What is 3D printing?
3D printing is the process of making a physical object from a 3-dimensional model usually by laying down many thin layers of a material, also known as additive manufacturing (AM).
3D printing is not just another technology fad. It is being used widely across the engineering, automotive and manufacturing industries, as both a rapid development prototyping tool and increasingly for production of final parts. It is also used in many other industries such as medicine, architecture, fashion and product design. There is a need to upskill engineers and equip the next generation with skills for the future by investing in these emerging technologies today.
How are 3D printers changing our world now and tomorrow?
Digitalisation and the rapid growth of disruptive industry 4.0 technologies are changing the career landscape, impacting every job sector. Along with creating jobs, this revolution is putting many at risk of becoming automated within the next 10-15 years.
Many successful global businesses are already transforming their environments by innovating faster with the likes of:
- Internet of Things
- Big data
- Virtual Reality
- Augmented Reality
- Artificial Intelligence
- 3D printing
What careers are around/with 3D printers are there today? What careers might there be in 5 - 10 years time?
3D printing is revolutionising countless industries and becoming more accessible on the mass market.
The UK is ranked as #2 in the world and is among the largest 3D printing markets, having 168,000 3D printers installed as of 2019. 3D printing has key applications in prototyping, production tools and end-use parts.
Fun facts about 3D printers
3D printing and innovative technology can help find ground-breaking solutions for
- climate change
- poverty
- sustainability
- food waste
- space travel
- plastic pollution.
In the 2019 Engineering State of Mind Report published by Wevolver, research revealed that engineers are extremely concerned about climate change: extreme weather events, shifting wildlife populations and habitats, rising seas and plastic pollution.
Examples from across the globe
CREATE Education, working in partnership with The Rapid Foundation are supporting Watamu Marine Association through the development of a 3D printing facility on-site at their Eco-World recycling facility. Sharing technology and empowering locals to produce their own filaments from recycled polymers, found during beach cleans.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a pressing issue; fishing nets makeup 46% of plastics within the ocean (Ocean Cleanup). Fishy Filaments, found in Ultimaker’s Material Alliance take end-of-life fishing nets and turn them into engineering grade filaments for 3D printing. Also Filamentive, a UK-based filament brand, was set-up to address the environmental concerns in 3D printing, committed to using recycled materials where possible.
NASA has a stated demand for the development of antimicrobial materials in space. Copper 3D, another partner in Ultimaker’s Material Alliance, were awarded a grant from NASA to test the properties of antibacterial 3D Printing materials for medical devices on the International Space Station. Environments such as the International Space Station can nurture dangerous bacteria that can be harmful to humans, where already astronauts experience issues with reduced immune deficiency.
Therefore, using antimicrobials that can be 3D printed, providing solutions such as medical devices or tools and parts for more engineering work material
Upprinting Food found a solution to mass production of food and the issue of food waste. By blending and combining the different ingredients from residual food flows, purees are created, which then are being 3D printed by a food printer. A partnership with China-based 3D Food Company tackled rice waste; 143.8 million metric tonnes of rice were consumed between 2018-2019 with a large portion being wasted. Identifying an opportunity to develop a printable food paste from rice, created attractive and tasty food.
An Italian 3D printer-maker, WASP, taking inspiration from the Potter Wasp, presented GAIA in 2018, the first 3D printed house made from raw earth (30% clay, 40% silt, 30% sand) with zero environmental impact, to tackle the global population crisis and shortage of housing. Their newest project, TECLA, a 3D printed global habitat for sustainable living aims to solve these problems. Autonomous Eco-Cities. New circular housing, created using entirely reusable and recyclable materials taken from local terrain. Built to adapt to multiple environments, suitable for self-production based on the principles of a circular economy. This approach limits industrial waste and offers a unique sustainable model that will boost national and local economies, improving the wellbeing of communities. Also, the scheme will significantly accelerate construction processes as the 3D printer will produce the entire structure at once.
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