Since its inception, 3D printing has been changing the way the world creates. The ability to replicate objects in full form has given designers much power, both in innovation and imagination. In 2018, 1.4 million 3D printer units were shipped across the world.
Wohler’s Report suggests that the industry will grow to $35 billion by 2024, and it is of no surprise. This tech gem paves the road for many opportunities both in sustainability and design, and unexpected industries, namely the fashion, health, and agricultural sectors, are bound to benefit from it.
3D printing & the agricultural sectors : the green revolution
3D technology is set to aid farming, providing the sector with easy-to-manufacture tools that can aid in harvesting and processing food. Various agricultural equipment is designed according to the needs of the farm, from irrigation structures to pest-control drones. 3D printers can also be used to produce food powered by oil and powder cartridges. Hunger, one of the world’s top concerns, can slowly be alleviated by providing poor communities with nutritional meals that promise longer shelf-life and little food waste.
3D printing & the fashion industry: retail is evolving
This same technology is also used to recreate the fashion industry. With flexible material at the helm, fibers can produce clothes that fit on less-traditional sizes, giving a wider audience a better set of clothing that will match their silhouettes. Manual labor is eliminated with laser seaming process, and it is easier to craft haute couture by printing the clothes in its full form.
3D printing & HealthTech: improvements for the medicine of tomorrow
Medicine is one of the industries that will benefit from 3D printing. The innovation is poised to recreate structures that imitate human organs, saving lives, and time with transplants that do not pose risk to the body. Scientists are also developing nanoparticles that could be applied to precision medicine, allowing doctors to apply grafting, personalized internal parts, and other techniques that will adapt to a person’s unique physiology.
