3D Printing – it’s a developing technology that has recently been revolutionising the manufacturing industry in far more ways than one.
It has been available for a number of years strictly in engineering fields, but in more current times we are upgrading and stretching its capabilities to enable use in a multitude of other areas. Think Jewellery, Medicine and even Food; the opportunities are almost endless with 3D printing.
Have you had an idea stuck in your head?
Know exactly what you want it to look like but unsure of how to physically make it? 3D Printing is the easiest way to manufacture your prototypes so you can have your own product in your hands in no time. Best of all, customisation is limitless and the prints can be of draft quality or extremely accurate depending on your choice.
3D printing for designers
Most designers look towards 3D printing now as an outlet for creating quick and easy prototypes without the hefty costs of sending jobs overseas to be manufactured, only to be changed again due to faults.
In fact, due to the increasing capability, these machines have of working with different materials, it is possible to also print end-range products for the consumer market with 3D printers.
It is estimated that around 20% of 3D printer use globally is for the purpose of producing final products, those of which can be made from production-grade plastics to metals and even wood.
3D printing is practical because there is no wasted material or ‘tooling’ required to produce an item – it can even print assembled products to avoid any labour!
Although 3D printing may seem like a foreign concept, you can send a print through easily with the touch of a button – much like any inkjet or laser printer.
The difference remains within the process, as the 3D printer creates layers in a vertical direction to gradually build up an object according to the STL file. Due to its easy execution, desktop 3D machines are being introduced to countless educational institutions everywhere to encourage creativity and involvement in the future of desktop fabrication.
Thanks to 3D printing, we are graced with boundless inventive opportunities, not just for artists or designers but for everyone else including teenagers and children.
This technology gives us the ability to better visualise concepts before refinement, to create final functional pieces and the potential to let our imaginations run wild without restriction of material, process or money.
Contact our 3D printing experts at MBE Brisbane CBD to discuss your project.