3D printing is a slow revolution. But it is a revolution regardless when you consider what the technology does: saving lives, enabling new business models, redefining how we design products. But none of that happened overnight. The revolutionary nature of 3D printing grew over decades, formed on a foundation of small but valuable steps.
So where are today’s trends taking the industry in 2019?
Bloggers Aura Farrando and Radhika Dhuru checked in with experts at Materialise, including CEO Fried Vancraen, to find out.
1. Applications, not technology, will drive the 3D printing industry forward.
In 2019, the application-driven approach to 3D printing is likely to gain attention from the financial world.This is a clear trend in Asia where governments, which previously invested in technology development and 3D printing machine manufacturing, are looking instead at methodologies to stimulate 3D printing consultancy and co-creation. The objective is to widen the pool of industries using 3D printing, and thereby create a market and demand for products rather than supply for a non-existing market.
2. A rise in polymer materials for 3D printing
It’s the plastic materials for 3D printing that have been preparing for substantial growth in 2019. Major material manufacturers are playing a big role in this movement.
The rise of the application-driven approach towards innovation in 3D printing is a contributing factor. As industries identify relevant applications for 3D printing, material manufacturers will be driven to develop and certify new materials to suit those applications.
The rise of manufacturing applications, as opposed to prototyping ones, is fueling a growth in materials development. The same rise is also likely to bring a new challenge: the need for materials standardization and better machine control, especially for industries with highly demanding quality requirements, such as aerospace and medical devices.
Check out the video for more 2019 3D printing trends.
Sources: Blog materials from the company.
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