HO CHI MINH UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

INDUSTRY 4.0 IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

APPLICATIONS OF 3D PRINTING IN
MANUFACTURING AND LIFE

Member
N Name Work
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1 Nguyễn Nhật Tiến File Powerpoint
2 Nguyễn Sỹ Hiền File Words part I

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3 Đoàn Hoài Nam File Words part II

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 Exercise week 2: Group 1
APPLICATIONS OF 3D PRINTING IN
MANUFACTURING AND LIFE
I. Application in manufacturing:
1. Rapid Prototyping:
Rapid prototyping was the first and remains the largest application for 3D
printing. Iterations from proof-of-concept through to functional prototype can all be
3D printed. Whether outsourced or in-house, using 3D printers speeds up the rapid
prototyping significantly through removing traditional bottlenecks in tooling and/or
shipping. Rapid prototyping can also increasingly be done using the same 3D
printing technology as will be used for the final product.

 Rapid prototyping carries the significant benefits of speeding time-to-market,

offers better opportunity to test and improve each iteration, is a cost-competitive
process, and improves the effectiveness of communication throughout the design
cycle.

Speeding time-to-market:

The time it takes an idea to move from concept to deliverable should be as short
as possible. Replacing months or years of traditional wait times in the iterative
prototyping process with days or weeks is an easily apparent benefit of rapid
prototyping. A 3D printer can precisely create your next iteration from a slightly
tweaked design file much faster than could any traditional tooling-based prototyping
process. Speeding the design cycle inherently improves time-to-market for a new
product.

For example, Ford was an early adopter of 3D printing. In 1986, the car
manufacturer bought the third 3D printer made. Now, the company has an entire lab

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devoted to the technology. In the lab are 3D-printed car parts as well as 3D- printed
tools invented to help build these new parts. Since that first 3D printer, Ford has
printed more than five hundred thousand parts and saved billions of dollars and
millions of hours. For example, a prototype that once took a quarter to half a year to
build at a cost of half a million dollars now takes hours or days and only a few
thousand dollars. This translates to car customers because prototypes are used to test
every single part of the vehicle. If the testing costs less, the final product will also
cost less.

Test and improve:

Each 3D printed prototype will be one step better than the version before it,
ideally. Getting hands-on with a life-sized functional prototype can allow you fuller
understanding of that particular design’s pros and cons, enabling fast approval or
disapproval as it can be put through its paces in testing. Your engineering team can
test performance and get a feel for the look and feel of each prototype,
understanding, evaluating, and improving any manufacturability issues or usability
risks while still in the pre-production stages.

Cost-effective and competitive models:

Hand-in-hand with speeding time-to-market is the reduction of costs associated

with lengthy design cycles. Getting a product to market faster will inherently reduce
the hefty price of longer, more tooling-intensive traditional workflows. Competitive
positioning requires that development and introduction be quick, especially in the
consumer market. Large-format 3D printing also allows for several different
prototypes to be made at the same time, allowing for faster decision making when
the choice is between a few looks or feels.

Improve effective communication:

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 The fast turnaround of rapid prototyping eases communication gaps by opening
up the conversation. It’s much easier if every engineer on your team has the same
understanding of a process, and quickly getting a next physical prototype in hand
offers a clear point of reference. As each prototype becomes closer to the feel and
performance of the final design, small tweaks, and large adjustments both become
easier to understand for your entire team.

2. Aerospace and defense industry (A&D Industry):

The aerospace and defense (A&D) industry is one of the earliest adopters of 3D
printing, with the first use of the technology going back to 1989. Now, three decades
later, A&D represents a 16.8% share of the $10.4 billion additive manufacturing
market and heavily contributes to ongoing research efforts within the industry. The
advancement of AM within A&D is in large part driven by key industry players,
including GE, Airbus, Boeing, Safran and GKN.

These companies and others have identified the value proposition 3D printing
brings to:

 Functional prototypes

 Tooling

 Lightweight components

As we can see, 3D printing for aerospace isn’t limited to prototypes. Real,

functional parts are also being 3D printed and used in aircraft. A few examples of
parts that can be produced with 3D printing include air ducts (SLS), wall panels
(FDM) and even structural metal components (DMLS, EBM, DED).

The Benefits of 3D printing for Aerospace & Defense:

Low-volume production

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 For industries like aerospace and defense, where highly complex parts are
produced in low volumes, 3D printing is ideal. Using the technology, complex
geometries can be created without having to invest in expensive tooling equipment.
This offers aerospace OEMs and suppliers a cost-effective way to produce small
batches of parts cost-effectively.  

Weight reduction

Alongside aerodynamics and engine performance, weight is one of the most

important factors to consider when it comes to aircraft design. Reducing the weight
of an aircraft can significantly reduce its carbon dioxide emissions, fuel
consumption and payload.  

This is where 3D printing comes in: the technology is an ideal solution for
creating lightweight parts, resulting in considerable fuel savings. When coupled with
design optimization tools like generative design software, the potential for
increasing the complexity of a part is almost limitless.

Material efficiency

Since the 3D printing process works by producing parts layer by layer, material
is, for the most part, used only where needed. As a result, it produces less waste than
traditional subtractive methods.

The selection of available 3D printable materials for aerospace and defence

applications ranges from engineering-grade thermoplastics (e.g. ULTEM 9085,
ULTEM 1010, PAEK, reinforced Nylon) to metal powders (high-performance
alloys, titanium, aluminum, stainless steel).

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 The range of available 3D printable materials is constantly expanding, unlocking
advanced aerospace applications.

Part consolidation

One of the key benefits of 3D printing is part consolidation: the ability to

integrate multiple parts into a single component. Reducing the number of parts
needed can significantly simplify the assembly and maintenance process by reducing
the amount of time needed for assembly.

Maintenance & repair 

The average lifespan of an aircraft can range between 20 and 30 years, making
maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) an important function in the industry.
Metal 3D printing technologies like Direct Energy Deposition are commonly used to
repair aerospace and military equipment. Turbine blades and other high-end
equipment can also be restored and repaired by adding material to worn-out
surfaces.

Application:

3D-printed rocket components 

3D printing, particularly with metals, is increasingly being used in the

manufacture of rockets. The technology is enabling engineers to innovate the design
of rocket parts and manufacture them in a shorter time frame.

One example of this is an injector head for the Ariane 6 launcher, developed by
ArianeGroup, a joint venture of Airbus Group and Safran. 

An injector head is one of the core elements of a propulsion module, which forces
the fuel mixture into the combustion chamber. 

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 Traditionally, injector heads are made from dozens or even hundreds of parts,
which need to be machined and welded together. In contrast, 3D printing enables
these components to be manufactured as a single piece.  

In the case of the injector head for the Ariane 6 launcher, the team took a design
that originally required 248 components and reduced it down to one 3D-printed part.
The material used for the part was a nickel-based alloy. 

The part, which wouldn’t be possible to produce by conventional methods, was

then 3D printed using SLM technology. 

