3-D printing or additive printing is the new segment with unlimited potential and possibilities. It has come a long way from its roots and today 3-D printers can handle various materials and requirements, paving the way for mass customization.  3-D printing has proved to make manufacturing more sustainable by transforming traditional manufacturing processes through cost reduction, energy saving and reduced CO2 emissions.

By its very nature, 3D Systems printers manufacture products efficiently — one layer at a time using only the necessary amount of material required for each part with near zero waste in an energy efficient process.  While traditional manufacturing methods employ subtractive manufacturing which starts with more materials, 3D printing is additive manufacturing, where objects are built from bottom up and material is only used as and when required, resulting in waste reduction and cost savings, especially when the raw material that is used is expensive.

Other benefits like use of lighter materials is possible with 3-D printing over the traditional methods. Greater precision, finer resolution at higher speeds, simplification of production runs, reduced dependence on manufacturing centers, thus bringing manufacturing closer to home are among the tangible benefits of 3D Printing.

PrintWeek MEA wishes its readers a Happy New Year.

 

Shilpa Jasani is the editor of PrintWeek

MEA magazine.