Future of 3D manufacturing

            3D manufacturing, also known as additive manufacturing is a process whose people are talking more every day. The idea of 3D manufacturing is to make a model from a digital design in a computer. This process relies on the removal of layers by methods of cutting and drilling from solid material. People are seeing the future in these machines, because since the start of the 21^st century the prices have decrease, curiosity has risen and more people are purchasing them. This new technology has grown its popularity fast, because it can be use in thousand of fields such as, automotive, aerospace, medical, architecture, construction among many others fields. One of the benefits of 3D manufacturing is that it can produce complex models precisely, while other manufacturing process can’t. The high cost and low producing speed of this manufacturing process has prevented it from expanding, but today new developments and technologies are changing this. In “The Plant Of The Future: 3D Printing” report its said that it could take from 3-5 years to start seeing 3D manufacturing in plants. With this machines becoming cheaper and popular there is bright future for them in the next 10 years. The industry will start buying and using them to create their own products.

For the building industry 3D manufacturing will have great impact. I will allow the making of complex parts that no other manufacturing process has ever made. Being able to design a model on a computer frees many constraints and allows for greater precision and complexity. This could allow new architectural designs to be produced. One of the greatest benefits 3D manufacturing offers is reduction of waste in the production process, which is a positive effect towards a green environment.

The sources use in my research are found to be considerable credible, because they all emphasize the benefits and constraints of this process. It is known that it will take some years (5-10) to reduce the cost of this process, but if master thousands of design technologies could come and many people could benefit from it.

        I agree with my classmate Mathew Tedesco that in the next 3 years we will be seeing 3D-printers at lowers prices. This will increase the sales in the market and therefore customized objects will be created, but mostly use for decorations, toys or tools. When he analyzed 3D printing in the next 10 years he believes, we will be seeing a greater impact in our industry. A professor in USC has created a method of 3D building a house in 1 day. This could be of great advances when natural disasters occur and immediate need for shelter is necessary. It going to take a little longer for this to develop but definitely 3D printing will be part of the future. 

http://www.theengineer.co.uk/in-depth/the-big-story/the-rise-of-additive-manufacturing/1002560.article#ixzz2I0VV58OE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing

http://www.manufacturing.net/articles/2012/12/the-plant-of-the-future-3d-printing

http://www.theengineer.co.uk/in-depth/the-big-story/the-rise-of-additive-manufacturing/1002560.article