While casting and machining used to take longer than three months, the
production time with AM was reduced to 35 hours, using an EOS M 400-4 3D
printer with four parallel lasers. An additional advantage included a cost reduction
of 50%.

A 3D-printed injector head for Ariane 6 launcher

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 Aircraft interior components

In 2018, Airbus has produced and is set to install 3D-printed spacer panels on its
commercial A320 aircraft. Traditionally, new plastic components would be
produced using injection molding — an expensive and complex procedure for the
low volumes, specialized requirements and high complexity needed.

With 3D printing (FDM), Airbus has been able to produce components with
complex features like lattice structures, without any additional manufacturing cost.
The result: spacer panels that are 15% lighter than panels created using traditional
methods — contributing to the weight reduction of the aircraft itself.

Structural components for defense systems

When it comes to defense, 3D printing has the potential to change the way end parts
for military equipment are produced. Current defense applications range from
complex brackets and small surveillance drones, to jet engine components
and submarine hulls.

Electronics 3D printing is a young yet increasingly growing area of interest for

defense companies. With the technology, engineers are currently able to design and
produce prototypes of complex circuit boards and antennas in-house.

For manufacturers, this means being able to accelerate the product development
process by eliminating the need to outsource high-value projects to third parties.  

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 Antennas are an important example of how 3D printing is speeding up the design
process for electronic devices.

Take the case of Harris Corporation which, alongside Nano Dimension, a

manufacturer of 3D printing electronics systems, achieved a key breakthrough in
2018 when it produced antennas using 3D printing.

Tooling

Aerospace companies can also benefit from 3D printing by using the technology
to produce custom tooling equipment like jigs and fixtures on demand.

French aerospace manufacturer Latécoère used 3D printing to cut down lead

times for custom tooling. Previously, the company used CNC milling to
manufacture these tools, with lead times of up to six weeks. Now, with FDM 3D
printers, Latécoère can create production tools in just a couple of days — a lead time
reduction of 95%.

The company claims this new approach to tooling production also cuts costs by
40%. Notably, the tools are ergonomically customized, making the operator’s job
easier and resulting in faster and more efficient production times.

Similarly, the Moog Aircraft Group is using FDM 3D printing to produce tools
like coordinate measuring machines (CMM) in-house. In the past, the company
outsourced this fixture, with the process taking between 4 to 6 weeks. Now Moog
uses 3D printing in-house, making CMM fixtures in approximately 20 hours.
Fixtures that would have previously cost over £2,000 can now be made for a couple
of hundred pounds.

Spare parts

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 Heavily reliant on spare and replacement parts, aerospace companies increasingly
require short lead times for this application.

To meet this demand, suppliers to the aerospace industry must find ways to
provide manufacturing services faster. Additive manufacturing enables spare parts
can be produced quickly at the point of need. This, in turn, reduces the need for vast
inventories of stock, helping to reduce inventory costs and ensure parts are produced
locally.

Satair is an Airbus subsidiary that specializes in the distribution of spare parts,

offering additively manufactured plastic and metal parts.

The spare parts provider uses 3D printing to produce customized parts and
tooling, with the technology helping to greatly reduce lead times and simplify
complex supply chain logistics. With this strategic approach, the company is able to
improve its turnaround times by quickly producing spare parts for maintenance
operations.

3. Automotive

The automotive industry is a growing user of additive manufacturing: in 2019

alone, global automotive AM revenues reached $1.4 billion. This figure only looks
set to increase, as revenues relating to AM in automotive part production are
expected to reach $5.8 billion by 2025, according to a SmarTech report. In areas
like motorsports and performance racing, design tools like generative design and
topology optimization are slowly changing traditional approaches to designing parts.

While prototyping currently remains the main application of 3D printing in the

automotive industry, companies are increasingly finding other use cases, such as
tooling. Additionally, the several automotive companies are beginning to find
innovate end-use applications for 3D printing, signaling an exciting development for

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the sector.
The Benefits of 3D printing for Automotive:

Faster product development

Prototyping has become a key part of the product development process, offering a
means to test and validate parts before they are manufactured. 3D printing offers a
quick and cost-effective approach to designing and producing parts. Since the need
for tooling is eliminated, product teams can significantly accelerate product
development cycles.  

Greater design flexibility

The ability to produce designs quickly gives designers greater flexibility when
testing multiple design options. 3D printing enables designers to make quick design
changes and modifications in a fraction of the time.

Customization

3D printing offers automakers a cost-effective and flexible way to produce

customized parts. Within the luxury and motorsports segment of the industry,
companies are already using the technology to produce personalized parts for both
the interior and exterior parts of a vehicle.  

Create complex geometries:

With the majority of car components requiring complex geometries like internal
channels (for conformal cooling), thin walls and fine meshes, AM enables highly
complex parts to be produced that are still lightweight and durable.

Application:

3D-printed custom seats

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 Porsche has recently introduced a new concept for sports car seating that
leverages 3D printing and lattice design. 

The new seats feature polyurethane 3D-printed central seat and backrest cushion
sections, which can be customized by three firmness levels: hard, medium, and soft. 

With its personalized seating, the German automaker is taking cues from the
motorsport sector, where customized driver-specific seat fitting is a norm.

Porsche plans to 3D print 40 prototype seats for use on European race tracks as
early as May 2020, with customer feedback being used to develop the final street-
legal models for mid-2021.

Down the line, Porsche wants to expand seat customization beyond firmness and
color by personalizing the seat to customer’s specific body contour. 3D printing
currently remains the only technology that can enable this level of customization.

Prototypes  

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 Prototyping has been the primary use of 3D printing for automotive applications.
With the ability to produce multiple design iterations in a shorter amount of time,
3D printing is an effective tool for product development. The technology has now
evolved to where it can be used to create functional prototypes using high-
performance materials like ULTEM and PEEK.

Tooling 

To produce high-quality parts, tooling aids are needed for manufacturing and
assembly. While tooling equipment (like injection molds, jigs and fixtures) aren’t
prototypes or end parts, they remain a vital element of the production process.

With 3D printing technologies like FDM and SLS, automotive companies are able
to produce tooling aids at a fraction of the cost, greatly increasing efficiency on the
factory floor. Tooling can also be customized for improved functionality at a
significantly lower cost than conventional methods.  

A great example of tooling innovation is Ford which, in 2018, was awarded for its
use of of 3D printing for tooling.

One of the company’s award-winning tools was an assembly lift assist, produced
using FDM. The 3D-printed part cost 50% less than a conventional counterpart and
significantly reduced lead times.

Weight reduction was a key factor in this use case — a lighter lift assist device
would make it easier to operate and reduce repetitive motion injuries. With 3D
printing, engineers were able to produce a significantly lighter fixture.

Spare and replacement parts

Inventory costs constitute a significant proportion of expenditure for many

automotive OEMs and suppliers. Within conventional manufacturing, mass

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producing spare parts is commonplace. However, this often leads to long delivery
times and high inventory costs.

