The emergence of 3D printing as an accessible means of production has opened doors for our customers never before possible. But how could the technology develop further? Here, Dr Samuel Wilberforce, our Head of R&D 3D Printing, discusses the future possibilities of 3D printing.
The products and services made possible worldwide through 3D printing are undoubtedly exciting – whether that’s the businesses 3D printing homes to tackle global poverty or those mass-producing parts for the electric cars of the future.
But what really excites me is the potential of on demand production. The idea that we don’t need to produce things at scale, but instead harness the powers and potential of 3D printing to play a huge role in manufacturing 4.0.
It’s something we’re already seeing today. Many of our clients are those who have switched from more traditional manufacturing methods where they would have to buy in bulk, while with 3D printing they can buy it in quantities as small as one or two or around 50 a year.
But why is that so exciting?
For a start, it’s going to be much greener. It means you won’t need to have big, dedicated store houses as you won’t be ordering things in huge quantities to make it feasible.
It’s also going to be more accessible – meaning more businesses and more industries will be able to use 3D printing technology to quickly produce the parts they need.
That’s all happening as the materials we can use become stronger and more lightweight. That can have huge benefits for sectors ranging from healthcare to motorsport.
For manufacturers in the next five to 10 years we could see huge production lines of 3D printers printing a range of different materials simultaneously. That really excites me.
How will that affect CMG?
Just because we think 3D printing is going to become more accessible – especially when it comes to plastic – doesn’t mean there won’t be a place in the market for specialist firms like CMG Technologies.
That’s because stages like sintering, for example, are a real art. They are not something that can be replicated at home or at work unless you have a suitable furnace and the expertise to run it.
At the end of the day, plastic and metal 3D printing are different ball games altogether.
What we will see is full-service, on-demand production becoming increasingly popular, covering everything from prototyping, to printing and post-processing.
Having a centralised production base which offers all of those services is what will guarantee you quality. And that’s what we can do here at CMG.
To learn more about how your business could benefit from CMG’s 3D printing services, click here.