3D Printing: Cost drop brings infinite possibility

[VW has a long waiting time for the bright vision of 3D printing, and many people think too much about 3D printing]

In recent days, Gartner published the 2015 Top ten it trend forecasts to mention the current hot 3D print. Forecasts suggest that the cost of 3D printing will drop in the next 3 years, prompting a rapid expansion of the Low-cost 3D printer market. Although a lot of people at present to 3D printing or confused, the application of 3D printing has many misunderstandings, but it is certain that the future of the printing will be more and more closely with our lives.

3D printing, a kind of rapid prototyping technology, is a technique for constructing objects on the basis of digital model files and using bonded materials such as powdered metal or plastic, which are printed through layers.

According to Gartner, the expansion of 3D printing technology is particularly prominent in industry, biomedicine and consumer applications, highlighting the real existence of the trend, and proving that 3D printing is a viable and cost-effective way to reduce costs by improving design, simplifying prototyping and short-term manufacturing.

3D printing to achieve high speed development there are still some challenges to be overcome, in print speed, material availability, accuracy and control. In addition, there are also disputes over legal liability. Of course, given the potential benefits of 3D printing technology in the future, the drive to overcome these difficulties is sufficient. And the current developments are much faster than pessimists think. The application of nanotechnology, for example, means that 3D-printed plastic products will soon become the biggest competitor to traditional manufacturing metal products. In addition, printing human kidneys, houses and hamburgers (or other foods) with 3D printing technology--even in the distant future--is a very active research topic, and parts (such as houses and hamburgers) have been successfully developed.

Of course, the public has a long time to wait for the beautiful vision of 3D printing, many people think of 3D printing too good. Boston Science Company in Shanghai introduced a 3D printing technology for left ventricular occlusion, and said that this is the first 3D printing technology in China's minimally invasive intervention in the field of clinical application. It is reported that this technology can not be said in China, is in the United States is also 3D printing in the forefront of clinical medicine technology. However, to the disappointment of many who have high fantasies about 3D printing, the technique is not to print a human-like organ, but to print a three-dimensional medical image that is convenient for doctors to evaluate before surgery.

At present, 3D Printing has been rapid development abroad, forward-looking Industry Research Institute issued the "2014-2018 China 3D Printing industry market demand and investment potential analysis report", 2009 global 3D Print Market size of 1.069 billion U.S. dollars, after three years to maintain more than 20% of the speed of growth, The market reached 2.204 billion dollars by 2012. 2013 Global 3D Industry development is by leaps and bounds, the growth rate reaches 81.49%, the market scale reaches 4 billion US dollars. The United States, Japan and Germany dominate the 3D print market, especially in the United States, which accounts for nearly 40% of the world's share.

The domestic 3D printing technology started late. But since the 3D concept, immediately received hot, 3D printing technology in recent years in the domestic warming up. According to the prospective Industry Research Institute statistics, 2012 China's 3D printing Market size of about 1 billion yuan, 2013 doubled up to 2 billion yuan. But compared with the United States, Germany and other developed countries, China's 3D printing industry is still in its infancy, the domestic 3D printing applications are still mainly in the scientific research stage, has not been achieved in the industrial and personal consumption in the field of large-scale promotion.

(Responsible editor: Mengyishan)