Additive manufacturing has the potential to transform the way spare parts are
manufactured and distributed — through on-demand manufacturing. This means that
parts are produced locally, at the time of need. Coordinating supply and demand in
this way could not only drastically reduce inventory costs, but also slash delivery
times to the end customer.

German car manufacturer Porsche is taking advantage of 3D printing for this very
purpose. For collectors, Porsche’s Classic cars can be highly sought after. Not
having the right part, however, can mean that a car can no longer function. Yet the
relatively low demand, coupled with short production runs, means that stocking a
high number of spare parts for such cars isn’t feasible.

This is where 3D printing comes in.

In early 2018, the company announced its use of 3D printing to produce spare
parts for its rare and classic cars. Combining SLM technology for metal components
and SLS for plastics, Porsche has been able to make a wide selection of high-quality
rare parts available to its customers at a fraction of the cost.

End-use parts

One of the major barriers to using additive manufacturing for production is the
high production volumes typically required for the automotive industry (over
100,000 parts per year). However, recent years have seen great improvements in the
speed and size of industrial printers as well as greater material availability.

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 As a result, AM is becoming a viable manufacturing option for certain medium-
size production runs, particularly in areas like motorsports and luxury vehicles,
where production numbers are lower than average.

With over 1 million parts 3D-printed in the last decade, BMW finds itself among
the industry’s frontrunners when it comes to additive manufacturing.

In the case of end parts, BMW has successfully used 3D printing to produce a
metal fixture for its i8 Roadster model. Engineers created an optimized roof bracket
(a fixture that helps to fold and unfold the vehicle’s soft top) that weighs 44% less
than previous versions.

Today, the company can 3D print up to 238 of these parts per platform, making
the roof bracket the first mass-produced, additively manufactured automotive
component.

4. Architecture

Architecture was also one of the earliest adopters of 3D printing technology. In

fact, SketchUp, a 3D modeling software and one of the most popular entry points to
3D design, was developed for architects.

Piet Meijs, a senior associate at Rietveld Architects in New York City, explained
in a Stratasys video that 3D printing is a “game changer” for architecture for several
reasons:

-Increases efficiency.

-Allows for more variety in design.

-Adds a “wow” factor to projects.

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 Architecture is a competitive business. For every one construction job, there are
several architecture firms bidding to be the designers. “Having a 3D printer
separates you from the rest,” Meijs explained. His firm credits its 3D printer with
earning them jobs.

The first reason 3D printing is useful, Meijs said, is that it improves efficiency in
the design stage. Architects draw building plans and then make 3D models of them
so clients can get a truer sense of the proposed structure. Before 3D printing
technology, architects constructed models by hand, which took a long time and was
labor intensive. Because model building took so many resources, it was done toward
the end of the design stage of the project. There was no time to spend on modeling a
concept that may not be close to the final design. They also made only one model.
They could not afford to allocate resources to handcraft multiple 3D models. With
3D printing, cost of materials to make a model is lower, as is the amount of time
needed to make one. As for human labor, all that’s required to construct a 3D model,
after the design is drawn, is a push of the button to send the drawing to the printer.
Because of this, architects can make models throughout the design process, allowing
clients to review and discuss revisions from the very beginning. They also can make
multiple copies of the model, so clients don’t have to share one within their office
and so they can distribute them to other key people. For example, the client may be
the company that’s going to be housed in the new office building, but it’d be nice if
the mayor of the city where that building is going to be built could see the proposed
structure early in the process.

Being able to experiment with scale is another reason to 3D print, Meijs said. The
most successful construction projects have been examined in relation to nearby
buildings and even the overall city. Architects can print models of different sizes and

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set them within printed models of their city block, so review boards can approve or
revise the overall look.

The “wow” factor, a third reason to print, is not to be discounted. Meijs talked
about a project that completely changed direction midway through the process, so
the client asked his firm to revise its plans. When Rietveld Architects came back two
weeks later with not only drawings but also new 3D-printed models, the client knew
they could trust the firm to meet any challenge with a quality response.

5. Construction:

In the construction industry, 3D printing can be used to create construction

components or to 'print' entire buildings. Construction is well-suited to 3D printing
as much of the information necessary to create an item will exist as a result of the
design process, and the industry is already experienced in computer aided
manufacturing. The recent emergence of building information modelling (BIM) in
particular may facilitate greater use of 3D printing.

Construction 3D printing may allow faster and more accurate construction of

complex or bespoke items as well as lowering labor costs and producing less waste.
It might also enable construction to be undertaken in harsh or dangerous
environments not suitable for a human workforce such as in space.

Application:

Shanghai firm WinSun Decoration Design Engineering has used large 3D printers
to spray a mixture of quick drying cement and recycled raw materials. This has
enabled them to construct 10 small demonstration 'houses' in less than 24 hours.
They have suggested that each house can be printed for less than $5,000. Their
system fabricates blocks off-site by layering the cement mix in a diagonally
reinforced pattern. The blocks are then assembled on site. Winsun believes it will be

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possible to use the technique to build larger houses or even skyscrapers in the future.
In 2015, they announced they had printed and entire villa and a five-story apartment
building.

In Spain, the first pedestrian bridge printed in 3D in the world (3DBRIDGE) was
inaugurated on 14 December 2016 in the urban park of Castilla-La Mancha in
Alcobendas, Madrid. The 3DBUILD technology used was developed by ACCIONA,
who was in charge of the structural design, material development and manufacturing
of 3D printed elements. The bridge has a total length of 12m and a width of 1.75m
and is printed in micro-reinforced concrete. Architectural design was done by the
Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC).

II. Application in life

1. Medical/Healthcare

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 Medical sector also is an early adopter of 3D printing. The medical sector was one
of the earliest sectors to understand the potential of 3D printing and medical
professionals are working with this technology since the early 90’s. By late 90’s and
early 2000’s, researchers had already planted a 3D printed organ in a human body.
The scientists at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, 3D-printed
the synthetic building blocks of human bladders. This newly generated tissue was
then implanted in the human body.

It has been forecast that 3D printing in the medical field will be worth $3.5bn by
2025, compared to $713.3m in 2016. The industry’s compound annual growth rate is
supposed to reach 17.7% between 2017 and 2025.

As the years have passed, the medical field has only gained benefits from 3D
printing. We can see one-off instances like the use of personalized prosthetics, 3D
printed dental fixtures and hearing aids being designed and customized as per the
needs of the users. It is not far off when a sophisticated 3D printer will be present in
every hospital to readily 3D print organs like bones, skin and tissues as and when
required customized to every individual. However, this will largely depend on the
research, but it definitely doesn’t seem very long before it becomes a norm.

Application:

Bioprinting tissues and organoids:

One of the many types of 3D printing that is used in the medical device field is
bioprinting. Rather than printing using plastic or metal, bioprinters use a computer-
guided pipette to layer living cells, referred to as bio-ink, on top of one another to
create artificial living tissue in a laboratory.

