Next Generation 3d Printing – Possibilities and Visions of the Future

The 3D printer is a revolution that is changing the world – in the present and certainly in the future. Still, the technology makes surprisingly few headlines, which is why many people assume that it is not yet fully developed or that it was initially overrated. A mistake, because apart from the mass media, 3D printing has been making waves for several years. It is therefore worth taking a look at its current possibilities as well as possible future visions.

3D printers and their possibilities

Objects, organs, or even entire houses should one day be able to be produced using a 3D printer, this is how this innovation was celebrated a few years ago. What many people don’t know, however, is that the history of 3D printing began back in the 1980s. Even then, there was the idea of ​​being able to print three-dimensional things.

By 1989, three different additive processes were patented, which are still considered to be the most important technologies in 3D printing. Such 3D printers have also been available to private individuals since 1992. Nevertheless, for a long time, they led a kind of shadowy existence.

How far is 3D printing today?

Expectations for 3D printing were high in the early 2000s. But the resounding successes apparently did not materialize, because organ transplants with appropriately printed organs are still not common, nor houses & Co. In fact, in 2010 the first complete housing for an automobile prototype was manufactured using 3D printing and began in 2011 even research on a “food printer”. And that’s not all:

– In medicine, not only prostheses are printed at low prices, but also organs, tissues and precise tissue cultures such as organ parts made from collagen.

– In 2016 the first bone was 3D printed.

– In France, a startup has meanwhile invented a special 3D printing concrete that could revolutionize the construction industry.

And that doesn’t end the list of examples. So there has been a lot of progress, but the big breakthrough in 3D printing is still a long way off.

A look at the future prospects and visions

So how could the 3D printer continue in the near and distant future? Current projects provide some interesting answers to this question:

Space travel

3D printing is already playing an important role in space travel. Corresponding printers are now being used experimentally on the ISS, for example, to print food such as meat or bone implants for astronauts to manufacture.

Food

Not only space travel, but also the food industry could experience a revolution in the foreseeable future thanks to 3D printing. This also applies to slaughter-free meat as well as the printing of all foods, which is possible in principle. There are already printers for pizza, pancakes, and chocolate. There is a lot of hope in this technology.

Construction industry

3D printing could also represent a revolution for the construction industry in the future. On the one hand, this affects the choice of materials, because scientists are currently experimenting with completely new building materials that offer numerous advantages over conventional materials such as concrete.

Transport

In the field of transport, 3D printing is even further removed from practical applications. However, vigorous research is also being carried out in this direction.

Medicine

Research is also carried out in many different directions in the medical field. A mobile 3D printer was developed, for example, which is to be used directly at the bedside. It can print skin and thereby healing wounds.

Lifestyle

3D printing will of course also make all kinds of new lifestyle products possible that make everyday life easier for people or simply have an entertaining function. For example, the robotics design company “Boston Dynamics” has printed a robot dog that can understand and learn the language and is expected to save many lives in the future.

Next-generation 3D printing – Flashforge Adventurer 3

The Flashforge Adventurer 3 belongs to a new generation of creative desktop 3D printers. With this printer, one can easily achieve excellent 3D printer results. With the built-in camera, you can monitor your 3D printing online from anywhere around the world. Its magnificent features make it an ideal choice for starters.

This 3D printer has other innovative features, such as the new, patented Flashforge extruder structure that enables you to change the extruder quickly in just a few simple steps. There is therefore no need to dismantle the entire extruder in the event that maintenance work has to be carried out.

Further features of the new extruder are the constant filament loading and improved ventilation, which leads to optimal printing results.

The printer is delivered ready to use. Aligning the build platform is no longer necessary.

Happy 3D (Android, iOS, and Windows App compatible) makes 3D printing more fun

Printing means are more efficient every day, but the 3D design is still not very simple. Flashforge seeks to facilitate the 3D Drawing and 3D Printing processes. The Happy 3D software allows you to draw objects in 2D and then increase them in 3D. Happy 3D brings a whole new experience, with over 100 free models sorted into 7 categories which can be combined to create new models with just a few clicks.

Conclusion

Since its invention more than two decades ago, the 3D printer has been seen as the most important revolution of the time. Although it is currently rather quiet about the technology, research is in full swing and 3D printing is already being used in many areas. It will still be a few years before it actually changes the construction industry, transport or other everyday areas from the ground up.