At the conclusion of this century, 3D printing may well be considered as one of the most—if not the most—important technologies of the day.
While the technology has actually been around for quite a few years, the advancements made in 3D printing in the past five years have helped it become tremendously important on a global level.
3D printing has far reaching potential and is already starting to disrupt the biggest and most important industries and Markets in the world.
Whether it’s in the manufacturing industry, the field of health care and medicine, in science, research, and education, or in fashion, entertainment, and culinary arts, 3D printing has begun to change the way we create things.
New applications for 3D printing are being discovered on a daily basis and new headlines on the impact the disruptive technology is having are being released so rapidly, that it’s tough to keep up.
In fact, some forecasts predict that the global market for 3D printing will reach $15.2 billion by 2025.
According to Gartner, Inc.’s most recent forecast, the worldwide shipments of 3D printers in 2016 will approach a half a million units—almost double the predicted amount of 3D printers shipped for 2015.
THE REAL QUESTION With all of these big numbers being rolled out, the real question is, how is 3D printing getting so big? And, by that, I mean, what are the REAL-WORLD uses that are driving this new technology?
The answer to that question is broad, exciting, amazing, inspiring, and, at-times, heart-warming. 3D printing is starting to solve a host of world-wide problems that were, before, not possible.
And, the best part is… 3D printing is just getting warmed up.
To present a clear picture of the kind of impact 3D printing is having around the world, we’ve compiled a list of 175 different news stories and articles that display what the new break-through technology is capable of.
Along with changing the way a lot of products and items are manufactured, 3D printing is also saving the lives of people and animals, helping us increase our sustainability, aiding in humanitarian efforts, allowing us to improve items through better prototyping, and taking the fashion industry to new heights.
JUMP TO A SECTION
• Environment & Sustainability
• Entertainment & Recreational Use
• Science, Research, & Education
• Culinary Arts
• Aerospace, Aviation, & Automotive
• Government and Military
• General Manufacturing
• Fashion & Apparel
• Medicine and Healthcare
• Humanitarian Efforts
• Housing and Home Decor
SECTION 1
From providing a tortoise with a new 3D-printed shell, to 3D printing solar cells and wind turbines, 3D printing is doing a lot in the form of protecting the environment and increasing our sustainability.
Not only that, but 3D printing in itself is a much more efficient way to manufacture goods in comparison to the traditional manufacturing techniques that typically create a lot of waste product.
• Fred the Tortoise’s New 3D-Printed Shell • Vet Uses 3D Printing to Save Pets • 3D Printing is Helping Bees Produce More Honey • 3D Printed Sea Turtle Eggs Help Catch Poachers • 3 Ways 3D Printing Will Save the Environment • 3D Printing Lowers Environmental Impact • The Environmental Impact of 3D Printing • The Future of Sustainable Fuel Gets a Push from 3D Printing • 3D Printing Turns Carbon Dioxide Into Sustainable Concrete Material • 3D Printed Water Could Be The Next Big Thing • 3D Printed “Cool Brick” Cools A Room Using Only Water • 3D Printed Solar Cells to Give Affordable Electricity for Rural Areas • 3D Printed Wind Turbine Can Produce 300W of Power
SECTION 2
Imagine showing your students a life-sized replica of a dinosaur bone and giving them a hands-on learning experience, rather than relying on an image in a text book for your lesson. With 3D printing, this is a possibility and it is how the technology is changing the way we learn, research, and conduct studies.
3D printing is quickly getting adopted by schools, universities, and research labs across the world in large part due to its ability to produce affordable and complex models that aid in teaching and conducting research.
• Cambridge Univeristy Library 3D Prints 3000-Year Old Bone • Man 3D Prints Earthquake Data • Wake Forest Researchers Implant 3D Printed Human Tissue Into Animals • Watch As researchers create beating, 3D printed heart organoid • Australian Scientists 3D Print Living Brain Cells that Live a Month • Terra Projects 3D Printing Self-Sufficient Camps for Polar Regions • Japanese Government to Fund 3D Printing in Education • 3D Printing to Dominate STEM Education Within 3 Years • Stratasys Launches 3D Printing Education Program • 3D Printing Dinosaur Bones • 3D Printing Revitalizes Montessori School’s Hands-On Alphabet Set • UCSD’s 3D printed liver cells most liver-like yet • 3D Printing Courses on a Massive Scale • Ohio Colleges Share $1 Million 3D Printing Grant
SECTION 3
While 3D printing is having a big impact across a ton of different industries and markets, perhaps none will be more important—when it’s all said and done—than the potential impact that it could have on the aerospace, aviation, and automotive industries.