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 These tissue constructs or organoids can be used for medical research as they
mimic organs on a miniature scale. They are also being trialed as cheaper
alternatives to human organ transplants.

US-based medical laboratory and research company Organovo is experimenting

with printing liver and intestinal tissue to help with the studying of organs in vitro,
as well as with drug development for certain diseases. In May 2018, the company
presented pre-clinical data for the functionality of its liver tissue in a program for
type 1 tyrosinemia, a condition that impedes the body’s ability to metabolize the
amino acid tyrosine due to the deficiency of an enzyme.

The Wake Forest Institute in North Carolina, US, adopted a similar approach by
developing a 3D brain organoid with potential applications in drug discovery and
disease modelling. The university announced in May 2018 that it’s organoids have a
fully cell-based, functional blood brain barrier that mimics normal human anatomy.
It has also been working on 3D printing skin grafts that can be applied directly to
burn victims.

Organ

There is a major health crisis in terms of the shortage of organs. Since 2013, the
total number of patients requiring a transplant has doubled while the number of
available donor organs has remained relatively the same. According to the Health
Resources & Services Administration, every day 17 people die waiting for an organ
transplant in the US. This issue is now a public health crisis. Fortunately, due to the
advancement of technology, three-dimensional (3D)-printed organs have become a
reality.

In 2019, Israeli researchers from Tel Aviv University unveiled the world’s first

3D printed heart with human tissue.

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 Prosthetic

Prosthetics become even more expensive when considering that they’re best when
custom fit, making production slow and costly. This is where 3D printing has proven
to be an incredible alternative for producing prosthetics, being an affordable
manufacturing technique that can work with many different materials and offer easy
customization.

Nowadays, many companies are placing their bets on 3D printed prosthetics and
working to make them accessible to everyone who needs them. Even home 3D
printers are much more affordable than a traditional prosthetic limb, and you can
find DIY prosthetics that are free to print yourself. For example:

CRE-004 Prosthesis - A prosthetic leg you can 3D print at home for free

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 This 3D printed prosthetic leg was developed by Agung Dwi Junianto, a teacher
from the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology in Indonesia. In collaboration
with Djoko Kuswanto from M. Biotech, it’s available for download on Thingiverse.

All files are in STL, plus STEP format for customization. It’s recommended to

3D print the parts in ABS. Aside from that, you’ll need some aluminum parts to
complete the prosthesis.

This project has eight shared makes and three remixes, all of which look
successful. Many people in different parts of the world have shown their desire to
participate in printing this project and have added remixes with custom sizes for
themselves or others.

Implants

By using the patient's data from scans and X-rays, hospitals can 3D print a custom
implant that fits precisely into the defect space.

Studies show that patient-specific implants shorten surgery time, lower risks of
infection, result in better outcomes, and dramatically reduce the length of a hospital
stay. 3D printing the implants as needed also relieves the hospital from having to
keep an inventory of expensive implants on hand.

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 After an accident left a 40-year-old woman in Sweden with a massive head injury
late last year, she received a 3D-printed implant made from a plastic called PEEK to
repair her skull.

It was the first time a hospital had designed and 3D printed an implant of this kind
on-site, and it could prove a turning point for 3D printing in medical care.

3D-printed skull implant by German MedTech start-up Kumovis.

Nerve

According to the University of Minnesota, more than two hundred thousand

people experience nerve damage from injury or disease each year. And
because nerve regeneration, regrowing nerve function, is complex, it rarely
happens. In other words, this is one area the body and medical science
cannot usually correct. But as of 2015, a 3D printing technique developed
by the University of Minnesota (along with collaborating institutions
Virginia Tech, University of Maryland, Princeton University, and Johns
Hopkins University) may help those people.

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 Researchers used 3D imaging and 3D printing techniques to create “a
custom silicone guide implanted with biochemical cues to help nerve regeneration,”
according to a press release out of the University of Minnesota’s College of Science
and Engineering. This guide, or sleeve that mimics the damaged nerve, was tested
on rats. It seemed to help regrow both the sensory and motor (controls movement)
nerves.

Scientists’ 3D printed a model of a rat’s sciatic nerve, allowing the animal to

regain mobility.

Dental

Replace or repair a damaged tooth: The dentist scans the patient’s mouth with a
small digital wand. This creates a 3D image of the teeth and gums, which is saved as
a computer file. Computer Aided Design (CAD) software enables the dentist to
digitally design the tooth repair and print the finished product on a 3D printer.

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 Create an orthodontic model: Pre-3D printer technology includes having the
patient bite down on gooey, uncomfortable clay so it could harden into a mold,
which becomes the initial model for designing a treatment for braces or Invisalign.
This is not so with 3D printing. A dentist can use the same technology highlighted in
the first example to scan the teeth, design an orthodontic appliance and print the end
result in-house.

Produce crowns, bridges, caps, dentures and more: The same process outlined

above can be used to 3D print all kinds of dental implants. The only difference is the
precise material used in the printing process.

Construct surgical tools: Not only can 3D printers handle the dental

implants themselves, but they can also 3D print the drill guides needed to complete
certain dental procedures.

Surgery preparation assisted by the use of 3D printed models.

Another application of 3D printing in the medical field is creating patient-specific

organ replicas that surgeons can be used to practice on before performing
complicated operations. This technique has been proven to speed up procedures and
minimize trauma for patients.

This type of procedure has been performed successfully in surgeries ranging from
a full-face transplant to spinal procedures and is beginning to become routine
practice.

In Dubai, where hospitals have a mandate to use 3D printing liberally, doctors

successfully operated on a patient who had suffered a cerebral aneurysm in four
veins, using a 3D printed model of her arteries to map out how to safely navigate the
blood vessels.

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 In January 2018, surgeons in Belfast successfully practiced for a kidney transplant
for a 22-year-old woman using a 3D printed model of her donor’s kidney. The
transplant was fraught with complications as her father, who was her donor, had an
incompatible blood group and his kidney was discovered to have a potentially
cancerous cyst. Using the 3D printed replica of his kidney, surgeons were able to
assess the size and placement of the tumor and cyst.

3D printing of surgical instruments

Sterile surgical instruments, such as forceps, hemostats, scalpel handles and

clamps, can be produced using 3D printers.

Not only does 3D printing produce sterile tools, but some are also based on the
ancient Japanese practice of origami, meaning they are precise and can be made very
small. These instruments can be used to operate on tiny areas without causing
unnecessary extra damage to the patient.

One of the main benefits of using 3D printing rather than traditional

manufacturing methods to produce surgical instruments is the production costs are
significantly lower.

Training

Surgical education and training previously relied on textbook illustration, 2D

scans, animal testing and an apprenticeship model that involved long observation
periods prior to hands-on experience with rare procedures. Recent 3D printing
advances provide doctors and researchers the tools to create patient and condition-
specific anatomy models for education and research.

