Paradigm Shift Moves 3D Printing into Mainstream Manufacturing

3D technology moving ahead at warp speed

Several years ago, I wrote about the exciting future of 3D printing and the innovation that would follow. However, when discussing the possibilities with my engineering friends, it became apparent they didn’t share my enthusiasm. They pointed out that 3D printers were slow and unreliable when producing a finished product.

Well, it appears 3D printing has experienced a major paradigm shift since then. They can now produce high-quality finished products 25 to 100 times faster than old 3D printers.

The concept of 3D printing came from the original Terminator movie. Remember  the T1000 alien creature chasing Arnold Schwarzenegger reassembling itself from a puddle of what looked like liquid metal? Follow this link to watch a video of an actual product rise from a pool of liquid material.

The old method of 3D printing used a process of printing one layer over another layer, one at time. The new method literally forms the object out of a puddle liquid material. It combines engineering-grade materials such as elastomeric polyurethane, silicone, rigid polyurethane, flexible polyurethane, epoxy, dental and urethane methacrylate with light, oxygen and some very brilliant hardware and software to produce ready-to-use products.

This new method of 3D printing allows the building of durable, lightweight products that can be used in high temperature settings and elastic mesh products that cannot be produced in other traditional manufacturing methods. The results will show up in creating everything from inexpensive compressors in air conditioners to custom dental work and anything the imagination and material science come up with.

I invite you to read about a current range of products currently being made with the new 3D printers here. And click here to watch a video demonstration of this new 3D printing process.