs. These structures have a much more natural shape than
other structures used to create artificial reefs, and, unlike concrete, are neither acid
nor alkaline with neutral pH.

9. Legislation
19

The US Department of Homeland Security and the Joint Regional Intelligence Center
released a memo stating that "significant advances in three-dimensional (3D) printing
capabilities, availability of free digital 3D printable files for firearms components, and
difficulty regulating file sharing may present public safety risks from unqualified gun
seekers who obtain or manufacture 3D printed guns," and that "proposed legislation to
ban 3D printing of weapons may deter, but cannot completely prevent their production.
Even if the practice is prohibited by new legislation, online distribution of these 3D
printable files will be as difficult to control as any other illegally traded music, movie or
software files."

10. Impact
3D printing is already having an effect on the way that products are manufactured the
nature of the technology permits new ways of thinking in terms of the social, economic,
environmental and security implications of the manufacturing process with universally
favorable results.
a. Social Change
3D printing is becoming influential in many industries, like fashion and lighting design,
automobile and aircraft industries, custom-made musical instruments creation, and even
in weapon manufacturing - 3D Systems have already been sponsored by the US Air Force
to improve the sustainability and affordability of weapons systems. Another important
application of 3DP technologies is in the health care system - printing of prosthetic limbs,
and also researching towards the 3D printing of organ tissues. There has already been a
successful transplant of a 3D printed bladder in a patient as early as 11 years ago.
What would the social impact be though, as a result of the mechanization of labor
digitizing is bringing about? Is 3D printing also the amplifier of unemployment rates?
And from an ecological point of view, what would the impact on nature be? Creating
often meaningless plastic objects in a home environment can give birth of great ideas, but
a lot of them will also go to the bin and add to pollution. These are crucial and urgent
social issues, which will be analyzed in the following thesis report.
b. Material Innovations
Consumer grade 3D printing has resulted in new materials that have been developed
specifically for 3D printers. For example, filament materials have been developed to
imitate wood, in its appearance as well as its texture. Furthermore, new technologies,
such as infusing carbon fiber into printable plastics, allowing for a stronger, lighter
material. In addition to new structural materials that have been developed due to 3D
printing, new technologies have allowed for patterns to be applied directly to 3D printed
parts.

11. Future of 3D Printing

According a recent report, 3D printing is evolving rapidly, although many technologies
are still five to ten years away from mainstream adoption. Consumer adoption will be
outpaced by business and medical applications that have more compelling use cases in
the short term.
20

Fig.26 Difference b/w Standard and 3d printing chain

In this image we see difference between standard and 3D printing supply chain. Standard
supply chain is long compare to 3D printing supply chain.
Meanwhile, we will see better and more diverse materials coming to market as well as
better printers with increased printing speed at reduced cost. 3D printing will make its
way too many more classrooms in education as its the ultimate maker tool to create
objects and prototypes. And we will probably see Apple, Google or Amazon coming up
with an own 3D-printers as soon as the consumer market is ready to explode.

21

12. Reference
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
o.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing
www.createitreal.com/index.php/en/3d-printer/48
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereolithography
http://www.makepartsfast.com/2014/10/7479/3d-print-electric-motor/
http://www.guns.com/2013/05/23/3d-printers-meet-othermill-a-cnc-machine-foryour-home-office/
http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/20/7022809/3d-printed-gun-maker-in-japansentenced-2-years
http://wohlersassociates.com/NovDec05TCT3dp.htm
http://www.cfr.org/technology-and-science/3d-printing-challenges-opportunitiesinternational-relations/p31709
http://www.rapidtoday.com/mcor.html
http://www.techadvisor.co.uk/features/printing/how-3d-printing-is-helping-doctorsmend-you-better/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-29441115
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20140306-research-into-3d-bioprinting-may-soonproduce-transplantable-human-tissues.html
http://www.theengineer.co.uk/in-depth/analysis/building-body-parts-with-3dprinting/1002542.article
http://uk.reuters.article.archive.joblink-inc.org/oldfiles/2011/06/spime-watchdassault-systemes
http://www.consultancy.nl/nieuws/6718/eurogroup-impact-van-3dprinten-op-desupply-chain

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