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 Instead of waiting to train on new procedures, physicians at the Jacobs Institute
use 3D printed models of patients with stroke, clots, aneurysms, and other
pathologies to develop surgical skills in a no-risk environment. Models are
customized to present a range of anatomies so physician participants are exposed to
the limits of what they will see when treating living patients.

“3D vascular models represent a new paradigm for training the next generation of
doctors. This paradigm includes surgical and endovascular simulation and skills
evaluation before they are allowed to treat patients,” said Dr. L. Nelson Hopkins,
founder of the Jacobs Institute and the Gates Vascular Institute. Training on 3D
printed models can be done virtually anywhere, avoiding the cost and complexity of
operating in the controlled environments required for animals and human
cadavers. Facilities with biohazard controls, refrigeration storage or on-site care are
not required, lowering training costs significantly.

2. Food

Food 3D printing has been growing rapidly in the past few years and already we
are seeing 3D printed food being sold and even offered in universities and there are
more and more 3D printers designed specifically for food 3D printing. From meat to
desserts and everything in between, initiatives mixing 3D technologies and food are
increasingly common as they allow for not just more complex and original shapes
and innovative recipes, but also adapt to specific diets.

Right now, it takes two years of feed, water, land and methane production to turn
a grass-fed cow into a filet mignon. Lab-grown meat is already being produced. In
your kid’s lifetime, a filet mignon will be printed from a bucket of enzymes—but it
will still be meat protein. And if we are doing that, why not ensure consistent,
widespread top quality by using the formula to make every filet the equivalent of a
Kobe Wagyu cut? - David Moise, Decide Consulting

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 3D food printing is the process of manufacturing food products using a variety of
additive manufacturing techniques. Most commonly, food grade syringes hold the
printing material, which is then deposited through a food grade nozzle layer by
layer. The most advanced 3D food printers have pre-loaded recipes on board and
also allow the user to remotely design their food on their computers, phones or some
IoT device. The food can be customized in shape, color, texture, flavor or nutrition,
which makes it very useful in various fields such as space exploration and
healthcare.

Printing techniques

Extrusion-based printing

Computer Render of Extrusion Based Printing with Multi-Material printing

Although there are different approaches to extrusion based printing, these

approaches follow the same basic procedures. The platform on which food is printed
consists of a standard 3-axis stage with a computer controlled extrusion head. This
extrusion head pushes food materials through a nozzle typically by way of
compressed air or squeezing. The nozzles can vary with respect to what type of food
is being extruded or the desired printing speed (typically the smaller the nozzle the
longer the food printing will take). As the food is printed, the extrusion head moves
along the 3-axis stage printing the desired food. Some printed food requires
additional processing such as baking or frying before consumption.

Extrusion based food printers can be purchased for household use, are typically
compact in size, and have a low maintenance cost. Comparatively, extrusion based
printing provides the user with more material choices. However, these food
materials are usually soft, and as a result, makes printing complex food structures
difficult. In addition, long fabrication times and deformations due to temperature

29
fluctuations with additional baking or frying require further research and
development to overcome.

Hot-melt and room temperature In Hot-melt extrusion, the extrusion head heats
the food material slightly above the material's melting point. The melted material is
then extruded from the head and then solidifies soon thereafter. This allows the
material to be easily manipulated into the desired form or model. Foods such as
chocolate are used in this technique because of its ability to melt and solidify
quickly.Other food materials do not inherently require a heating element in order to
be printed. Food materials such as jelly, frosting, puree, and similar food materials
with appropriate viscosity can be printed at room temperature without prior melting.

Selective laser sintering

In selective laser sintering, powdered food materials are heated and bonded
together forming a solid structure. This process is completed by bonding the
powdered material layer by layer with a laser as the heat source. After a layer is
completed with the desired areas bonded, it is then covered by a new unbonded layer
of powder. Certain parts of this new unbonded layer are heated by the laser in order
to bond it with the structure. This process continues in a vertical upwards manner
until the desired food model is constructed. After construction, unbonded material
can then be recycled and used to print another food model. Selective laser sintering
enables the construction of complex shapes and models and the ability to create
different food textures. It is limited by the range of suitable food materials, namely
powdered ingredients.Due to this limitation, selective laser sintering has been used
primarily for creating sweets/candies.

Binder jetting

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 Similarly to selective laser sintering, binder jetting uses powdered food materials
to create a model layer by layer. Instead of using heat to bond the materials together,
a liquid binder is used. After bonding the desired areas of a layer, a new layer of
powder is then spread over the bonded layer covering it. Certain parts of this new
layer are then bonded to the previous layer. The process is repeated until the desired
food model is constructed. As with selective laser sintering, binder jetting enables
the construction of complex shapes and models and the ability to create different
food textures. Likewise, it is also limited by the range of suitable food materials,
namely powdered ingredients.

Inkjet printing

Inkjet printing is used for surface filling or image decoration. By utilizing gravity,
edible food ink is dropped onto the surface of the food, typically a cookie, cake, or
other candy. This is a non-contact method, hence the printhead does not touch the
food protecting the food from contamination during image filling. The ink droplets
may consist of a broad range of colors allowing users to create unique and
individualized food images. An issue with inkjet printing is the food materials being
incompatible with the ink resulting in no image or high image distortion.Inkjet
printers can be purchased for household or commercial use, and industrial printers
are suitable for mass production.

Post-processing

In the post-processing phase, printed food may require additional steps before
consumption. This includes processing activities such as baking, frying, cleaning,
etc. This phase can be one of the most critical to 3D printed food, as the printed food
needs to be safe for consumption. An additional concern in post processing is the
deformation of the printed food due to the strain of these additional processes.
Current methods involve trial and error. That is, combining food additives with the

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materials/ingredients to improve the integrity of complex structures and to ensure
the printed structure retains its shape.Additives such as transglutaminase and
hydrocolloids have been added to ingredients in order to help retain the printed
shape while printing and after cooking. Additionally, recent research has produced a
visual simulation for baking breads, cookies, pancakes and similar materials that
consist of dough or batter (mixtures of water, flour, eggs, fat, sugar and leavening
agents). By adjusting certain parameters in the simulation, it shows the realistic
effect that baking will have on the food. With further research and development, a
visual simulation of 3D printed foods being cooked could predict what is vulnerable
to deformation.

Safety

When 3D printing food, the safety is very crucial. A food printer must ensure
safety along the entire path taken by the food material.Due to the possibility of food
getting stuck somewhere along the path, bacteria accumulation is a major concern.
Microbial stability is a crucial parameter of the quality of the printed food, thus it
needs to be addressed both during the design of the printer and during the printing
process.On the other hand, the materials that come into contact with the food may
not be as significant of a concern since high quality printers use stainless steel and
BPA-free materials.

