3D printing is revolutionizing industries across the globe. 3D printing is used to create patient-specific organs for doctors to surgeons before an operation. It’s been used to create an entire residential building and you can even see it in Banksy’s artworks.
Needless to say, 3D printing is spectacular and offers a world of opportunities. But besides all of the astounding accomplishments and cool facts, what are the most basic and common benefits of 3D printing?
Check out these common benefits and you’ll soon agree that 3D printing is set to become the main manufacturing method of the future.
Versatility
Without a doubt, one of the top advantages of 3D printing is that it’s so versatile. Everyone can benefit, all industries can take advantage of it — the uses are infinite.
From dental to aerospace, jewelry, and hearing aids —there’s no industry that can’t benefit from the use of a 3D printer. This becomes truer by the day as new functions and uses are uncovered.
Still not entirely sure what 3D printing is? Click here to find out all the crucial information and facts about 3D printing.
Speed
Speed is another one of the most crucial benefits of 3D printing — especially as it’s applicable to each and every industry. 3D printers allow for rapid prototypic. This means that something can be designed and manufactured extremely quickly.
This is especially important when it comes to making adjustments and changes to prototypes. Before 3D printing, it would take weeks to create a prototype for testing. Then, any minor adjustments would take another few weeks, and so on.
Now, with 3D printing prototypes are manufactured rapidly and any necessary changes can be done without taking much time.
Flexibility
The best 3D printers can create almost anything. As long as it fits within the build volume, the only limitations are imagination! This allows you to create things that would be impossible, or very difficult, to create with traditional methods – for example, parts within parts or hollow cavities.
Even in instances where you’re printing something that can be produced using traditional manufacturing, the 3D printer still wins. Think about how many tools, molds, and jigs you need to manufacture different parts, objects, and designs. This doesn’t allow for much flexibility.
With 3D printers, you’re not limited by your equipment. In fact, you’re liberated by one piece of equipment — the 3D printer.
Quality and Consistency
Traditional manufacturing doesn’t always ensure high-quality creations. In fact, there’s a lot of room for poor designs and low-quality prototypes. When subtraction or injection methods are used, quality isn’t guaranteed.
The same goes for consistency in traditional production methods. Perhaps one prototype is perfect and the next less so. Inconsistent quality is common in traditional manufacturing.
3D printing involves the intricate step-by-step assembly of a final product. This precise detail leads to high-quality results…every time.
You have the opportunity to identify and resolve errors in real-time which means that you can catch the issue before a default product is printed. This reduces the amount of low-quality results, ensures consistency, and reduces waste, too.
Cost-Effective
These amazing benefits wouldn’t mean much if they came with a massive price tag attached. The best part of all of this is that you can reap the amazing benefits of 3D printing and save yourself some money, too.
As mentioned earlier, you don’t need special tools or equipment every time you need or want to create something new. So, you can enjoy a flexible production flow without shelling out plenty of dollars on new tools.
Similarly, 3D printing also helps to reduce labor costs. Rather than needing plenty of manpower, experienced operators, and expert technicians, all you’ll need is one person to control the print command.
Improves Lives
One of the most exciting benefits of 3D printing is the way that it can improve lives and speed along with technological and medical advancements.
Because 3D printing has allowed product designers and experts to create testing prototypes quickly and efficiently, it encourages rapid research, testing, and creation. This is amazing for technological advancements that will ultimately improve our lives.
The customization abilities are phenomenal in the medical field, too. For example, 3D prosthetic limbs have been revolutionized since the arrival of 3D printing. 3D printing allows for individualized, extremely precise, and complex designs tailored to each patient.
Sustainability
It’s critical that manufacturing moves towards greener solutions as climate change becomes a more dangerous threat by the day. 3D printing offers a sustainable solution compared to traditional manufacturing methods.
First of all, everything can be done on-site. There’s no need to outsource the manufacturing of specific parts or components. This reduces the carbon footprint created by shipping things around the world.
Secondly, 3D printing doesn’t create as much waste as traditional manufacturing methods. Less waste is all-around more environmentally friendly.
Lastly, 3D printing works with recycled and sustainable materials. So, you can take complete control of production from beginning to end for a greener manufacturing solution.
Benefits of 3D Printing Are the Gifts That Keep on Giving
These benefits of 3D printing are not mutually exclusive but are all part of this incredible piece of technology. These benefits are just the tip of the iceberg. The sky is the limit with 3D printing and as the technology gets better, so t do the advantages increase.
Did you enjoy this post? Our site is packed with awesome tech-related content to keep you up-to-date and informed — keep exploring for more articles.
