In this blog post, we will look at the revolutionary impact 3D printers are having on various industries and how they will change the industrial landscape in the future.
In 2015, Mina Khan, who had just turned two years old, was awaiting heart surgery. She had a congenital heart defect that caused multiple holes between her heart chambers, preventing blood from circulating properly and causing it to leak out. It was a life-threatening situation. The only way to save Mina was to locate and block all of the holes in her heart during the brief moment when her heart was exposed. The surgery was so difficult that Mina’s life could not be guaranteed. Her parents were in despair, and the doctors in charge of the surgery were also deeply concerned. Their only goal was to find a way to save this young life. After much deliberation, St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, which was in charge of Mina’s surgery, decided to use a 3D printer.
Generally, a printer is an output device that prints information processed by a computer in a form that can be seen by the human eye. While conventional printers can display information in a flat form, 3D printers can print three-dimensional shapes. All that is needed is a modeled 3D drawing. The development of 3D printers was like humanity gaining the ability to “create.” Complex structures could be easily created, which showed great potential, especially in the medical field. Like a god who can create anything at any time, in the future, we will be able to use 3D printers to create and use objects in the right place at the right time.
A 3D printer gave Mina an artificial heart. St. Thomas Hospital was able to perform mock surgeries using her artificial heart. The surgery was a success. According to the medical staff, Mina is now in almost the same condition as other children her age. The success of this surgery went beyond simply saving a life and became an important example of how 3D printers can bring innovation to the future of medicine. Jeremy Rifkin, a world-renowned economist from the United States, praised 3D printers as follows.
“The third industrial revolution is characterized by everyone becoming an entrepreneur and turning innovative ideas into products. 3D printers are the protagonists of the third industrial revolution.”
With the growing interest in 3D printers, countries around the world are quickly taking action. In Germany, smart factories have been built using 3D printers. The automation of production systems has solved the problem of labor costs, eliminating the need to move production to India or China. In the US, innovation centers such as the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) have been established nationwide. NAMII is an organization consisting of 40 private companies, nine research institutes, and five community colleges, which conducts research on manufacturing technologies using 3D printers. South Korea is also rushing to pursue smart innovation using 3D printers through Manufacturing Innovation 3.0. These moves by various countries can be seen as desperate efforts to lead the industrial innovation that 3D printers will bring about.
From global economists to governments around the world, everyone is focusing on 3D printers. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is underway around the world based on 3D printers. We cannot afford to stand still. We need to understand and lead the trend toward 3D printer technology. The reason 3D printers are receiving so much attention is that they enable customized production without wasting materials. Customized production also increases consumer satisfaction. For example, Adidas has unveiled Future Craft 3D, a project to develop customized sneakers for the future. The plan is to scan each person’s feet and use a 3D printer to create sneakers that fit their feet. Satisfaction will increase because the sneakers will be made taking into account the size, shape, and width of each person’s feet.
3D printers are also superior in terms of speed. In the conventional production structure, each part was manufactured separately and then assembled. However, with 3D printers, assembly takes place naturally as the product is manufactured. It is said that 3D printers can complete any product in one hour to one day using various materials, as long as the design plan is available. Thanks to this speed, 3D printers are becoming an important tool that opens up new possibilities for both businesses and consumers.
The field where the customized production characteristics of 3D printers can be most effectively utilized is the human body. Eric Moger, a British man, lost most of his left side of his face due to a tumor under his skin. Although he was able to survive through surgery, he had to live a miserable life for four years with half of his face missing. He could not speak properly and had to eat through a tube. It was a bio 3D printer that reached out to him. The 3D printer created his left face. He is now living a new life. In this way, 3D printers go beyond the advancement of simple technology and play an important role as a tool for restoring lost human dignity. 3D printers are attracting attention because customization is absolutely necessary in the field of human medicine. In addition, 3D printers are being used in various ways in the field of human medicine, such as to produce artificial livers, ears, and skin, and to provide services for the visually impaired by creating three-dimensional models of fetuses in the womb.
3D printers are being used simultaneously in various fields, not just in the human body field. The aerospace field is one of them. In space, it is difficult to procure materials. Nevertheless, essential materials must be supplied. Food is one such example. Astronauts on long-term missions in space can now use 3D printers to make space pizza and space cookies. All that is needed is powdered ingredients with the moisture removed and a 3D printer. In addition, the University of Southampton in the UK has created an unmanned aircraft called “SULSA,” and MONAD STUDIO has presented a cello and violin ensemble made with 3D printers. In Dubai, an office built with a 3D printer was unveiled. The office is about 70 square meters in size, but it was completed in just 17 days at a cost of only $140,000. As you can see, the potential applications of 3D printers in various industries are endless, breaking down the boundaries of traditional manufacturing methods.
However, even these versatile 3D printers have their weaknesses. Their dramatically fast production speed can be a double-edged sword. In May 2013, Defense Distributed, a company developing gun manufacturing technology, released the design plans for a 3D-printed gun called the “Liberator” on the Internet. Immediately after its release, the design plans were downloaded over 100,000 times in a matter of seconds. If 3D printers had been widely available, more than 100,000 Liberators could have been produced, threatening peace in the United States. This was due to a lack of regulation. This incident clearly shows the potential dangers of 3D printers. It is a reminder that technological advances do not always have positive results.
In terms of being able to make anything, 3D printers occupy an absolute position in the manufacturing industry. Thanks to their advantages of customized production and rapid product manufacturing, 3D printers are considered the protagonists of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and will exert an increasingly greater influence. They will lead the industrial revolution and advance the world. Of course, as seen in the Liberator case, the impact is not entirely positive. This is because 3D printers are a new technology, so there are few regulations and promotion measures. Therefore, the government must establish appropriate policies to promote the development of the 3D printer industry, and individuals must also strive to keep pace with the development of 3D printer technology. Ultimately, it will be up to all of us to recognize both the potential and risks of 3D printers and use them to create a better future.