3D Printed Meat

Additive manufacturing has now made it possible not only to produce meat
substitutes such as those from Nova Meat or Redefine Meat, but even “real” meat
products can be 3D printed. This is achieved by means of a process in which viable
animal cells are used in the 3D printing process. In the future, this could put an end
to factory farming with the help of additive manufacturing, which makes it possible
to produce muscle as well as fat cells with pinpoint precision and industrial

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production speed. Hybrid products that combine the advantages of animal and
vegetable protein are also well received by consumers, as the cooperation between
the two companies Meatech and Enough shows.

To create the steak, MeaTech employed the use of its proprietary tissue
engineering process. The technology works by first isolating bovine stem cells from
a tissue sample and multiplying them until they reach a sufficient cellular mass.
Once at this mass, the company formulates the stem cells into a bio-ink to be used
with MeaTech’s own in-house extrusion-based 3D bioprinter. Using a digital model
of a steak structure, the company can then fabricate a steak and place it in an
incubator to mature – this is where the stem cells differentiate into the final fat and
muscle cells.

MeaTech 3D bioprinting a slab of real meat

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 MeaTech has stated plans to continue developing its cultivation and bioprinting
technologies until it’s able to produce meat that’s virtually indistinguishable from
farm-raised steak.

3D Printed Food Based on Seaweed

In Chile, nutrition experts have developed foods designed from algae through
additive manufacturing. Filled with important nutrients and attractive shapes, these
foods were developed from Cochayuyo algae, a plant found in Chile that is an
important source of plant protein. Because of the advantages of 3D printing, the
teams in charge of this project have developed edible figurines designed to attract
children. In this way, they hope to make children want to eat plant proteins.
Regarding the printing process, if the technology used is not specified, the experts
confide however to be able to 3D print an edible figurine in only 7 minutes.

The 3D Printed Seafood Making Waves

In the food 3D printing sector, the Austrian start-up Revo Foods has recently been
making the news. Using various plants, the startup aims to 3D print several seafood
products, such as salmon slices. While Revo Foods currently offers products in the
form of spreads that have not been 3D printed, in the near future the company hopes
to take advantage of 3D technologies to develop an automated production line and
3D print more salmon.

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 Kitchenware

UAUProject, which originates from a studio in Warsaw, Poland, has set itself the
goal of generating no waste and no emissions and placing a particularly strong focus
on the aspect of sustainability. The products, which are based on personalizable and
individual kitchen utensils, are produced by 3D printing from plant-based bioplastics
such as PLA and are fully recyclable and compostable in industrial plants. In order
to counteract overproduction, the UAUProject has focused on production to order in
order to be able to act sustainably in a more targeted manner.

Turning Food Waste into 3D Printed Cutlery

On the right, a plate made by the startup Upprinting Food. On the left, part of the
Wasteware tableware.

In addition to the interesting projects previously mentioned, the use of 3D

printing in the circular economy within the gastronomic field is also worth

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mentioning. There are also many projects dedicated to the reuse of food waste for
use with 3D printing. Companies like Upprinting Food, based in the Netherlands,
seek to take advantage of food waste to give it a second life by creating sustainable
and uniquely designed food. But not only can food be created anew, but there are
also other initiatives that use these leftovers to create everyday objects. For example,
the Barbara Gollackner studio launched last year an original 3D printed tableware
made from industrial food waste. Called Wasteware, the tableware includes plates,
cutlery and even bowls – interesting initiatives to promote recycling and the circular
economy.

3. Art

3D printing has helped to improve the existing designers and bring out the closet
designers too. People with great mental abilities to sculpt but were lacking the mode
of expression are now finding a new way to express their ideas.

With the freedom of having multiple options of method and materials, designers
can experiment with their ideas more easily and frequently. The idea generation and
idea implementation process time has greatly reduced, and this has benefited not
only the designers but also the customers and consumers of art. Specialized software
is also now being developed to cater to these designers giving them more freedom to
express.

Although 3D printing art and modelling is rather nascent, artists are finding new
applications for 3D printing technologies in their work. Visionary and futuristic
artists and creative professionals have already used 3D printing for designing art
installations, modern sculptures, character, and prop design – the possibilities and
benefits are endless.

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 Sparks Creativity: 3D printing in art has the prowess to spark creativity and give
birth to a new breed of art form. It acts as a magic portal between imagination and
life-like tangible reality. Just like artists, 3D printing can push envelope of
conventional, to deliver artefacts that simply amaze and inspire.

On-the-fly Customization: Art is dynamic. This dynamism leads custom design in

most forms of creative arts. 3D printing offers a quick, reliable, and agile solution in
this custom-design-driven application. Creative professionals such as filmmakers,
game designers, and set designers have already started reaping the benefits of 3D
printing in their artwork.

Easy Replication: Numerous artworks and styles rely on replication of

components as a part of their creative expression. Replication can be tedious and
prone to errors and kinks. 3D printers can help artists overcome this challenge and
let them focus on the big picture.

Infinite Possibilities: 3D printed art is a renaissance of infinite design

possibilities; empowering artists and designers capture imagination with technology.
To add to this, new-age 3D printers have fewer design limitations. 3D printing is at
the frontier of transcending the potential of human imagination.

Sculpture

The 3D printing revolution has brought fame to numerous 3D artists like Joshua

Harker, a well-known American artist and considered a pioneer & visionary in 3D
printed art & sculptures, Theo Jansen is a Dutch kinetic artist. In 1990, he began
what he is known for today: building large mechanisms out of PVC that are able to
move on their own, known as Strandbeest, Linlin (from China) and Pierre-Yves (of
French origin) are young artists who were able to blend their cultural differences and
artistic skills to make create a partnership of unexpected creativity, Michaella Janse

37
van Vuuren is a designer and artist with a PhD in Electrical Engineering, and many
more. Such designers are emerging from varying strata of society and challenging
the norms of design.

Mazzo di Fiori by Joshua Harker

Lithophanes

Lithophanes are essentially embossed photos generated by a 3D printer. The print

results don’t show much at first but shine some light through one, and you’ll be
amazed by the details. The way it works is that light passes through the thin parts
while being blocked by the thick parts. In this way, the differences in light bring out
the image details.

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 While this may seem limited to family and personal photographs, imagine the
possibilities with artistic photography. A beautiful picture of the seacoast could be
3D printed. The waves would pop from the image, as would birds and people. 

Art reproductions

Recently, 3D printing has entered the artworld: paintings are being printed,
preserving their visual and material qualities in every detail. The possibilities 3D
printing and other digital (technologies, such as Augmented Reality (AR) and
Virtual Reality (VR)) offer have become an important topic of interest. Events such
as the fire in the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris and the Islamic State's destruction of
archaeological sites, underscore the fragility of our heritage. It is precisely here that
technology can offer ways of reviving and preserving material qualities of (lost)
artifacts, artworks made of unstable materials and objects in museum collections
(e.g. V&A’s ReaCH and LDE’s Scanning for Syria). Not only are these technologies

39
promising for the conservation and preservation of our heritage, but right now as we
are dealing with a pandemic, it has become clear that it would have been
unimaginable to continue engaging with artworks without 3D reproduction. The
facility with which artworks can be used, adjusted, and distributed via these

technologies promote a much larger accessibility and stimulate a large array of

different experiences that would not have been possible in a museum setting or the
original artwork’s fragile material.