3D printing is allowing aerospace companies, car makers, and airplane manufacturers to test out new designs, prototype more effective parts, and build better machines at lower costs—all of which are helping us travel further and cheaper than ever before.
• Airbus Seeks to 3D Print Half of Future Airplane Fleet • 3D Printing Gives Ford an Edge • DeltaWing’s Racing Engine is Powered by 3D Printing • Three Engineers Printed A Mini Jet Engine • Local Motors 3D Printed Car • Fully Functional 3D Printed Motorcycle • NASA is Sending A 3D Printer to Space That You Can Use • NASA Tests First 3D Printed Rocket Engine • Buick Brings 3D Printing to Its New Concept Car • Atlas V Rocket Soars with 3D Printed Parts • TheUrbee 2 Car is 3D Printed and Will Drive Across the Country • Aerospace & Defense 3D Printing Firm Gets $10 Million from Neff Capital • 3D Printing Creates New Parts for Aircraft Engines • World’s Largest, Fastest 3D-Printed Aircraft Ever • The FAA Cleared the First 3D Printed Part To Fly In A Commercial Jet Engine • SpaceX Launches 3D-Printed Part to Space, Creates Printed Engine Chamber
SECTION 4
While 3D printing is changing markets and industries that typically haven’t been linked to traditional manufacturing (like fashion and medicine), the technology is still having a big impact on traditional manufacturing as well.
From 3D printing in metal, to printing out electronics, additive manufacturing is transitioning from being just a nice new way to produce cost-effective prototypes into a fully-functioning manufacturing outlet.
• This $9K Machine Could Usher in the Era of 3D Printed Electronics • Nano Dimension Continues to Write History of 3D Printed Electronics • 3D Printed Electronics Are Here, Researchers Say • Designer 3D Prints His Own Brushless Pulse Motor • A Sub-$4,000 Metal 3D Printer? • Matterfab’s 3D Metal Printer • New Tech Boosts 3D Printing of Metal Objects • Toshiba’s Metal 3D Printer • New 3D Concrete Printing Technique Developed by Amalgamma • 7 Ways 3D Printing Is Already Disrupting Global Manufacturing • How GE is Using 3D Printing to Unleash A Huge Manufacturing Revolution • 3D Printing Services Company Xometry is Changing the Rules
SECTION 5
While 3D printing is making certain industries more efficient, it is also playing a huge role in helping us provide better healthcare and better options for complicated medical issues. Perhaps most amazing of all, though, is the fact that 3D printing is actually saving people’s lives…
3D printing is becoming prevalent in dental applications, in the creation of prosthetics, in replicating human organs, and even in the design and production of helpful medicine. Of all of the other industries that 3D printing is changing for the better, the most inspiring headlines are coming from its application in the world of medicine and healthcare.
