🗿 3D Printing is Underrated

GM. Happy Tuesday. Today we’re diving into a forgotten (by the media) golden child - 3D printing.

Without Further Ado. ☕ *knuckle cracks* ☕ Let’s get into it.

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3D Printing: The Forgotten Hype

Last week we came across a story about a group in Texas who is building an entire hotel with 3D printing. That got us wondering, what happened to all the hype? Remember when 3D printing was supposed to be the next big thing? Is it still going to be the next big thing?? Today we dive in. 

Quick history

The first interesting thing we found is that the idea of 3D printing isn’t actually that new: the concept of 3D printing was imagined back in the 1970’s, but the first experiments are dated from 1981.

Even though it was birthed back then, we didn’t see any significant applications until the early 2000s. In 2009 the patents fell into the public domain, opening the way to a wide wave of innovation in 3D printers, a drop of the desktop 3D printers price, and increased visibility.

So what are we actually using the tech for now?

Art & Fashion

From our perspective, this is probably the most well known use case (and arguably the least important). 

Here’s a 3D printed bodysuit Grimes used for a music video. 

“Levine created the bodysuit using virtual reality to make a hologram fit perfectly over a digital model of Grimes’ body. Then, using 3D printing, he produced the outfit. After printing the dragonfly design on the garment, Levine added a light inside, allowing the bodysuit to change colors during the music video.”

Adidas took it mainstream by 3D printing running shoes for the masses. 

They’re really 3D printing a hotel?

As mentioned earlier, they’re printing a hotel in Texas. But it’s actually not just a hotel, El Cosmico, an existing hotel and campground on the outskirts of the city of Marfa, is building 43 new hotel units and 18 residential homes over 60 acres - all with a 3D printer.

The real question is why? Well the architect says it allows for unprecedented creativity

In addition to creativity, 3D printing also helps in these key ways:

Speed

A building can be printed in just days or weeks, significantly faster than traditional construction.

Cost Saving

3D printing reduces the need for a large labor force, and it can lower the cost of materials by using exactly what’s required, with minimal waste.

Sustainability

The precision of the process reduces construction waste, and many companies are experimenting with eco-friendly materials such as recycled plastics or bio-based composites.

Medical Applications

We were moderately aware that 3D printing was being used in healthcare, but the applications already in use are astounding. The FDA has approved hundreds of medical products made with 3D technology, and more hospitals are establishing in-house 3D printing facilities.

Here are some of the top ones we could find:

Medical devices

3D printing can create patient-specific devices, such as implants, prosthetics, surgical guides, and instrumentation. For example, 3D printed surgical guides help surgeons know how deep to drill into a patient's tooth. 

Anatomical models

3D printed models can help clinicians understand a patient's anatomy before treatment. For example, models can be used to examine liver tumors and potential radiation treatment methods. 

Pharmaceuticals

3D printing can be used to create personalized drug delivery devices and formulations. For example, drugs can be printed with multiple release layers to modify the dosage profile. 

Skin tissue and organs (!!???)

Researchers are using 3D printing to create skin grafts and organs. For example, a 3D printer prototype can create synthetic skin for burn victims. 

Wrapping it up

It’s amazing that 3D printing doesn’t get the news coverage it used to, because it seems like we are entering a golden age for the technology. And what we covered are only a few of the very real applications that are already in use. 

Maybe we just haven’t been paying attention, and all of our readers are already 3D experts. But we think 3D printing is massively underrated. 

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