Democratizes fine art

The cost of a quality art education and art supplies is expensive and continues to
rise. 3D printing is one way many artists can use new technology to communicate
their message uniquely and economically.

In 2013, Fujifilm Belgium worked with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam to
produce a capsule collection of Van Gogh paintings using 3-D printing to recreate
the painter's characteristic thick, textured layers. These were originally priced at

40
around $34,000. Companies like Verus Art and the Russia-based Prixel have been
quietly 3-D printing paintings for a hot minute, while partnering with museums to
reproduce masterworks by Vermeer, Gauguin, Monet, Matisse, and Van Gogh. De
Rossi's company may be the first attempt at making these recreations affordable.

4. Gaming

As the technology for 3D printers has developed, a wide range of miniature

producers has emerged, selling the STL files needed to 3D print. There are broadly
three places to get STLs: crowdfunding, subscriptions or direct sales.

A lot of creators make their miniatures available in a range of places, so if you

don’t want to pay for a subscription or crowdfunding project for a complete range,
you can usually buy an individual model on an STL store such as My Mini
Factory, Thingiverse or Cults, or directly from artists’ web pages.

A bit of 'buyer beware' is prudent when using these services, as some of the sites
are not very regulated and customer support can be limited. There are models on
these marketplaces that are simple to print. However, there are others that do not
work properly, do not come with support, or need other modifications to the files to
get decent prints. With that being said, 3D printing provides lots of opportunities for
all sorts of tabletop games.

Expansion of 3D printing has also proved to be very useful in the fan revival of
dead games such as Mordheim. Older specialist games like Mordheim have been out
of production for a long time, making getting hold of the original miniatures hard
and expensive - leaving fans with few options. 3D printing has enabled a wide range
of new third-party miniatures for the gothic skirmish game, including by companies
such as Heresy Lab and Monstrous Encounters. The same is true of Battlefleet

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Gothic, Inquisitor and Warhammer Fantasy Battle, helping to keep those systems
viable.

5. Fashion

Fashion brings together several industries, whether it is clothing, cosmetics, or

luxury. All sorts of products are being created to embellish and affirm a style, a
look, a way of being. In the world of fashion, it is necessary to know how to stand
out and how to present ever more original and innovative designs. For that reason,
many brands and designers are now turning to 3D technologies, which is
understandable, given the number of new option the technologies present to express
creative freedom while allowing mass customization and a reduction of
environmental impact. The textile industry, as you’ve probably already heard, is

42
known to have a negative impact on our planet. 3D printing, however, presents an
opportunity to mitigate these effects, by using only the material that is necessary and
by producing on demand.

Fabrics

The field of 3D printing fabrics is in its infancy, but there are some key benefits
that producing textiles with these methods could bring. The textiles industry is a
major consumer of water and material resources, which gives it a massive
environmental footprint. Currently, the global textiles industry is extremely
unsustainable, and scientists are constantly exploring new avenues to improve
methods utilized in the industry.

3D textile printing has the potential to significantly reduce the number of

resources needed to produce fabrics for uses such as clothing and furnishings.
Processes can be streamlined, use less raw materials, chemicals, and water, and
moreover, the amount of waste materials produced is significantly curtailed using
3D printing methods.

Other benefits include reduced energy needs and consequent carbon emissions,
cost savings, and enhanced design freedom. Multi-material printing capabilities
provide opportunities for advanced, innovative material design that is not possible
with traditional manufacturing techniques.

Another key innovation that 3D printing makes possible is the manufacture of

“smart” materials with embedded functionalities and unique structures. In short, 3D
printing is a revolutionary solution for the textile industry.

Heat-Wicking Materials

43
 Scientists at the University of Maryland have developed 3D printed materials with
advanced heat-wicking capabilities. The material’s innovative structure, composed
of polyvinyl alcohol and boron nitride, maximizes thermal conductivity, pulling heat
into the material in one way and expelling it out the other. Essentially, this turns the
fabric into a low-cost, powerless air-conditioner with applications for sportswear
and everyday clothing.

3D Printed Electronic Materials

Zhang et al. have created an electrically conductive material using 3D printing.

The material is composed of a conductive core of carbon nanotubes and a silk
fibroin dielectric sheath. This smart material has been proposed for use as a
bioelectrical harvesting fabric that can be used in multiple wearable electronics
devices.

Materials with Enhanced Protective Performance

One study by Wang et al. has produced an innovative 3D printed protective

material using selective laser sintering. This material is composed of interlocked
granular particles which can switch between a soft, flexible, and wearable state and
a hardened, protective state.

When pressure is applied, the particles interlock and form a hard, chainmail-like
structure with twenty-five times more stiffness than its relaxed state. Analysis
demonstrated that in this hardened state, the material can bear loads of more than
thirty times the weight of the material.

Cosmetics

In 2014, the first portable 3D makeup printer, Mink, a combination of makeup

and ink, was unveiled. Instead of a plastic case, consumers can select makeup

44
printed on a thin sheet of paper. Using the Mink app, consumers choose a photo,
then print either the whole image or a specific color.

In 15 seconds, you can have an entire palette of printed makeup, including eye
shadow, blush, brow powder, etc... in a custom creation of up to 16.7 million hues.
Grace Choi, the printer’s inventor, says lipstick, lip gloss and nail polish will soon
be available.

For another example, at CES 2019, Neutrogena unveiled their new 3D printed
product, MaskiD. Each mask is crafted to fit the individual wearer’s face, with
ingredients suited to meet specific skin concerns, such as acne or dryness.

The tech works with a smartphone and the MaskiD app. Attach the Skin360
device, which scans the size of your pores and skin moisture levels, then offers
recommendations. If you don’t have the Skin360, you’ll be asked to fill out a
questionnaire and take a selfie. Afterward, a mask is 3D printed to fit your unique
needs.

One Shanghai-based cosmetic brand is set to disrupt the industry with a mission
to develop cosmetics suitable for Asian women. The scientists used skin models and
bio-ink technology to successfully create printed skin, complete with a dermis,
epidermis and basement membrane.

Many believe this breakthrough could lead to less animal testing in the cosmetic
industry. Plus, 3D printing live tissue allows cosmetic brands to invest more
research into developing customized products.

Jewelry

With 3D printing, jewelry designers are able to produce designs that would be
incredibly difficult to hand carve in the traditional manner. Breakthroughs in

45
castable resins are setting new standards for the quality available through an
affordable desktop 3D printer.

3D printing jewelry patterns in Formlabs’ Castable Wax 40 Resin combines the

smooth surface finish characteristic of stereolithography technology with precise
print settings. Thanks to a precisely controlled laser, extraordinary design details
delicate filigrees, raised text, and detailed pavé stone settings—can be captured with
amazing sharpness.

