The Technology Of 3D Printing: Advantages And Applications

Introduction to 3D Printing Technology

Discuss about the Polymerization Microfabrication of Hydrogels.

3D printing is a growing fast along with the technology of additive manufacturing. This 3D printing uses the powder material like metal as well as plastic for constructing the object that is based on the digital file of the model.

Digital model that is used in 3D printing provides optical scanning that makes the model visible in 360° angle all around the scanning target with the help of visible light (Mendis, Lemley & Rimmer, 2016). The surface construction software of 3D technology calculates, creates, as well as modifies a surface image of the model in 3D, and transmit the data to 3D printer. The solid model in 3D printing is formed layer by layer.

The case study that this report deals with is basically a medium sized company situated in Victoria. This organization deals with retail as well as corporate clients (Ambrosi & Pumera, 2016). The organization wants to expand its business to Australia and wants to make their models cheaply with the help of 3D printing technology. This report deals with 3D printing technology needed for this company.

This report mainly describes the technology of 3D printing that is used in most of the companies nowadays. This report elaborates the definition of 3D printing technology that is used in the industries to build a 3 dimensional model. This report all describes five different types of applications that use 3D printing and the most three appropriate application that is required for the case study. There are many advantages as well as disadvantages of 3D printing that are elaborated in this report.  This paper describes the use of 3D printing technology in different types of industries and finally recommends about 3D printing technology for the case study that is given. 

The technology of 3D printing is used by the designing companies all over the world. 3D printing allows the designers to visualize all the objects in 3 dimensional effect (Kothman & Faber, 2016). 3D technology is therefore defined as a process of prototyping by which real objects are being created from 3D model. The raw material in 3D printing are added layer by layer to build up the final model. The technology of 3D printing is also known as additive manufacturing or as desktop fabrication.

Mostly, in 3D printers the file format that is used is STL (STereoLitography). This STL is used for storing the files of 3D object for the need of 3D printer (Dankar et al., 2018). The files of STL are standard of open file and are used mainly in CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing).and are also used as rapid prototyping. The file format used in STL is a good file for printing the parts of the model because in STL the surface geometry of all the parts are described. The technology of 3D printing is very cost effective and all the organization can afford the concept of 3D printing technology. The 3D printers is capable of creating any object starting from a toy to a motorcycle. There are several prototypes that are used for the need of testing with 3D printing technology. The complexity of skilled workers are gradually reducing with the invention of this 3D printing technology.

Applications of 3D Printing

There are different types of applications that are involved with this technology (Lee et al., 2014). The popular application that used with this technology are listed below.

1. Addictive Manufacturing: The addictive manufacturing is basically a networked model that is used for manufacturing. This helps user to print the object in three dimension.
2. Rapid Manufacturing: The rapid manufacturing is new to the technology of 3D printing (Zhang et al., 2015). All the processes that are involved with this technology are unproven. This type of manufacturing is urgent is mostly famous in the manufacturing organizations.
3. Agile Tooling: In this design tooling, the prototyping is done faster. Injection modeling is a common type of moulding that is done in Agile Tooling.
4. Rapid Prototyping: All the industries that use 3D printers use this type of prototyping. All commercial organizations mainly uses the rapid prototyping.
5. Mass Communication: With this application, easy customization is possible with the help of web based customization software.

There are various applications that are used to build a three dimensional model. These applications are used by users all over the world in different types of industries. As the small sized organization wants to expand its business in Australia cutting the cost of building the model with help of three dimensional printing technology, three applications are stated for this organization (West et al., 2018). The list of three proposed applications that the organization in Victoria can use are stated as follows.

Additive Manufacturing: The additive manufacturing is an important application in the sector of 3D printing. In traditional method for manufacturing, a particular material is used for making the design of the model (Ventola, 2014). This is basically done by removing some parts by carrying out different methods. But, in additive manufacturing application, the models are made by adding up many thin layers that are combined together to build the product. The process of additive manufacturing involves using of CAD software that helps to relay the messages in a printer. This additive manufacturing is especially used to print the model of the object with the desired shape. The advancement of the technology is increasing day by day and the advancement in addictive manufacturing has also reached its peak (Youssef et al., 2015). One of the mast important advantage of this application is the speed and for this the additive manufacturing is has become the most popular manufacturing among the users. The materials in an additive manufacturing are added layer by layer to make the model. The material that can be used to make the model can be plastic, concrete or metal. This application is used for making different equipment such as machine, systems, computers, 3D modelling, layering materials, and many more. As the organization in Victoria makes printers and computer, this additive manufacturing is an appropriate application of 3D printing. As the organization wants to build the model with less cost, the additive manufacturing can help the company to do so.

Mass Communication: The second application that the organization can implement is for 3D printing is the mass communication (Ferraz et al., 2016). The organization in Victoria wants to expand its branches in Australia. So, to do that with less cost another appropriate application that the organization can use is the mass communication. This application is very popular and is most vital concept that provides the clients with different types of products fulfilling the requirement of the client. As the mass communication includes no extra cost of building the model, it is very much advantageous for the organization to implement.

Advantages and Disadvantages of 3D Printing Applications

Rapid Prototyping: The second application that the company of Victoria can implement is the process of rapid prototyping (Moon et al., 2014). The rapid prototyping consists of different techniques that are used to fabricate the scale model or physical part of the model by CAD data. This rapid prototyping is used to construct the prototype of models and parts of the object. The volumetric data that is used to build the model in rapid prototyping is interpolated from one dimension range to another.

All the applications that are used for the technology of three dimensional printing has many advantages as well as disadvantages (Chia & Wu, 2015). All the proposed applications consists of ethical laws, social laws as well as legal laws. The advantages and the disadvantages of the applications that are proposed for the organization are discussed below.

