3D printing: The next big disruptive technology in the manufacturing industry

First fully 3D printed rocket engine — the engine combustion chamber is printed of Inconel, an alloy of nickel and iron, using a process of direct metal laser sintering.
Image: SpaceX.com

“3D printing, a technology now emerging from a thirty-year period of deceptive growth and beginning to disrupt a portion of the $10 trillion global manufacturing industry.”

– Peter Diamandis (founder and chairman of the X Prize Foundation, co-founder and executive chairman of the Singularity University )

Additive manufacturing is an umbrella term for a set of technologies and processes, nearly 30 years in development. There is growing evidence that the advancements in technology and materials have finally brought it beyond the hype stage.

Gartner 3D printing hype cycle.
Source: gartner.com

What is the Gartner Hype Cycle?

First, it is important to explain the Gartner curve, also referred to as the Gartner Hype Cycle. We can see that the first phase of the Gartner Hype Cycle is a phase of growing enthusiasm and rising expectations for the technology in question. Indeed, users of the technology are confident it will open new opportunities and has a lot to offer. Once these expectations reach a peak, consumers realise that the technology will be harder than expected to implement. Therefore, their enthusiasm for it starts to plummet. Finally, the curve will reach its second wave of growth. As investments and developments are made, expectations start to rise more gradually once again until reaching a plateau.

Today, 3D printing finds its applica­tions not just for product prototyping, but is also being increas­ingly adopted by companies for final products by a wide range of industries such as medical and healthcare, infrastructure & development, automobile, aerospace, defence, space and even by the fashion industry.

AM(Additive Manufacturing)/3D printing basic technical details

ASTM International (Additive Manufacturing Technology Standards) defines 3D printing as “a process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies”.

Steps involved in 3D printing technology

1. The AM process traditionally begins with the creation of a three-dimensional (3D) model through the use of computer-aided design (CAD) software.

2. The CAD-based 3D model is typically saved as a standard tessellation language (.STL) file, which is a triangulated representation of the model.

3. The software then slices the data file into individual layers, which are sent as instructions to the AM device.

4. The AM device creates the object by adding layers of material, one on top of the other until the physical object is created.Once the object is created, a variety of finishing activities may be required.

Some breakthroughs in 3DP across the globe

• SpaceX on March 2, 2019 launched its crew-capable space vehicle fitted with SuperDraco engines for its first demo mission, titled Crew Demo -1. The crew capsule has eight 3D-printed SuperDraco escape engines, which could fly the vehicle out of harm’s way during a launch emergency.
• In order to design the SuperDraco engines, SpaceX embraced 3D printing technology in order to cut down on cost, waste, and make the production process more flexible in general. A key component of the rocket engine, known as the combustion chamber, was fabricated entirely with 3D printing on an EOS metal 3D printer. The use of Inconel super-alloy ensured superior strength, ductility, fracture resistance and a lower variability in materials properties.
• GE (General Electric) used titanium aluminide (TiAl) to create turbine blades. 3DP allowed GE to produce thicker blades with high speed, which was impossible to manufacture from traditional manufacturing processes.
• In another case, GE utilized AM/3DP to produce fuel nozzles for its next-generation LEAP (aircraft).
• In April 2019, Israeli researchers at Tel Aviv University printed a 3D heart using a patient’s own cells, something they say could be used to patch diseased hearts — and possibly, for full transplants.
  “This is the first time anyone anywhere has successfully engineered and printed an entire heart complete with cells, blood vessels, ventricles and chambers,” corresponding author Tal Dvir said.
  A paper titled “3D Printing of Personalized Thick and Perfusable Cardiac Patches and Hearts” was published in the journal Wiley Online library.

3D printed heart. Image courtesy: Tel Aviv University

• 3-D printers enabled an unprecedented “revolution” in the various fields of education especially in imparting STEM education to students.

Applications of 3D printing in the classroom.

Advantages of AM

• Design complexity: AM enables the creation of intricate designs to precise dimensions that are difficult or impossible to create using traditional methods.
• Speed to market: AM systems can manufacture products with little or no tooling, saving time during product design and development and enabling on-demand manufacturing.
• Waste reduction: AM typically uses less extraneous material when manufacturing components, thus significantly reducing or eliminating scrap and waste during production. This makes AM a more efficient process.
• Personalization: 3D printing processes allow mass customization; it brings in the ability to personalize products according to individual needs and requirements.

Conclusion

Optimists publicize that the future of AM is to revolu­tionize manufacturing industries and the markets they serve. Skeptics point to the relatively small impact these technologies have had outside of a few niches. Critics raise concerns about potential risks and threatening applications (e.g., 3D printed guns, bioprinting, 3D printed drugs etc. ) and the inevitable intellectual property issues that the increasing adoption of AM technologies will create.

3D printing market potential

Regardless of one’s viewpoint, there is little doubt that the past 30 years have witnessed an indefinite advancement in AM ease of use, cost, and adoption across multiple industrial sectors.

Gartner estimates that by 2021, 40 percent of manufacturing enterprises will establish 3D printing centres of excellence.

Seeing the current discourse and the research effort put by the private entities in 3DP, it could be concluded that 3D printing technology is on the path of disrupting the major portion of the manufacturing sector.

This article was originally published at https://revolutionary-entrepreneur.com/