• College Student 3D Prints His Own Braces for $60 • An Affordable 3D Printed Arm • Girl Can Open and Close Her 3D Printed Arm • Open Bionics is Developing A Cheap 3D Printed Prosthetic Arm • Cambodian Fisherman Gets Fully Flexible Prosthetic Arm • 3D Printed Aortic Valves Could Reduce Complications from Aortic Valve Replacement • Orthin and Oceanz Let Children Walk Again with 3D Printed Prosthetic Legs • Crowd4Africa is Raising €23,000 to Bring 3D Printed Prosthetics to Africa • Limbitless Surprises 10-Year Old Cheerleader with 3D Printed Bionic Arm • Blind Mother Gets 3D Printed Ultra Sound of Baby • 4-Year Old Boy Gets New 3D Printed Prosthetic Ear • This New 3D Printer Makes Life-Sized Ear, Muscle, and Bone Tissues • How a 3D Printed Heart Changed A Girl’s Life • Transplant Jaw Made by 3D Printer Claimed as First • Australian Man Receives 3D Printed Titanium Prosthetic Jaw • Anthony Atala on 3D Printing a Human Kidney • Toddler Gets World’s First Adult Kidney Transplant Using 3D Printing • 3D Printed Liver Model Saves Man’s Life in China • New 3D Printed Nose Implant is Fully Functional • Little Girl Born Without A Nose Has One Built for Her Thanks to 3D Printing • 3D Printed Cartilage Could Restore Ears, Shoulders, Knees • Luxecel and Trinckle 3D to Release Lens Creator for 3D Printed Optics Design • 3D Printing Optical Lenses with Formlabs • World’s First Commercially Available 3D Printed Custom Orthotics Launches • 3D Hubs Supports Andiamo Project for 3D Printed Orthotics • The Latest Advance in 3D Printing: Replacement Teeth • How Bacteria-Fighting 3D Printed Teeth Could Affect Dentistry • 3D Printed Bio-Absorable Bone Implants Developed by Canadian Researchers • Virginia Woman’s Leg Saved with 3D Printing • 3D Printing Aids Plastic Surgeons in Cheek Reduction • New 3D Printed Material Could Help Reduce the Chance of Head Injuries in Football • Scar-less Facial Reconstruction Surgery Made Possible with 3D Printing • Sickle Cell Disease Detection Using 3D Printed Device and Smartphone • 3D Printed Heart Helps UCF Doctors Save Baby Ronan • FDA-Approved 3D Printed Spritam Drug for Epilepsy Now Available
SECTION 6
If you thought that 3D printing was just being used to create small plastic items, you better think again. In fact, there are a handful of large-scale 3D printers across the world that are actually printing out full-sized homes. Yes, you read that right… there are now 3D printed homes.
And, amazing as that is, 3D printing is also making big waves in the home improvement and home decor industries by offering custom solutions at affordable prices. So, whether you need a brand new concrete home (or mansion…) or some new decorations to liven up your living space, 3D printing can help you out.
• 3D Printer Prints 10 Houses in 24 Hours • 3D Printed Mansion is Safe to Live In • World’s Largest Delta 3D Printer Could Build Entire Houses • Chinese CompanyBuilds 3D Printed Villa in Less than 3 Hours • Brazilian Startup Urban3D Sees 3D Printed Housing as Solution for Growing Slum • Drawn to It: 3D Printed Furniture • Solar Powered 3D Printed Tiny House & Car Transfer Energy Each Other • How 3D Printing is Recanvassing the Landscape of Home Decor • 3D Printing Adds Depth to Home Decor • Lowe’s Brings 3D Printing to Home Improvement • 15 Truly Useful Things You Can 3D Print for Your Home • American Standard Unveils New 3D Printed Metal Faucets
SECTION 7
From 3D printing in Hollywood, to printing your own custom guitar, to producing your own Iron man armor, 3D printing has just as many applications for entertainment and recreational purposes as it does for traditional manufacturing methods.
And, with the prices of consumer level 3D printers dropping quickly, more and more people are getting into the new technology and putting their own spin on how to use these unique machines.
• Why Hollywood Loves 3D Printing • Why 3D Printing is Hollywood’s Latest Super Hero • Five Ways Film-Making is Evolving Thanks to New Technology • The Sound of 3D Printed Guitars • The Atom 3D Printed Guitar • Making an Amazing Guitar With Polymaker Polymax • Customuse 3D Prints Affordable Custom Shop Guitars • 3D Printed Google Cardboard • Create a 3D Printed VR headset • Make Your Own Iron Man Armor • Iron Man Suit Was Made With 3D Printing • World’s First 3D Printed Bike • 3D Printed Mountain Bike • Bastion Announces Upcoming 3D Printed Road Bikes • Turn Your Smartphone Into A 3D Printer for $99 • 3D Printing Helps Hollywood Do More With Less • Check Out This Mini Printable Lathe
SECTION 8
Hamburgers, pizza, pancakes, chocolate, and more… 3D printing has now entered into the world of cooking and culinary arts and is helping expert chefs and novice cooks make food in new and more creative ways.
3D printed food can also solve a host of issues that come with traditional cooking, such as allowing astronauts to 3D print food in space, creating intricately designed cakes, treats, and baked goods, and designing tasty food that has specific nutritional values.
