The Future of 3D Printing

         What would the future be like in the next decade or two? Twenty years ago, I had not imagined powerful personal computers in our mobile phones. And the world continues to move along with or without us noticing.

         Sometimes, you learn about new developments when watching educational videos with your kids. I don't usually go around looking for the latest news in technology. But, this piqued my interest.

         Here is the video that I watched:

         The 3D printers I have seen in person have been small-scale operations. I have seen people printing small figurines for their tabletop games. Some people create useful small replacement parts for their machines. On some occasions, I recall reading an article about printing a bridge or cheap housings. They were interesting, but not to the point of revolutionizing entire industries.

         Self-assembly Lab at MIT, has researched into Rapid Liquid Printing. Their research page talks about the current obstacles in 3D printing.

1. it’s too slow compared to conventional processes like injection molding, casting, milling, etc.
2. it’s limited by scale – although it’s good for creating small components, it’s not possible to produce large scale objects
3. the materials are typically low-quality compared to industrial materials.

         As explained in the video, printing in gel eliminates the effects of gravity. This isn't some fancy by the academics at MIT either. The Rapid Liquid Printing is a project in collaboration with Steelcase. Steelcase is a reputable furniture company vested in the research. It might be the step before industrial 3D printing become a reality.

         Looking around the internet, MIT isn't the only group interested in 3D printing. NSTRMNT, by Brian Harms and his collaborators, also looked into similar concepts. He dubbed his version Suspended Deposition. In essence, it is the same idea as Rapid Liquid Printing, but with light-curing resins.

         Brian is a senior research engineer for Samsung America. If this does not tell you a major company's interest in the technology, I don't know what else to tell you.

         It is from his page, I learned it is possible to correct mistakes and errors during printing. The resins are set in permanence after the curing process. So until then, the object undergoing printing is quite flexible.

         This is only the beginning. Research groups such as Organovo have been looking into 3D Bioprinting. As the name suggests, it prints living tissues and organs. From my own limited knowledge on the matter, I can see it being useful for transplant patients. Take it a step further, it could be the means to further regenerative medicine. And we don't even have to dive into controversial areas such as cloning, etc.

         I can see 3D printing technology become more refined and sophisticated in the future. Would this be the end of traditional factory jobs? What of trades such as carpentry and welding? How would these fields evolve to adapt to the changes? A part of me feel that those trades would still have a place in our society. Finally, how would the changes affect the job market?

         We would have to stick around to see what the future holds.