3D Printing Technology: A new way to explore the Industry 4.O

I hope all the ladies & gentlemen are fine and doing well in their life. Myself Imtiaz Iqbal, a civil engineer by profession. Engineering is a field that is surrounded by technologies. These technologies make our life easy and pretty much comfortable. I am just giving a little overview of 3D printing technology in this post, so let's start.

3D printing also known as additive manufacturing, is a method for converting a computer 3D model into a physical object by depositing successive layers of material on top of each other. Currently, 3D printing is a rapidly developing technology.

3D printing has been a common trend around the world in recent years. Mass customization and manufacture of open-source designs are becoming increasingly common uses of 3D printing in the agricultural, healthcare, automotive, and construction industries.

A three-dimensional object can be created from scratch by using printer, software, powder-like materials, and precision equipment. Typically, CAD software is used to create a 3D object in case of building a house mainly the Autodesk Revit software is used, and every type of product needs a unique kind of material.

There are a variety of 3D printing technologies, each with a specific purpose. No one can argue over which machine or technology is better because they all have particular uses. 3D printing technology is no longer utilized solely for prototyping purposes but is rapidly being used to produce a wide range of items. 3D printing technologies are categorized into seven groups which are;

1- Binder jetting
2- Directed energy deposition
3- Materials extrusion
4- Materials jetting
5- Powder bed fusion
6- Vat Photopolymerization
7- Sheet lamination

When it comes to 3D printing, it's an environmentally friendly alternative that allows for infinite geometric complexity to be realized. It is possible to use 3D printing to build massive structures or to manufacture individual components. Future 3D printing processes will be more efficient due to Building Information Modeling (BIM). Digital models of 3D structures can be used to communicate information and knowledge about their functional and physical features using Building Information Modelling (BIM). It may be used throughout the building's life cycle, from conception to demolition, as a dependable decision-making tool. Innovative and cooperative technology will help to improve the built environment in terms of design, creation, and upkeep. As a result of 3D printing, complex or customized objects can be built more quickly and precisely, with less waste, and at a lower cost. As a result, it's possible to build in places where human work would be impractical, like as the vacuum of outer space.

Nowadays, 3D printing technology is one of the fast-emerging technology in the recent era, which is widely used in the world. 3D printing technology has many Applications in Manufacturing Technology. Some of them are explained below.

3D printing has the potential to produce lightweight parts, better and complicated shapes, as well as minimize energy consumption and resource requirements in the aerospace industry. In addition, 3D printing can save fuel because it reduces the amount of material needed to manufacture aircraft parts.

There has been a dramatic shift in the Automotive Industry due to the rapid development of 3D printing technology. 3D printing has made a phenomenon in the car industry, allowing for lighter and more complicated constructions in a short period. Since 3D printing technology allows companies to experiment with many options and focus on them early in the improvement process, it leads to better and more practical vehicle design. 3D printing can also limit the amount of material wasted and consumed. Because 3D printing technology may save both money and time, it's an excellent tool for prototyping new designs in record time.

3D printing is a cost-effective, ecologically friendly, and high-quality control method for food manufacturing. 3D printing of food can be beneficial to humans since it provides a new method of food modification and can be tailored to individual preferences and needs. Materials may be blended and processed in a range of complex structures and shapes using 3D printing technology. It is possible to create new culinary goods out of sugar, chocolate, pureed foods, and even staples like spaghetti, pizza, and crackers.

3D printing has some impactful applications in the healthcare and medical industry, including 3D skull printing, 3D skin, human cells and tissues, bones, cartilage organs printing and many more advantages of 3D printing have in this field.

The above are some examples of 3D printing technologies application, and still, there are more applications of 3D printing in different fields of study.

Every technology has advantages and drawbacks depending upon the use of the technology. Some of the disadvantages of 3D printing are given below:

1- The usage of 3D printing technology will have a significant impact on the economies of countries that rely on a substantial number of low-skilled occupations as this technology will create unemployment of unskilled laborers.

2- Knives, guns, and other potentially deadly weapons may be printed in large quantities using 3D printing technology. To prevent terrorists and criminals from bringing guns into the place is undetected, the usage of 3D printing should be restricted to a specific group of people.

3- Anyone with a copy of the blueprints can easily create counterfeit versions of any product. In order to use the technology, all that is needed is to draw and set data for 3D printing on a machine

As 3D printing makes its way into the manufacturing sector, it provides numerous advantages to individuals, businesses, and the government as a whole. In the future, this technology will bring a revolutionary change in the world and its will remarkable to see something very new like building a structure on the moon or some other planets like Mars.

I hope all of my fellows like my review about 3D printing and will explore this technology more. In this technology, material availability is one of the critical challenges, and many researchers work on the material properties nowadays and consider it a hot research topic.