• Foodini Lets You Print Burgers and Pizza • Bocusini, Plug & Play 3D Food Printing System • Watch This 3D Printer Make Pizza Fit for Astronauts • The PancakeBot Food Printer Heads to Market • Ripple Maker 3D Printer Brings New Design Capabilities to Coffee • 3D Printer Models Your Face in Chocolate • Chocolate Printer to Go on Sale After Easter • The Future of Printed Food: 3DS Culinary Lab Opens in Los Angeles • You Can Print These Kitchen Appliances With A 3D Printer • What 3D Printed Cake Tastes Like • Next Year, This Black Box Will 3D Print You a Pizza • A German Retailer Has Figured Out How to 3D Print Food
SECTION 9
When the governments and militaries of the world start adopting a new technology on a wide scale, then you know there must be something to it.
Whether 3D printing can help build better and more efficient armies, or be used in scenarios that help governments produce affordable and reliable equipment to help them run their countries more efficiently, there is so much potential there that many countries are looking for ways to implement the new technology into the framework of how they operate.
• 3D Printed Submarine for Use With Oil and Military Needs • China’s Military Uses 3D Printing to Better Visualize Landscapes • The US Government Set to Enter the 3D Printing Industry? • US Military Uses 3D Printing to Create Swarms of Mini-Drones • Chinese Military Tanker Uses 3D Printing for Replacement Parts • The British Army Wants to 3D Print the Military of the Future • Bits To Bullets: Australian Military 3DP’s New War-Making Strategies & Tactics • US Military Turns to Hollywood’s Legacy Effects to 3D Print Iron Man Suit • ArmyCoCreate and the US Military’s Make-a-Thon • New Prospects for 3D Printing in the Military • South Korean Military Adopts 3D Printing to Manufacture Vehicle Parts and More • MIT’s Multi-Material MultiFab 3D Printer Could be Used by U.S. Military
SECTION 10
Right now, in the fashion and apparel industry, jewelry is currently the most applicable use for 3D printing simply because it is the easiest to produce with a 3D printer.
However, 3D printing is also starting to become more prevalent in producing clothing, accessories, shoes, and more. In fact, shoe companies are utilizing 3D printing to help them create more customized and uniquely designed products than ever before.
• Jewelry Company Making $250,000 Pieces With a 3D Printer and Google Earth • Startup Thinks You’ll Be Printing Your Own Jewelry • Kinematics Dress by Nervous System – Dress Made from 3D Printed Plastic • 3D Printed Gown Worn by Dita Von Teese • Fashion Label Threeasfour Unveils Two 3D Printed Dresses • Student Wins Fashion Scholarship for Sustainable 3D Printed Clothing Line • Dutch Designer is Pioneering the Use of 3D Printing in Fashion • Sculpteo is Lighting the Way With 3D Printed Fashion • Ohne Titel’s 3D Printed Fashions Turn Heads at NY Fashion Week • 3D Printed Sneaker A Look Into the Future • Adidas Futurecraft: The Ultimate 3D Printed Personalized Shoe • First 3D Printed Running Shoes • Alexander Gabriel Watch Releases its New Line of Custom 3D Printed Watches • Introducing D-Frames, Ron Arad’s $800 3D Printed PQ Eyewear Sunglasses • These Shoes are Made for Printing • Is This 3D-Printed Under Armour Shoe a Sign of a New Manufacturing Era?
SECTION 11
Aside from saving lives through improved medical applications and along with protecting the environment and increasing our sustainability, 3D printing is also being used to help provide disaster relief and aid in humanitarian efforts.
From bringing aid to third world countries to providing prosthetics to injured animals, 3D printing has gone beyond the scope of manufacturing and is literally making the world a better place.
• Lucky Dog Gets A New Set of 3D Printed Prosthetics • When Disaster Strikes, It’s Time to Fly in the 3D Printers • iMakr and Oxfam Use 3D Printing for Humanitarian Aid in Lebanon • 3D Printing Brings Visible Music to the Blind • Power to the People — 3D Printing Being Used in Disaster Relief • A Simple, 3D Printed Pipe Fitting Has Huge Implications for Disaster Relief • This 3D Printer Could Print A House In Disaster Zones • Solar-Powered 3D Printers Are Giving Near-Instant Disaster Relief • Beauty the Bald Eagle Gets A New 3D Printed Beak • TurboRoo Inspires Owners to Put A Cart Before the Dog • Injured Sea Turtle Gets His Bite Back With 3-D Printed Jaw • WASProject Aims to 3D Print Homes in Third World Countries • USAID Relies on 3D Printed Weather Stations to Save Lives in Third World Countries