1. i) Cost Effective- The most advantage that the additive manufacturing offers to the organization is cost effectiveness. There are many organization available that cannot carry out the cost of traditional manufacturing in the company (Radenkovic, Solouk & Seifalian, 2016). So, this application can helps the organization to lessen the cost of manufacturing. This application is used by most of the organization who implements 3D printing.
2. ii) Saves Energy Cost- The energy cost in the organization can be saved with implementation of additive manufacturing.

Provides Simple Training- The next advantage that the additive manufacturing is that this application needs simple and easy training and thus, the training can be provided to the users easily.

1. iv) Less Complexities- Tis application particularly has less complexities. The methods involved with this method is not complex and can be carried out by all employees (Ge, Ghadiri & Hapgood, 2015). The processes involved is very easy and all user can handle it. There is no complexity in the process.
2. v) Reduces Waste Production- The last but not the least advantage that additive manufacturing provides is that it reduces the production of waste. Reduction in waste production helps the organization to save energy as well as expenses that gradually increases the profit of the organization.

1. i) High Cost of Production- The disadvantage that additive manufacturing involves is higher production cost (Park et al., 2015). Most of the organization avoid using the additive manufacturing because of the high production cost. The cost of production is high in additive manufacturing.
2. ii) Slow Building Rate- The second disadvantage that this application provide is to that this application has very slower rate of building.

Requires Post Processing- The third disadvantage that additive manufacturing provides is that the process requires post processing. The accuracy of the dimension has very low quality.

Production Process is Discontinuous- The application of 3D technology in printing mostly provides discontinuous process for production. Only some part is printed at a particular time.

With all the advantages and the disadvantages, the additive manufacturing is the ethical manufacturing satisfying the legal as well as social laws of manufacturing (Chan et al., 2017). So, this application can be used by all the users without any problem.

1. i) Provides Final Look- The most advantageous factor of rapid prototyping is that the final product that is produced looks good and perfect (Cesaretti et al., 2014). The user using this application can see the final view of the product before it has been made. The future product is available to the user in the prototype only.
2. ii) High Speed- The second benefit that rapid prototyping application provides high speed of execution. This system helps the user to complete the execution fast, thus, helping the user to complete the designing fast.

Search for Flaws- One of most significant benefit that is provided by application of rapid prototyping is searching for the flaws or defects that are in the designing part of the product (Lee et al., 2016). All development stages while developing the product are searched by this application.

Cost Effective- This is the best advantage that rapid prototyping provides. This application is very much cost effective. All organization from small sized organization to large sized organization can implement this application.

1. i) System Replication Failure- The disadvantage that the rapid prototyping provides is that this application is not applicable for system replication (McMenamin et al., 2014). This application is failure for system replication. This application cannot be replicated and constructs a prototype that is mere.
2. ii) Cheap Working Models- The working model that is used in this application is a cheap model compared to some other model.

Not Appropriate for Big Products- Another disadvantage that the rapid prototyping application offers is that this application is not accurate for making of large products.

Mass Communication: The advantages and the disadvantages that mass communication provides with 3D printing technology are stated below.

1. i) Cost Effective- The advantage of mass communication is that this application is very much cost effective (Xing, Zheng & Duan, 2015). It can produce models at very lower rate that gives the organization to mitigate their issues related to cost.
2. ii) Provides Competitive Advantage- The mass communication application gives competitive advantage to organization that uses this application.

Good Customer Experience- This application of 3D printing provides all its customer a good experience while handling the application and making the product.

1. i) Requires Mass Deduction- This application of mass communication gives a disadvantage that this system lacks mass deduction. Mass deduction is made in this application.
2. ii) Feasibility Lack- The disadvantage that mass communication provides is that this application lacks feasibility.

Recommended 3D Printing Application for the Case Study

The ethical, social, as well as legal laws are followed by mass communication and the application is trusted to be used by all the users and the organization.

Conclusion

The 3 dimensional technology of printing is basically a procedure in which any type of materials are joined, solidified, or layered in computer system for properly creating as well as making a three dimensional  object. The process of 3D is being executed to bring all the material and make up a single object. This 3D printing technology is a high end technology of manufacturing that is used excessively in manufacturing sector. Most of the organizations now a days use the technology of 3D printing for establishing their business.

From this report, it can be concluded that the small sized organization that is situated in Victoria can implement the technology of 3D printing in the organization for making the working process more fast and making the process cost efficient. The three dimensional technology makes the work more fast and with less cost. As the organization deals with making of printers and computer system, the decision of implementing the 3D printing technology is right for the organization. As it wants to expand its business to Australia, implementing the 3D printing will enable the organization to work faster. The best effective application of 3D printing technology is the additive manufacturing application that helps to makes the system faster. This report elaborates five such applications of 3D printing that is useful in different sector of organizations. Out of the five application, three most appropriate applications are suggested for the company in Victoria for enhancing its business. All the advantages along with their disadvantages are stated in this report that shows the benefits of using those applications in the organization.

As the organization wants to expand its business to Australia, it has to make all its processes do be done fast. The traditional method of manufacturing takes lots of time and lots of money for manufacturing. So, to mitigate this issue 3D printing technology is to be implemented in the organization. There may be some issues before implementing the 3D printing technology in the company. To mitigate them, some of the recommendations that are to be provided for the organization are as follows.

1. The organization is recommended to use security measures before implementing the 3D printing technology in the system.
2. The company should maintain all its equipment and machine from time to time so that the user do not face any problem.
3. The last recommendation that is recommended for the company is to use the application of Additive Manufacturing for making the system fast and building the model with proper finishing.

Reference List

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