Digital tools are not only making jewelry easier to customize, but also simpler to
mass-produce designs.

Vulcanized rubber molds are used to produce wax patterns in quantity for lost-
wax casting, but the “master” pattern is traditionally made from an investment cast,
hand-carved wax pattern. 

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 3D printers can produce master models that are used to form room temperature
vulcanization (RTV) molds and even durable high temperature vulcanized rubber
molds.

Footwear

If all shoes were 3D printed, photographs would be taken of a customer’s feet,

and a 3D image would be created from those photographs, which would be adjusted
with further data about the customer’s height, weight, and activities while wearing
the shoes.

Feetz is an example of a company already putting this into practice. In

2016, the US company finished its first one hundred pairs of shoes, each
custom fit from information submitted via the customer’s smartphone
and entirely 3D printed, sole to toe.

New Balance and Adidas have also been working to make sporty 3Dprinted shoes
for the masses. Adidas announced plans to encourage customers to order the shoe in-
store and then, later, test the prototype out on a store treadmill. That way an
employee could see how the customer moved not in general but in those exact shoes,
so the rest of the shoe could be finished with the customer’s running or walking
specifications in mind.

Athletes also require specialized shoes, and 3D printing can improve the
performance of their shoes. Nike has combined 3D knitting and 3D shoe printing
into a football cleat that is exactly tailored to each foot of each athlete, making it
rather like a second skin.

Replacement Parts For Household Items

47
 Eventually, people will be able to use 3D printers to create replacement parts for
things around the house. I believe there are several major benefits to putting the
replacement parts industry in the hands of consumers. It will eventually save
business owners time and money, and it will make it easier for people to maximize
the value of their purchases, which means more happy customers.

3D printing is often touted as a great tool for designers to test and refine their
designs prior to manufacturing. But you can do a lot more with 3D printing, even
with inexpensive home printers. For example, you can use a 3D printer to create and
produce a replacement part for something you use every day. In my case, I made a
replacement back cover for a remote control.

I have a desk fan I use all the time, the Vornado Flippi V Compact Air Circulator.
It lives a few feet away from me, under my desk. It's small, powerful, and quiet.
What makes it particularly useful is a remote control I can use to adjust the speed
and oscillation, without ever moving away from my keyboard. This is great because
I can turn it on and off when on the phone, or just tap the remote control when I'm
too busy or lazy to move the five feet from my chair to the fan. The problem is that I
drop the remote all the time, and the back cover for the battery compartment tends to
fly off and get lost. It really interrupts workflow to have to crawl around under my
desk to look for the tiny part. Now, don't get mired in the details of this particular
project. Instead, keep in mind the idea of making any replacement part. Obviously,
whatever you need to make will be different from what I worked on. The key point
is that a 3D printer can be a great resource for useful projects like crafting
replacement parts for objects you use. Lots of people lose a part or two from a
beloved object. After dropping the remote for probably the 20th time, and not being
able to locate the cover to the battery compartment after a long search, I decided
enough was enough.

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 I'm fortunate, because I have a number of 3D printers in the shop to choose from.
If I weren't writing about 3D printing, I'd probably only have one. For this project, I
chose to use the most inexpensive of them, the $399 New Matter MOD-t. The
MOD-t isn't as fast as the LulzBot or the MakerBot, nor does it create objects of
super high quality, but it's a fine little printer. I was curious about whether I could
use it for this purpose. The cover is quite small, making it possible to do a lot of
print attempts. Each print only took about 20 minutes. Because I spent just a few
minutes each time refining the design, the print time for each "draft" didn't bother
me at all. The key to the design was exploring and understanding the geometry of
the cover. That may sound difficult, but all it really takes is observation, measuring,
a little creativity, and the willingness to test. The basic shape is that of a rectangle
with a half-circle at the end. So I created a rectangle and circle in 123D Design and
placed the circle over the rectangle. I then shrunk the thickness to 1.5 millimeters.
To get the width and length of the cover space, I used a pair of $29.95 digital
calipers I picked up from Harbor Freight. Calipers are key, because they allow you
to measure the distances for elements you need to make. You can usually get
measurements down to a tenth of a millimeter, which is pretty precise. Of course,
my measurements were always off by a bit, so once I designed the object based on
my measurements, I had to print it, and then tweak the print to get things to fit.

Then I added a tab, so that it would fit in the slot in the remote. This took a few
tries, because I had to get the right size, but also get the raised part to fit just so. It
also wasn't hard. It just took the patience to tinker with it.

Next, I added the back hook. If you look at the image below, you can see the slot
on the remote control body, and the hook I created. That, too, took a few iterations
until I got it to fit right.

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 Finally, it all fit and closed over the remote. The only problem was, it didn't work.
This was when I was reasonably convinced this whole project was a very bad idea.
But it's also here that persistence was important. I spent some time examining the
remote. I tested the battery with the remote and no cover, and found that by holding
the battery just so, it would fire the remote. This meant that the cover replacement I
was making would not require any wiring to complete a circuit. It also told me that
the changes I needed to make were really about how to hold the battery in the right
place. I added a flat circle spacer to push the battery down, and I also added another
backing bar which pushed the battery forward into its contacts. This, as it turns out,
was the winning design.

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Truy cập lần cuối: 17/1/2023
6. https://all3dp.com/2/the-most-common-3d-printed-prosthetics/
Truy cập lần cuối: 17/1/2023
7. https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolynschwaar/2022/03/31/3d-printing-is-ready-to-
tackle-plastic-body-implants/?sh=295bd1fd536a
Truy cập lần cuối: 17/1/2023
8. https://www.evansondds.com/how-3d-printing-is-revolutionizing-dentistry/
Truy cập lần cuối: 17/1/2023
9. https://www.3dnatives.com/en/food-3d-printing220520184/#!
Truy cập lần cuối: 17/1/2023
10. https://www.3dnatives.com/en/top-10-3d-printing-art-141020174/
Truy cập lần cuối: 17/1/2023
11. https://all3dp.com/2/how-to-3d-print-your-own-lithophane/
Truy cập lần cuối: 17/1/2023
12. https://www.globalheritage.nl/news/3d-printed-art-are-reproductions-better

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13. https://theweek.com/articles/780178/company-using-3d-printing-democratize-
fine-art
Truy cập lần cuối: 17/1/2023
14. https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/miniature-wargame/feature/3d-printing-
tabletop-gaming-miniatures-wargaming
Truy cập lần cuối: 17/1/2023
15. https://www.3dnatives.com/en/3d-printing-fashion-designs150620174/
Truy cập lần cuối: 17/1/2023
16. https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=21953
Truy cập lần cuối: 17/1/2023
17. https://formlabs.com/asia/blog/3d-printed-jewelry/
Truy cập lần cuối: 17/1/2023
18. (Project Learning with 3D Printing) Kristin Thiel - Applications for 3D Printing-
Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC (2017)

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